Kourtaliotiko Gorge
Φαράγγι Κουρταλιώτη
A 3 km limestone gorge crossed by the road to Preveli on the south coast. From a car park by the road, steps lead down to the Church of St Nicholas and a waterfall fed by a spring.
The gorge was cut by the Megalopotamos River, with cliffs up to 300 metres high on either side. When the wind is strong, holes in the rock walls make a clicking sound like castanets, which gave the gorge its name (kourtala means castanets). The most common approach is to park in the car park by the road and walk down about 200 steps to the valley floor, to see the small Church of St Nicholas and the five-spring waterfall pouring from the rock. The round trip takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Hikers can follow the river all the way to Preveli Beach. Entry is free. It is about 25 km from Rethymno and lies on the route when driving to Preveli or Plakias. The steps can be slippery, so wear non-slip shoes.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Kato Preveli Monastery
- Preveli Monastery
- Preveli Beach
- Ammoudi Beach (Plakias)
- Schinaria Beach
- Damnoni Beach
- Spili
- Myrthios