Sitia · East Crete · Greece

Zakros Gorge

gorgehikingarchaeologygoogle verified

moderate

9/10

best: spring, autumn

mysterious, adventurous, ancient

A local would say...

Minoan burial caves line the cliff walls — you hike through thousands of years of the dead to reach a palace the sea is swallowing.

A dramatic canyon walk leading down to the Minoan palace ruins at Kato Zakros, near Crete's eastern tip. Named the Valley of the Dead for the ancient Minoan cave tombs carved into the cliffs. One of the most accessible yet least crowded canyon walks in Crete.