Kato Zakros E4 week: A top hiking week from the beautiful village of Kato Zakros in the far south-east of Crete. Kato Zakros is a small Greek village by the sea enclosed by gorges and mountains in the hinterland. Actually the start or end point of the E4 in Crete.
This E4 hike consists of 4 walks. Day 1: departure early in the morning through the Pefki gorge (10 km) in south-east Crete. After the hike, we drive to Kato Zakros where we stay for 3 nights. Day 2: Chochlakies gorge (15 km) and visit Pelakita cave, a long walking day. Day 3: Gorge walk in Xerokampos (12 km). Via the flamingo beach, we walk into the gorge. On the fourth day, we walk the Death Valley (9-10km). Then we pack up and drive back to Zorbas via the famous palm beach of Vai.
Hiking in Dead Valley
Accommodation in Kato Zakros: We are staying at Giorgios by the sea, a prime location, where you can eat outside with any weather. We also have breakfast there. A real Greek tavern with top-notch cuisine. There are several accommodations.
After the walks, there is time every day to swim in the sea or rest on the veranda or in the tavern.
Four-day in Zakros: Sitia Geopark: Sitia has a vast hiking area in Crete with more than 160 caves. The Zakros Gorge is a beautiful gorge, which you can hike all year round. It is a fairly easy walk from the village of Zakros to Kato Zakros, a seaside village.
Pefki gorge in East Crete
A beautiful gorge is hidden between the village of Pefki and the village of Pisokaminos in the southeast of Crete. This gorge got more publicity thanks to the increasingly popular hiking trail E4. The Pefki gorge in East Crete is part of this European walking route E4. Although the main attraction in Pefki is definitely the gorge, it is worth spending some time in the village. Here you can wander through the narrow streets and enjoy the peace, simplicity, and picturesque atmosphere of the village.
The walk through the Pefki gorge starts at the old watermill of Ilias. Initially, the path does not pass through the gorge, but alongside it. After 700-800 meters the path descends to the riverbed in the gorge. The gorge is overgrown with tall pine trees, plane trees, carob trees, colourful oleanders, and fragrant bushes. There are also impressive white rock formations on the sides with a height of more than 100 meters. The striking contrasts with the variety of colour combinations make this piece of nature unique to Southeast Crete.
From the Pefki gorge to the beach of Makrygialos
The exit of the gorge is not near the sea, but in the area Pisokaminos, close to the village of Aspros Potamos. There is a large rock called “Volakas tou Sarakinou” (“Saracen’s rock”). According to legend, a Saracen pirate hid himself there after he was left behind on Crete. On the rock are small egg-shaped pebbles. There are different stories and theories about this. Locals say this is from the time of war and hardship. Children passing by here would throw stones on the rock. If these remained, there was food at home. If the stones rolled off again, there was nothing to eat at home.
Makrigialos Crete
A short distance from the Saracen rock is the village of Aspros Potamos (‘White River’), where the tarmac road continues to Makrigialos or else back to the village of Pefki. Makrigialos is a fairly large village on the south-east coast of Crete. With beautiful long beaches, this is a lovely place to recover from the walk. Initially a small port with no roads in the 1950s, Makrigialos has experienced strong growth. Today, it is a tourist destination in the south-east Crete region and you can find everything from a place to sleep to a beachfront restaurant.
E4 walks in Crete – East Crete
2nd day Chochlakies gorge Crete: In eastern Crete, for example, the Chochlakies gorge lies between the village of the same name and the beautiful beach of Karoumes. This gorge is not strenuous and is the last section of the European walking route E4. The Chochlakies gorge is beautiful with rich flora, interesting geology and has an easy walking path.
A stream flows through the gorge most months of the year and parallel to it is a path. In principle, it is not difficult to walk this path, but you have to watch out for loose stones. On either side are beautiful high rock formations with trees here and there that have literally grown into the rocks. The Chochliakies gorge emerges at the pristine beach of Karoumes. The crystal-clear water, fine sand and beautiful scenery are the perfect reward after hiking.
Pelekita cave
After hiking through the Chochlakies gorge, there is still time to visit the Pelekita cave. This cave is one of the larger caves in Crete, measuring 310 metres long and located at an altitude of 105 metres above sea level. The cave is also called Sykias Spilios after the fig tree that stands near the entrance (Sykias is Greek for fig tree and Spilios is cave). It is not easy to enter the cave, but it is worth it upon seeing beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.
Day three: Xerokampos – Kato Zakros: Crete is an island where you can discover many hidden beauties. The island has fantastic beaches, for example, but there are also several beautiful gorges and canyons hidden in the mountains. Many of these are clearly linked to Crete’s rich history thanks to finds. There are several ways to enter the gorge, but we choose the adventurous route this time.
Zakros Gorge
Day four: Hiking Zakros gorge: Do you dare to cross the Valley of the Dead? It may sound risky or even scary, but the name has to do with history. Indeed, in Minoan times, caves here were used to bury the dead. Although the relationship between the Minoans and death has never been established. In any case, it must have been quite an honour for the survivors to risk their lives by burying the dead in the high-altitude caves. Not many intact graves have been found; most of the graves had been looted before archaeologists investigated the site. During the walk, these caves are easy to see.
The Minoan palace of Kato Zakros is one of Crete’s four Minoan palaces that has been partly excavated. We then walk along the top of the gorge before entering the gorge just before Zakros.
Minoan Palace of Kato Zakros
In 1961, one of Crete’s four Minoan palaces was partly excavated in Zakros. The palace served as an important fleet station on the east coast. Around 1600 BC, the largest fleet of the period was based here. From a strategic point of view, the protected harbour was important for trade to the east, especially to Egypt. Archaeologists are still digging here, as the palace has not yet been fully excavated. Loose finds from the Minoan era are on display at Heraklion’s archaeological museum.
Walking in East Crete: The Zakros gorge is not the only gorge walk in Eastern Crete that we organize. A part of the E4 walking route runs through the eastern part of the island, but there are also other beautiful hidden places that we would like to show you. Read more about our walks on this page of the website or contact us if you would like to receive more information.
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