Hike in Agiofarago gorge in Crete

The walk through the Agiofarago gorge starts at the monastery Moni Odigitrias located south of the nice village of Sivas. Here you have to make a decision: either you park the car at the monastery and go on foot to the entrance of the gorge, or you take a chance and drive a bit further. The village of Sivas is located south of Zaros and northeast of Matala.

Before we walked through the Agiofarago gorge for the first time, we were advised not to drive all the way down to the entrance of the gorge. We didn't, but we drove quite a long way along a bad dirt road. Sometimes we regretted it, but turning back was not a choice, there was simply nowhere to turn around. Further on, there are places to park, and it is possible to turn back with a bit of effort.

However, we do not recommend driving all the way down to the large parking lot. Remember not to park your car under a tree. There are plenty of goats in the area and they gladly use the cars as ladders to get access to the trees' leaves.

To walk in the Agiofarago gorge is easy even for those who are inexperienced hikers. It is not uncommon to see people walking in flip-flops, and you also meet families with children. The Agiofarago gorge is not as spectacular as many other gorges in Crete. But that's just what is a little bit of the charm. It's like going for a walk after Sunday dinner.

If you are interested in birds, you have a great chance to see griffon vultures soaring above you. It is said that there is bearded vultures in the area, but I do not think so, at least I have not seen any. We have only seen bearded vultures in the Platania gorge.

A few hundred meters before the end of the gorge, you pass a beautiful church called Agios Andonios. The church dates back to the 15th century. After the church, it is not far to all the hikers' goal and reward: Agiofarago beach where a refreshing swim awaits.

The walk takes between 40-60 minutes one-way, and about the same time on the way back. We walked in 50 minutes and we walked at a leisurely pace.

Here, the walk ends. The reward is a swim at the beach, which you can read about here.

If you want a bigger challenge, you can drive to Zaros for a hike in the Rouvas gorge.

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