As part of our trip to Crete in 2021, we did numerous hikes, one of which being in Zakros, or better known as the Gorge of the Dead. We’ve put together this short blog post to give a bit more information on how to get there and what to expect from the hike overall.
Whilst the seaside village of Kato Zakros can be reached by car, many people choose to hike the E4 route down from Skalia to the coast. The hike takes you through the Gorge of the Dead. This the last part of the E4 hike, which is well singposted allong the route. We parked by entrance A (see map below)- where you can find a good sized car park, and made our way down towards the seaside and the town of Kato Zakros.
Map of the Gorge of the Dead hike
Pink sand at Elafonisi
During the hike, you will come across numerous olive groves, and then a number of caves in the cliff sides, as you can see in the photo to the right. These used to be used as tombs during the minoan times, and now give the hike the name “Gorge of the dead”.
The path is easy enough to follow, although steep in places- just be sure to watch your step! There are stunning views all around. Overall the route from entrance A was around 5km long- it took us a good few hours, just make sure you have enough water and snacks with you for the journey as there are no shops or water fountains en route.
Tombs in the Gorge of the Dead
Kri Kri in Gorge of the Dead
Before you get to the seaside, you will arrive at the archaelogical site and remains of the Palace of Zakros. The palace is not huge in size, but worth a walking around (there is a small fee to do so- so be sure to have some coins/notes on you).
The remains here are of a palace believed to have been built around 1900BC. The palace was significant for its time- similar to palaces at Knossos, Malia and Phaistos. Similar to these other palaces, you can also see here numerous houses, shrines, altars, storage rooms etc. We particularly enjoyed seeing the well and a cistern- these were full of turtules just swimming around.
During the excavations of the palace, numerous treasures were found, alongside everyday items. this includes vessels and pithoi- similar to those found in other Minoan Crete.
Similar to a number of other palaces you can find on the island, this palace was also destroyed in an earthquate, and although was rebuilt shortly after, it was not to last.
Palace of Zakros
Steps in the Palace of Zakros
Cistern at the Palace of Zakros
Excavations at the Palace of Zakros
Kato Zakros itself is a small seaside town with a pebbled beach and a few restaurants (which were actually quite good!). We would suggest stopping here for a refreshing drink/bite to eat, or even soak your feet after the hike. You can then get a taxi back to the start of the hike/one of the car parks- which is exactly what we did. We went into one of the restaurants, and asked them to call the taxi for us, so it was really convenient and easy to return back to the starting point.
Alternatively, you can hike back up to the start- just be sure to have enough of a break and water for the journey back.
Kato Zakros
Overall, we found the hike quite straightforward and pleasant to do, much like the Samaria Gorge hike or the Richtis Gorge hikes. To find out more about these, and other places to visit in Crete, do check out our other blog posts here.
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