Prassano Gorge: A Journey from Paradise to Reality

As we traverse the riverbed, we'll continue along the trail veering to the right, eventually arriving at an ideal spot for a pause, allowing us to savour the breath-taking beauty that unfolds before us.

In no time, we encounter the initial E4 sign, indicating alternative E4 routes. Our journey continues to the southwest. After approximately 2 hours of trekking, we might come across a point where the path appears challenging to proceed. To circumvent this obstacle, we backtrack a bit until we locate, on the right side of the gorge, a more accessible natural trail that is evidently frequented by the gorge's permanent residents – the wildlife. Following this trail for approximately 100 metres, we eventually reunite with the riverbed.

Following an hour and a half of exploration, we arrive at the point where the gorge constricts.

As we approach the conclusion of the gorge, it narrows to a width of no more than 4 metres. Just 15 minutes later, we've covered the majority of our journey. It's been 2.5 hours since we began our excursion, and we now arrive at an olive grove positioned to the left of the riverbed. Continuing our path, we proceed in parallel with the river, passing a second olive grove, where we encounter a trail. We follow this meandering path, leading us to a paddock that guides us northward towards the sea. After a brief interval, a bridge comes into view.

We continue our journey, with the asphalt road on our right marking our departure from this earthly paradise and our return to the world of human construction. 

Information Municipality of Rethymno

Photos: Trikali,M. / Natural History Museum of Crete – University of Crete