Gorge of the Dead
Gorge of the Dead
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
338 reviews
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203
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115
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17
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3
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Olga
Copenhagen, Denmark71 contributions
Jun 2021
This is a lesser known gorge as it's quite far from the main cities / attractions. We weren't sure about driving all the way out here but it was a great decision. The drive to Zakros is stunning, staying at Kakros beach was lovely and the gorge of the dead walk was stunning! We came across very few people (compared to the crowds at Samaria) and enjoyed a lovely walk through the gorge. We went from the "A" entrance on google maps, and it took us 4 hours there and back including a walk through the archaeological site. The gorge is truly stunning and to think that the Minoans used to walk through it all of those years ago is awe-inspiring. The walk is not particularly long so bring lunch / snacks depending on the time of day you do it. You can also eat at Kato Zakros beach before heading back to the car. It got very hot when we were there, so bring lots of sunscreen/water and start early. Highly recommended!
Written July 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Spiderdog
Cheshire, UK6,509 contributions
Sep 2022
We walked the trail on a very hot day in September. Ideally you need to set off early before it gets too hot and take plenty of water with you.
We chose to walk from Kato Zacros up the gorge and down again with the reward of lunch by the sea when we had finished.
Our guidebook classed this as an easy to moderately difficult walk which is probably about right.
It's a lovely walk with some great views and not busy unlike some of the other walks we did on this trip.
We chose to walk from Kato Zacros up the gorge and down again with the reward of lunch by the sea when we had finished.
Our guidebook classed this as an easy to moderately difficult walk which is probably about right.
It's a lovely walk with some great views and not busy unlike some of the other walks we did on this trip.
Written October 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1Downhiller
Lincoln, UK107 contributions
May 2022
The name may be melodramatic but it's based on historical fact, and Zakros Gorge doesn't dissapoint. Walked top to bottom, bottom to top or both ways it's not overly strenuous and visited in May was surprisingly green. Flowering shrubs and low trees carpet the valley floor whilst the croak of crows echoes off the vertiginous cliffs.
The effort it must have taken the Minoans to inter their dead in these inaccessible high caves is extraordinary, but the atmosphere which clearly drew them still pervades the place 3500 years on.
The Minoan 'palace' at Kato Zakros (at the sea end of the gorge) is worth a look, but other than the gorge itself perhaps the best local feature is the road to get there. Eastern Crete is in parts little developed. The narrow, poorly signed road to Zakros and Kato Zakros winds through stunningly beautiful hill country and sleepy hamlets before plunging down a hairpin staircase to the sea. Look out for seemingly endless bee hives - Cretan honey is something special.
A huddle of beach tavernas provide a pit stop for driver and walker alike, and chance to wonder what this scene might have looked like when the dead of the gorge were living.
The effort it must have taken the Minoans to inter their dead in these inaccessible high caves is extraordinary, but the atmosphere which clearly drew them still pervades the place 3500 years on.
The Minoan 'palace' at Kato Zakros (at the sea end of the gorge) is worth a look, but other than the gorge itself perhaps the best local feature is the road to get there. Eastern Crete is in parts little developed. The narrow, poorly signed road to Zakros and Kato Zakros winds through stunningly beautiful hill country and sleepy hamlets before plunging down a hairpin staircase to the sea. Look out for seemingly endless bee hives - Cretan honey is something special.
A huddle of beach tavernas provide a pit stop for driver and walker alike, and chance to wonder what this scene might have looked like when the dead of the gorge were living.
Written May 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
SteveSitia
Sitia, Greece3,598 contributions
Nov 2019
Excellent hike through a natural gorge. Surrounded by flowers if you go in Spring, it can be quite dry in summer but still beautiful. It's a good plan to park in Kato Zakros, get a lift up the hill towards (but not as far as) Zakros village to 1 of 2 entry points for the gorge. it's not a very dificult walk, a couple of hours, good trainers or boots are useful as it is dirt tracks & stones. very pretty Kato Zakros at the end for a swim & some lunch makes it a great day out!
Written March 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Alevras S
Athens, Greece6 contributions
Aug 2021
Walked from Ziros village on the E4 path until Skalia, about halfway to the sea. Towards the end, a few trees for shade. Before descending for Skalia there is an ancient well on your left hand, easy to miss. Plenty of water, not sure if safe to drink. You will need a bucket and 4m of rope. There is a spring at Skalia, near a dirt road. Also walked from Ano Zakros parking to Kato Zakros and the sea, the southern end of E4 path ! Even midday in August, every now and then had shade from trees and overhanging canyon walls. Riverbed dry with a few small pools.
