Hiking through Pervolakia Gorge

Pervolakia Gorge is located east from Ierapetra, before Gouduras, right beside the monastery Kapsa.

I had a beautiful day when I hiked through Pervolakia Gorge, not too hot, little wind and time to time some clouds, the next day was full sun and no wind = more hot!. Roundtrip took all and all about six hours for me, five hours walking and one hour in a tavern. Totally 13 km.

In this walk you will meet some challenge, little climbing is necessary time to time but all worth it! Sometimes you walk on the river bed, but then the trail is bringing you back up and back down again. Beautiful smell from herbs were coming to my nosetrills over and over during this hike.

You can park your vehicle directly opposite of the gorge...

...or just before there is a huge empty place, suitable for campers. GPS N 35°01'08" E 26°03'01" .

Starts more wide..

Here you can see the beginning of the gorge and the trail. I took these two photos from the Kapsa Monastery, front of the cave where Yerondoyiannis lived his last years.

 

Part of the trail is easy to walk..

...and part of the trail is very rocky.

One place had ladders to help up the climbing

You can see these yellow signs during your walk, but not that many. The trail is well marked with red dots, just follow them and stop looking these other signs.

After all the climbing and walking, in the end you will walk on the river bed only.

End of the river bed you will see these signs. Taking on the left gets you on the village, crossing one bridge and you will be in Kato Pervolakia.

I was happy to see a tavern open!!!!!!!! I was their first client, later when I walked back down I came across to two couple. Not many people around in October.

Let´s sit down and have a beer while waiting the food :)

I could not believe my luck. There in this tiny village was this tavern and they had vegetarian moussaka (!!!). First in my life and it was tasty and served with (I think home made) bread and briam.

I thought I could eat it all by my own, but this cat wanted so badly to share it with me.Well, she got a very nice share of it (WARNING! Yes, cats are here hungry and eats also vegetables, do NOT try this at home if you have a cat :P)

Instead of walking back the same way through the gorge, you can choose an easier way back down by following this sign by foot back to Kapsa Monastery. I took back the same gorge way, but I was told in tavern that this other road, would take just over an hour and will be much easier to walk than the gorge. Just ten days before a woman who walked the gorge back down had broke her leg. Stones can be VERY slippery (but I was ready for the danger).

View in the village.

Getting back to the gorge (with full stomach).

I always wonder the power of plants that they can grow almost every where! This one is like a little palm tree :)

My eyes were catching the sea again!

Getting back to my parking spot, gorge on the left side of Kapsa Monastery.

There is a small beach in the end of the gorge.

One lonely tree and my van on this empty parking.