Sarakina Gorge, Meskla
Near village Meskla at the root of the White Mountains, we meet the small, but really impressive, gorge of Sarakina (don't confuse it with the other popular gorge named Sarakina in East Crete, by Mythi at Province Ierapetra). The name Sarakina comes from the faith of the locals that Saracenes used to hide in there. Locating the gorge is not very easy, therefore it remains quite unknown to locals. It is a short (in length) gorge but is a real natural sculpture.
It is literally hidden in a ravine with some huge cypress and plane trees. In recent years, the local authorities tried to promote the site and build trails in Sarakina, thus they created a path that crosses the gorge starting from Meskla and ending at the starting point again (the path is circular) after one hour of easy hiking. At first we walk for ten minutes on a dirt road that eventually gives way to the path running along the riverside.
Along the trail there are wooden and stone steps, and metal corridors that cross the river. After the first ten minutes, the landscape changes completely and the gravel bed gives way to boulders of compact limestone, creating a true miracle of nature. The rock looks torn in the middle and the nature has created an amazing sculpture.
This narrow piece is walkable without some difficulty, because it does not form waterfalls. After ending gives back its place to the dense forest. The trail runs in the woods and soon meets a dirt road, and soon we can reach our starting point.