Three improvised gates to keep goats in. Path easy to follow as there are signs and it follows a narrow gorge. In some places you need to clamber between rocks, balance on a thick water pipe and most of the way walk on small stones. However, not difficult - I am 65 y.o. At Kato Zakros nice beach, plenty of taverns and cafeterias. Bring sturdy shoes, a stick, water bottle and a straw hat.
Three improvised gates to keep goats in. Path easy to follow as there are signs and it follows a narrow gorge. In some places you need to clamber between rocks, balance on a thick water pipe and most of the way walk on small stones. However, not difficult - I am 65 y.o. At Kato Zakros nice beach, plenty of taverns and cafeterias. Bring sturdy shoes, a stick, water bottle and a straw hat.
Written August 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Daniel G
Heraklion, Greece15 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
Beautiful walk through this gorge of the dead. It is called so not because it is difficult but because of the mortuary caves that can be seen on the sides of the gorge. Lush vegetation, especially in the first part from the village of Zakros. No possibility to get lost. Everything is well indicated.
Written August 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
S M
48 contributions
Oct 2021 • Solo
Enjoyed the reviews of this place and thought of checking it out. Really lovely gorge and similar set up as in Samaria with a beach and restaurants at the end. Only thing I didn't like was how short it is. After reading the reviews I thought ok, 1h down, 1.5hs up but finally it took me only 40 minutes from parking B to the beach and 50 back up. Nonetheless the gorge is very pretty and if Samaria seems too daunting for you this one might be the right one.
Written October 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mama_Mitch1981
Worthing, UK589 contributions
Jun 2016 • Couples
Kato Zakros, Zakros Town and the Gorge of the Dead
You can make a day here and whatever your walking abilities there's lots to do. All places of interest are at either the town or beach so if you don't want to walk a gorge you don't have to.
The best option is to arrive at Kato Zakros Beach 9am, taxi to entrance A of the Gorge, do the 3hr hike back to your car at your leisure, air con for 10mins in the car and pop back up to the Minoan Palace Ruin (5mins). Using google read up on it and view the entire thing through the wire fence (or pay E6 to get in) Then back to the beach where you can use changing booths to get into your costume and beach shoes, take a half an hour dip in the sea and lie out for half an hour in the shade to drsunbeds owned by Tavernas) Chuck something decent on and some cooler shoes and lunch in one of the many cool tavernas. Use the car to pop back up to the town once the midday sun has cooled down and explore the cheese factory and other interesting options.
Zakros Town has the museums, cheese factory and other places of interest and Kato Zakros has the pebble and sand beach, 4hr round trip to a cave and the basic Minoan Palace ruin. Connecting the two is the Gorge of the Dead. We never found the burial caves which was disappointing.
The Gorge of the Dead can suit any category of walker. For those with a foot injury, horrendous sun burn or small children park at Kato Zakros and walk into the Gorge enjoying the signs about shrubs and plants. When you get to the picnic area you can stop for a drink and head back. It's flat and has a little interest (1 hour max).
For serious walkers park at Kato Zakros and hike uphill to entrance A or B and then hike back. For great walkers this would be 4hrs round trip with the homeward half downhill.
For normal people who can walk but don't like too much, park at Kato Zakros, ask at the first Taverna for the taxi driver (who sits waiting here all day) and taxi up to entrance B (E10 - E12) then walk the Gorge back down to your car.
We are normal people who like a challenge and no children in tow so parked at Kato Zakros, taxi'd to entrance A (a little further) and walked the Gorge.
80% of the Gorge is in full sunshine with no shade. From entrance A most of the shade is in the first third of the walk. Follow signs for E4 walk and the little red dots and the path follows a dried up river and dry aquaduct (other reviews mention an active river and Terrapins in the water system but in June there was not a drop of water) It is down hill or flat 98% of the time and no hard up hills of any kind. The bees were very active in the flora and you brush past them a lot so don't do this if you are scared of bees (we were never stung or bothered by them at all). This is one of the easiest Gorges in Crete but you do need to scramble over some rocks and boulders. You MUST have trainers or walking boots with socks and at least over a litre of water per person. We froze ours overnight so it slowly melted and was cold for the entire walk. Also we would recommend a decent fully brimmed hat. There are prickly shrubs and lots of dirt so you may want long trousers but I wore shorts and was happy to wash my legs down at the other end. We rested at 4points on the walk so don't miss the shaded opportunities, they can be few. Our walk took 3hours from entrance A to the beach.
