Nature

The beach is surrounded by pines and cedars, making it a favorite destination for campers for those who love hiking. If you come to the river it is worth observing the fossils on the rocks or have some spa with the clay!

The artificial lake of Zaros or Votomos is located on the southern slopes of Psiloritis, just 1km north of Zaros and 45km southwest of Iraklion. The area was a small wetland before 1987, which was shaped in the crater of Votomos Spring. It took its current form in 1987 when the Forest Service created an artificial lake where the spring water is stored.

Gorge Katsounaki is located in the dry Eastern Crete, east of Xirokambos settlement. The river passing through the gorge leads to the beach of Xerokampos River, next to the beautiful sand beach of Alona. Hiking in the canyon is easy and the landscape with tall walls is very wild. You can walk upside down from Alona.

Iligas is an amazing turquoise-water sandy beach, 1km west of Chora Sfakion and 74km south of Chania. Iligas is located at the end of Kavi Gorge, that starts close to Anopolis. There are two beaches, separated with a big cavy rock.

Geropotamos is located about 18km east of Rethymnon and 3km west of Panormo. It is named after the homonym river that empties in the east end of the beach. The small beach is sandy and has crystal clear water, which is very cool because of the river, which has water all year round and forms a small deep lake near the shore.

Near village Meskla at the root of the White Mountains, we meet the small, but really impressive, gorge of Sarakina (don't confuse it with the other popular gorge named Sarakina in East Crete, by Mythi at Province Ierapetra). The name Sarakina comes from the faith of the locals that Saracenes used to hide in there.

If you exclude the repelling landscape of tanks, you will certainly be enchanted by the beautiful beaches of Kali Limenes, which are suitable for swimming all year round. As its name name suggests, sea in Kali Limenes (i.e. Fair Harbors) is almost always calm, except in winter. This was one of the reasons for the construction of the tanks here. If you visit the place on weekend, all its beaches are crowded by thousands of people, despite the tiring route in Asterousia.

Afrata is a small village, located 3.5km north of Kolymbari and 28km west of Chania, at Cape Rodopos. The small lovely beach of Afrata is shaped 1km east of the village, inside a well protected calm bay.