Zakros Gorge, Archaeological gorge between Ano Zakros and Kato Zakros, Greece

Zakros Gorge is an approximately 8-kilometer-long canyon carved through steep limestone cliffs that connects the mountain village of Ano Zakros to the coastal settlement of Kato Zakros. The trail reveals numerous cave openings along the rock walls and descends from higher elevation to sea level.

The caves in the gorge walls were used by the Minoans as burial chambers. Only one tomb was found intact: it held the bodies of five women dated to 2300–2100 BCE. All the other burial caves had been looted before excavation.

The cave entrances dotting the gorge walls were used as burial chambers by Minoan people, showing how they incorporated their dead into the natural rock formations. These burial sites placed between mountains and sea reveal how important this landscape was to their beliefs and daily life.

The trail can be started either in the village of Zakros or at the palace in Kato Zakros. As a circular route it takes about four walking hours. The path is mostly well built and walkable all year, and it forms a stage of the E4 European long-distance trail.

During winter months, the normally dry riverbed fills with flowing water, completely changing the hiking conditions and the appearance of stone formations. This seasonal shift reveals how the landscape transforms dramatically depending on the time of year.