Look out for the helpful pebble piles they usually denote a good photo opportunity in the gorge.
This is a great, pretty and interesting gorge, if you are staying locally then try to experience one of the options.
You can make a day here and whatever your walking abilities there's lots to do. All places of interest are at either the town or beach so if you don't want to walk a gorge you don't have to.
The best option is to arrive at Kato Zakros Beach 9am, taxi to entrance A of the Gorge, do the 3hr hike back to your car at your leisure, air con for 10mins in the car and pop back up to the Minoan Palace Ruin (5mins). Using google read up on it and view the entire thing through the wire fence (or pay E6 to get in) Then back to the beach where you can use changing booths to get into your costume and beach shoes, take a half an hour dip in the sea and lie out for half an hour in the shade to drsunbeds owned by Tavernas) Chuck something decent on and some cooler shoes and lunch in one of the many cool tavernas. Use the car to pop back up to the town once the midday sun has cooled down and explore the cheese factory and other interesting options.
Zakros Town has the museums, cheese factory and other places of interest and Kato Zakros has the pebble and sand beach, 4hr round trip to a cave and the basic Minoan Palace ruin. Connecting the two is the Gorge of the Dead. We never found the burial caves which was disappointing.
The Gorge of the Dead can suit any category of walker. For those with a foot injury, horrendous sun burn or small children park at Kato Zakros and walk into the Gorge enjoying the signs about shrubs and plants. When you get to the picnic area you can stop for a drink and head back. It's flat and has a little interest (1 hour max).
For serious walkers park at Kato Zakros and hike uphill to entrance A or B and then hike back. For great walkers this would be 4hrs round trip with the homeward half downhill.
For normal people who can walk but don't like too much, park at Kato Zakros, ask at the first Taverna for the taxi driver (who sits waiting here all day) and taxi up to entrance B (E10 - E12) then walk the Gorge back down to your car.
We are normal people who like a challenge and no children in tow so parked at Kato Zakros, taxi'd to entrance A (a little further) and walked the Gorge.
80% of the Gorge is in full sunshine with no shade. From entrance A most of the shade is in the first third of the walk. Follow signs for E4 walk and the little red dots and the path follows a dried up river and dry aquaduct (other reviews mention an active river and Terrapins in the water system but in June there was not a drop of water) It is down hill or flat 98% of the time and no hard up hills of any kind. The bees were very active in the flora and you brush past them a lot so don't do this if you are scared of bees (we were never stung or bothered by them at all). This is one of the easiest Gorges in Crete but you do need to scramble over some rocks and boulders. You MUST have trainers or walking boots with socks and at least over a litre of water per person. We froze ours overnight so it slowly melted and was cold for the entire walk. Also we would recommend a decent fully brimmed hat. There are prickly shrubs and lots of dirt so you may want long trousers but I wore shorts and was happy to wash my legs down at the other end. We rested at 4points on the walk so don't miss the shaded opportunities, they can be few. Our walk took 3hours from entrance A to the beach.
Look out for the helpful pebble piles they usually denote a good photo opportunity in the gorge.
This is a great, pretty and interesting gorge, if you are staying locally then try to experience one of the options.
Written June 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
steved333
US129 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
I read about the hundreds of hikers a day at the Samaria gorge and decided to do this instead. We thought it was beautiful and we had it to ourselves until nearly the end. Our Kato Zakros hotel (Yianni's Retreat) offered us a ride back to our car so we started at Entrance A off the road to Zakros. A short section is on dirt road to a large parking lot. Then it's downhill to the trail, which was well signed with red dots. Much of it follows a water channel. In early July, oleander and thyme were still blooming. We climbed up to the Minoan village (not really a clear trail there) and found shards of pottery. The part from there to Kato Zakros is scenic, with views up the high walls. We left at 8 to miss some of the heat and parts were still shaded. Plus, it made great pictures with the sign, Dead's Gorge. We saw a family come up with flip flops (they wisely turned back quickly) -- this is an actual hike for boots or at least tennis shoes.
