Kourtsa Rock Formations at Chonos
At position Kourtsa, close to the settlement Chonos in Mylopotamos province we meet one of the most interesting landscapes of Crete. This is an entire mountainside with spectacular naturally carved rocks having amazing shapes. They are extremely sharp and stand tall like meteors in the sky, and between them aisles are formed that leave space for walking and for a few shrubs and trees.
Each rock has its own particular shape and many of them resemble with various objects. This impressive landscape owes its form to the corrosion of wind and rain that erode limestone for millions of years. Similar landscapes exist in several parts of Crete, but in Kourtsa we meet the biggest one in Crete. The region occupies several acres and belongs to the Natural Park Psiloritis. It is the point where the Talean Mountains meet the foothills of Psiloritis range. These karstic grounds that are so prone to erosion, are very common in the wider area of the village.
Even the name of the village Chonos has to do with the natural phenomenon that is typical in these places; just below the village a sizable karstic sinkhole is formed that is the plain of the village and has very fertile soil. At the center of this doline there are two small and one large sinkholes leading the rainwater into the bowels of the earth (locals call these holes chonos). You can access Kourtsa via a very good dirt road that starts from Chonos.
