Rouvas Gorge: Crete’s Holm-Oak Forest Ravine Above Zaros

Rouvas Gorge: Crete's Holm-Oak Forest Ravine Above Zaros

Rouvas Gorge is the green counterweight to the bare, sunbaked ravines of southern Crete. This wooded ravine cuts the southern slopes of Psiloritis above the village of Zaros, in the Heraklion district of central Crete. It shelters one of the largest surviving holm-oak forests on the island. Walkers arrive here for shade, running water and … Read more

Vrondisi Monastery: Crete’s Frescoed Retreat on Psiloritis

Vrondisi Monastery: Crete's Frescoed Retreat on Psiloritis

Vrondisi Monastery rests on the southern slopes of Psiloritis, the highest mountain range in Crete, above the village of Zaros on the road toward Kamares. Founded around the fourteenth century, this Byzantine monastery became an important centre of learning and art during Venetian rule. A celebrated Venetian fountain carved with figures of Adam and Eve … Read more

Zaros: Crete’s Spring-Water Mountain Village

Zaros: Crete's Spring-Water Mountain Village

Zaros rests on the southern slopes of Mount Psiloritis in central Crete, a green oasis fed by mountain springs that give the village its reputation across the island. The small Lake Votomos glimmers beside tavernas serving fresh trout raised in the clear water, and the Rouvas Gorge climbs through ancient oak forests to remote chapels … Read more