gorge of the dead

Dramatic cliffs either side & one of the greenest gorges I have walked in Crete. Public transport at either end on Mon Tues & thursdays also cafenions to cool you down!

Make sure you get good directions to go up and around the top of this gorge and then descend through the gorge itself. A great hike, not too difficult if you are experienced, have good boots, and bring water and a snack.

We parked the car at entrance B and walked the gorge back to Kato Zakros with the intention of getting a lift back later in the day to collect the car. In the end we decided to walk back and collect the car after lunch. In hind sight we'd have been better leaving the car at the hotel and doing the walk from there so we'd have walked down hill at the end rather than up hill! Lovely scenery, cute goats and birds along the way. Red dots marking the way can be a bit confusing as there are two entrances to the gorge A & B and both are signed with red dots.

Seen one, seen 'em all. They are all the same. So go ahead if you like. There are same caves where the Minon pepole berried their deads but no real exiting excurtion. Remarcable: Take same bags with you; you can collect wild herbs on the way, specially Thymian and Oregano.

I read about the hundreds of hikers a day at the Samaria gorge and decided to do this instead. We thought it was beautiful and we had it to ourselves until nearly the end. Our Kato Zakros hotel (Yianni's Retreat) offered us a ride back to our car so we started at Entrance A off the road to Zakros. A short section is on dirt road to a large parking lot. Then it's downhill to the trail, which was well signed with red dots. Much of it follows a water channel. In early July, oleander and thyme were still blooming. We climbed up to the Minoan village (not really a clear trail there) and found shards of pottery. The part from there to Kato Zakros is scenic, with views up the high walls. We left at 8 to miss some of the heat and parts were still shaded. Plus, it made great pictures with the sign, Dead's Gorge. We saw a family come up with flip flops (they wisely turned back quickly) -- this is an actual hike for boots or at least tennis shoes.

Nice but warm walk in september. I did not like that the walk and sideways was not well marked. Did not like the dogs that were guarding the old road down to Kato Zakros.

the most wonderful views of natural outstanding beauty. start early in the morning before the heat of the day and wear suitable footwear. goats roam around you and you can hear the sound of wildlife everywhere

This was our first day adventure in Crete, the drive from AgNik being the most adventurous part, but after a lovely 2.5 hour drive down to the town of Zakros, we parked off the road and decended down into gorge. the flowers were in bloom and lovely little stream trickled next to us as we cruised through the gorge, magnificent views on all sides. little goats would bleat off in the distance and the smells were out of this world. from where we started it was about 1.5 hours down to the other side. I think you can start it up closer to town somewhere, but we weren't sure how much time it would take from there. High up on the cliffs were these giant caves where the minoans used to bury their dead. the sun would peak out of the clouds and a cool breeze blew down through the gorge to cool us off. around every turn another amazing cliff wall loomed above us and finally opening up to the sea beyond. from the exit it is just a short walk to the left to the ancient palace of kata zakros, which was the ultimate destination for us, and proved to be worth the trip. lunch on the beach at the Taverna Akrogiali, which was some fantastic food for not much money. Then a 7EU cab ride back up the hills and to our car. It truly was a magical way to start our awesome 16 day Greek Vacation. absolutely mind blowing.

This is a very beautiful walk, in spite of the name! In April/May the pink oleander bushes are in flower & there's usually some water in the river. On a previous walk we were preceded up the gorge by about 12 golden orioles - magic!

we took the €10 taxi ride to the carpark entrance and then hiked down into the gorge. Not a difficult walk at all and lots of scenic interest and plenty of wild flowers if you are interested in that kind of thing. Lots of oleander in flower all along the gorge route.

This awe inspiring and atmospheric gorge is a must for anyone visiting the far north east of Crete. We were all very impressed with the scenery and the rock tombs, even though we weren't up to the four hour walk.

The canyon of the Dead in Kato Zakros is the final part of the European trail E4, that starts in Portugal and crosses Europe. It’s a canyon of great archeological value, easy to traverse – even for beginners -, that ends up in the archeological site of Kato Zakros and its wonderful beach.Its name is attributed to the ancient Minoan inhabitants of Kato Zakros’ custom of burying their dead in the caverns that lie on the vertical walls of the canyon, risking their own life in the process. In the dozens of caverns inside the canyon, apart from skeletons, other objects of archeological interest were found

Make sure that you are healthy , energetic , and you are dressing with clothes that protect your body and wearing shoes that are protecting your ankles . You are on your own in there , but at the exit you enter the magnificent Kato Zakros area , and the Akrogiali taverna with the delicious ..''mezedes'' . !!!

great scenery; can be an easy or more challenging hike depending on the route (can be one way down the gorge or a loop). Route information can be obtained from Stella's apartments.

Balade facile accessible depuis Kato Zakros, Stella appts ou Yannis Retreat. La Gorge est très jolie. Pas besoin de prendre sa voiture et possibilité de faire le grand tour avec retour par la mer (en 3h).