
Sarakina, Meskla
Sarakina’s gorge is one of the smallest in length gorges of Crete but also one of the most impressive. It is one of the two gorges of Crete with this name. The second one is located near the village of Mythi in East Crete, at Ierapetra province. Its name comes from the Saracen pirates who used the gorge as a hideaway after looting the villages of the area. Well hidden in a beautiful landscape, it is an amazing destination for a day excursion in the beautiful Cretan nature. Hiking the gorge is quite easy, making it ideal for people of all ages. It is open all year around and most of the walk in it is in the shade of high trees, so it is also suitable for walking on hot days.
It is located near the village of Meskla, at the root of the White Mountains. Hidden in a ravine covered with lush greenery of cypresses and plane trees you will be impressed by the landscape while you can see up close rare flowers and herbs that thrive in the area. In recent years, trails have been built by the local authorities in order to promote the gorge and attract more tourists. The path starts from the village and ends at the same point (it is a circular path). Along the path you find wooden and metal bridges and a place with benches where you can sit and relax.
The easiest way to reach the gorge is to leave the car after the Meskla village to the way to Zourva, on the first closed curve, οn the right hand-side of the road. From that point a dirt road will take you down to the gorge after a few hundred meters. The dirt road gives way to a path, running along the riverside. After almost ten minutes of hiking, you come across limestone rocks giving the impression that they are split into two, creating a very small passage of two meters at most. The spectacle is amazing and this is probably the most beautiful part of the route. After passing the narrow spot the path continues through a lush forest and you have the choice to either turn left and return to the starting point or turn right towards the forest of Zourva.