Orino Gorge, butterfly gorge

Hiking has started :). So our first hike was this autumn in Orino Gorge, known also as butterfly gorge, since it used to be known for its red butterflies. Some people called it also Koutsouras Park Gorge or Dasaki Gorge, but I believe the Orino Gorge is the most used one. It is located 20 kilometers east of Ierapetra, before Makrigialos. It is about 2.5 hours hike roundtrip (depending naturally for your pauses) and about 5 km. GPS coordinates for the parking  are N 35°02'06" E 25°55'59" .

Enter of the park, on the left if you come from Ierapetra, just beside the main road...

Or you can park straight opposite where is a small beach and a little port. Good to take a swim after, though it is very rocky beach to get in! 

Small port beside the beach.

The walk starts between this little stage and the taverna on the left.

First you follow just this little road and meet many pine trees

And the gorge will start about 10 minutes later on your left hand, easy to find!

In winter and spring you would meet on this spot waterfall, but now in October it was all dry.

In 1993 there was a big forest fire, you can still find signs of it, even it is very good recovered. Still today there is not that many butterflies as there used to be due the fire.

Little water was to see when you climb more up.

Many rocks had this beautiful turquoise green color, unfortunaly it is not well seen on the photo. Never seen stones like that before in any other gorge!

Lovely heart  on the path <3

Many places was quite some vegetation to push trough.

GRRRRRRR!!!! Just before getting to the destination, there were two chain dogs (barrel dogs) :(. What a miserable shit (pardon my language!) life they have! There were three barrels to see and I doubt that the owner was just having a walk with the third one.. Shame on these people who keep their animals like that, makes me so angry!!!!! Beside there was nothing to guard at and what could the dogs even possible do since they live on the chain? You still see this very often on Greece, so pity!!

Poor thing.

After passing the dogs, you will come to this church which is the destination, before hiking back the same way, or you can continue your hiking to the village of Orino, but it is some hours more.

Next to the church there is a picnic table nice on the shade..

...and water point to drink, handy!

Getting back to the end of the gorge.

After the walk a swim was welcome :)