Mountains

The Forest Pardi is one of the finest remaining holly woods of Crete, near the village Kouroutes, 53km southeast of Rethymno. Here the steep western slopes of Psiloritis meet with the plain of Amari, creating a magical and unknown majestic landscape.

Thripti pine wood is located at an altitude of 850m, near Pahia Ammos in Lassithi Prefecture. The scenic village of Thripti, the green landscapes and the unique pine forest in the mountains of Sitia, are some of the things that you will never forget when you come here.

This part of the E4 path has as its main feature the ascent of Mount Kryoneritis, which has panoramic views of the northern and southern coast of Crete. The course continues north and ends at Alones village.

At the south slopes of Kedros Mount, at position Rechtres, and over the village Platanes (Rethymno Prefecture), there is the wild and dangerous gorge of Platanes.

Just below the famous Kamares cave, above the village Kamares we meet a sizable wood. Kamares wood covers the region on the south side of Mavri peak and reaches up to an altitude of 1600-1700 meters. Its area reaches almost till the position Koutsounares where the Voriza canyon starts and continues above the village Vorizia.

The small pebble beach Vourlidia is formed at the exit of Flomias gorge, at the west part of Salamias bay and at the base of Oxa cape. This incredible beach can be accessed after strenuous hiking from Agios Ioannis (east) or Tripiti beach (west). The place above the beach can be approached through very bad dirt track from Koumasa or Kapetaniana.

The Goniano gorge is the unique passage which connects Sklavokampos and Gonies with Tylisos. Its length is 3 km. and is relatively wide and straight. Reaching though the exit (in the point where a monument of those killed during the 2nd World War is in the road to Gonies) the gorge turns abruptly towards south and before it comes out of the limestone mass follows an irregular and abrupt course.

The pine grove of Pefkias is the densest wood in Psiloritis Mount (denser than the forest of Rouvas) and apart from the great pines that dominate the area, you will also meet cypress and oak trees. In Pefkias, you will meet many bee hives as it is one of the most important areas in the prefecture of Heraklion for apiaries after the forests of the province of Viannos.