Written July 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Michele V
Valdagno, Italy47 contributions
Aug 2018 • Friends
To reach the gorge from paleokastro, you have to take the road to Zakros. Once in zakros, you can take the path E4 that takes you to the entrance A of the gorge. This is the longer walk roughly 5 km to the sea. Otherwise you have other two option. Leaving Zakros direction Kato zakros you will find entrance A (not in the picture). Take left and reach the park. Is a grey stone road that ends in a wide park. On the right there is a stone road that goes done. The road is purple colour and takes you to the entrance (a metallic door in a fence). From here you have roughly 5 km to go down. Very easy and nice. Other option, is to reach park B in the same road and just 2 minutes by car. Park the car and take the path on the left of the bus station. See the pictures. Here you have 3,5 km to reach to sea, just 50 minutes. My suggestion is to park in the B, go down to the see, and go back to the park A. From A follow the road to park be. In total, to do this kind of round, you will walk for 3 hours.
Written August 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kishān C
Kandy, Sri Lanka2 contributions
I wish to travel in Crete in 2 weeks and I thought of going to the archaeological site of Zakros. However, I found that there's a hike to the site from the Zakros town.
Can anyone please let me know how to get there from the Zakros bus stop and from there to the beach?
alkemisten
Crete, Greece22 contributions
Hi!
We went there by car and parked at parking B. There is another parking, parking A closer to Zakros, which can be reached by walk. The hike to the beach from Zakros takes about 2 hours. If you are in an ok physical shape, this should be doable.
Hope this helps.
Fatto il percorso ci sono dei mezzi per tornare e se no qual'e' il percos dei più breve per il ritorno?
McTREDO
Faenza, Italy252 contributions
Se vuoi farla comoda-comoda ci sono dei taxi che ti portano dalla spiaggia al primo ingresso alto, poi è tutta discesa ! ( ma le scarpe carrarmatate servono comunque...)
Pogle29
London, UK9 contributions
We're planning on driving from Makrigialos to Zakros (small hire car) what are the roads like?
McMillan46
Melbourne, Australia281 contributions
Depending on what road you take it will impact the time and distance. We found the roads to be ok but in some sections narrow. Also it is important to take care as some sections have tight curves and at times they revert to switch back format. Countryside can be rocky and barren.
hol307
London, UK9 contributions
Hello, I was wondering if you know if we can get their by local transport. We will be staying in Stalis. When we go we don't want to hire a car but it does sounds amazing. Thankyou so much x
Pieter H
Nieuwpoort, Belgium26 contributions
Hi, you can also start the hike from Zakros, which has a bus stop. A taxi is also an option, should not be to expensive. In the Rother Guide you can find detailed info on How to do the hike from Zakros. This guide can be find in many tourist shops. Look for a small red book. Good luck!
accordion2017
Greater Manchester, UK6 contributions
Hi, I'm wary of heights and my balance can be dodgy- does the path have any sheer drops along the way?!
Trickygoose
Barrie, Canada48 contributions
Hi there,
You can stay on relatively flat ground, as in the dry season it is a dried riverbed. The path does get narrow in some spots, and it is possible to slip on some of the rocky terrain as well. You can choose to stay on the low ground though for most of the route and when it starts to climb or offers the "stairs" in the rock face, just walk on by.
AliG
San Francisco, CA1,363 contributions
Is there a bus system similar to the Samaria Gorge, that will drop you off at the top of the Valley of the Dead Gorge and then you get to hike down to the ocean and a bus will pick you up to take you to another city?
trippingferret
Kent, UK247 contributions
Not really. There is a bus service (not frequent) which I suppose you could use, but as has been mentioned, it isn't a strenuous walk. If you are starting from Kato Zakros I'd recommend walking up the Old Zakros Road (nice views of the gorge and over the bay) and entering the gorge by the A entrance - it's then an easy walk back down to the sea.
Gorge of the Dead (Kato Zakros) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Gorge of the Dead
- Hotels near Gorge of the Dead:
- (1.47 mi) Yiannis Retreat
- (1.72 mi) Kato Zakros Palace Apartments
- (1.69 mi) Terra Minoika Villas
- (9.84 mi) Sitia Bay Hotel
- (1.44 mi) Stella's Traditional
- Restaurants near Gorge of the Dead:
- (1.74 mi) Nostos
- (1.75 mi) Anamnesia
- (0.62 mi) Apolafsi cafe snack restaurant
- (6.56 mi) Retro Family Tavern
- (6.51 mi) Restaurant ELENA