Gournia Fjord near Vathy
The inaccessible area of Gournia is located in the periphery of the village Pigaidakia in the Asterousia Mountains, between Vathi beach and the rugged location Sideropetra, on the route that connects Matala with Vathi. Access from the mainland requires good physical condition, as it is very tiring and without any shade, but the wild beauty of the landscape compensates for the inconvenience.
The area is characterized by the white soft limestone that has been washed away by the sea and is reminiscent of a lunar landscape. In Gournia, five consecutive very narrow and rocky bays are formed at the exits of deep streams that are reminiscent of tiny fjords, while there are several small natural ponds (troughs), which also give the place name Gournia (means troughs).
In the largest and most impressive fjord, depending on the winter rains that carry portable materials from the east, a tiny enchanting beach is formed during some years. This unknown beach was photographed in May 2020 by Manolis Dretakis and Nektarios Savvakis, and was a very pleasant surprise as until then it was considered just a rocky bay.
To get to Gournia, you have to walk either 2:30 hours from Matala, or 1:30 hours from Vathi, where a dirt road from the Monastery of Panagia Odigitria arrives.
