st. anthony gorge

St Anthony Gorge is a little gem . Many people do not know of this.. Even our own resort rep. I discovered this doing research on the net prior to our trip to Crete. It was good fun & like a mini obstacle course. Not many people was around so it was out the touristry trap when we visited. would reccomend this. something different. Great fun!! The taverna at the start is worth a visit you get a free mini animal farm as well as a refreshing drink stop.

touching place with a lot of beg-letters, nice tiny chapel, little stream, cool shadow under the green trees, lot of life in the restaurant with lots of greek people - very nice

We saw at least 8 griffon vultures swirling around above us. An amazing sight and definitely worth a visit, even if you're not a birder!

What a great hike. Wonderful views, fun ladders and ropes, caves, ponds with frogs. We are experienced hikers and had no problems with some of the concerns raised by other reviewers. If you like hiking then this is a must. At the lake we took the mountain road back - a bit of a climb but gorgeous views - about 1.2 hrs hike back to the taverna at the entrance where we feasted on meze and Mythos.

Just 30 minutes to drive from Heraklion. Stop the car in park place of taverna "Limni" (GPS 35.140230,24.910555).There is 4 routes: red, green, brouwn, blue. I took the picture of map - there is written everything.We did the red route to St. john church and oak forest with 7 ant 10 years old boys in 4 hours: 3 up and 1 down. We went when the gorge was dry and I can not imagine how you can do this route after big rain.Only of this doubt and of some places, that is a bit dangerous I give 4 of 5 stars.At the end it was very taste fresh trout in Limni taverna and THE BEST JOGURT WITH HONEY!

Take the red bus to see it but before buying tickets make sure all the places on route are open.Some are closed on a Monday.Best in the morning..

What a great day out! Beware, the route is very uneven and there are several points with wooden ladders and ropes etc where you have to pull yourself up. As others have said, it takes about 2 hours to get to the end and then about another hour to get back. Take plenty of water, we took 1.5l each which was just right. Trainers or walking boots are advisable. My wife however only had her sandals on! We made it in one piece though. During the route along the gorge, look out for the spray painted dots on the rocks. They start off light green, then dark green and then black. There IS a lake at the end. When you get to the tunnel type bridge and the little pond, you need to go up the steep dusty path to your left with the steel fence and over the unmade road. Then straight down the other side, slightly to your left. Don't miss out on the lake as it's about 3 mins from here. There seemed to be a crocodile cage on the bank of the lake so keep your eyes peeled! The taverna when you get all the way back to where you started is lovely and very reasonably priced. The location of the gorge shown on trip advisor is incorrect! That's a road in rethymnon town! You need to search for the taverna. It's called taverna drimos and is north east of Spili. You'll find the taverna on Google maps, it's just south of the big lake you can see North East of Spili. Enjoy!

St. Antonios Gorge is located close to Patsos village. Within the gorge there is beautiful attraction a small church of st.Anthony in the rocky walls.Trekking in the gorge was easy even though there are 3-4 difficult spots where it's necessary to be careful. Treking shoes are NECESSARY. The whole suroundings are beautifull. Nature in it's full extent of greatness!!

It took us about 2hours to get to the lake at the end but it was a lovely walk. Wear decent footwear, take plenty of water,although a lot of the gorge is shaded by massive rocks and trees, it does get very hot. The walk is challenging but fun with wooden ladders and ropes on some rocks, which are too big to get up or down on your own. We sat under a huge tree at the lake and it was incredibly peaceful. Took an hour to get back, easier than going and had a lovely snack in the taverns at the entrance.

We had 2 weeks in Crete and did practically everything. On our last day decided to visit St Anthony's Gorge. It was fantastic, what an adventure. We went to the end of the Gorge it took us nearly 2 hours (as we are in our 50s) to get to the end and around 1 hour to get back. It was so worth it, the climb was well worth thr treasured memories. There is a lovely Taverna that cooks meat in an open oven. Great food great prices as I'm from greek Cypriot background I loved the food.What a great place. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

We arrived about 9am to avoid the worst of the heat and there was a cooling wind that day too. We're not couch potatoes but neither are we in peak condition and we managed all the ladders, ropes and scrambling over rocks without mishap. The scenery is beautiful and it took much longer getting to the end of the trail than back due to the frequent photo stops. There is no longer a lake at the end as apparently it was dammed a few years ago. We made it back to the taverna in less than 3 hours (at a comfortable pace), just in time to grab a seat before hoards of Greek pilgrims arrived in coaches to visit the tiny church and have lunch. I'd definitely recommend this trip to families with children over the age of 7 as even this age group will need some help. Wear trainers or boots, sun protection and take a good supply of water. GREAT FUN :)Taverna Drymos is worth eating at and exploring before heading back to your holiday home.

3*... As I am not a huge fan of walking.If you enjoy walking, this is perfect for you. The scenery is nice along this route, but it is quite treacherous. Probably wouldn't recommend for young kids. 12+ should suffice. Lots of clambering around

Although we did this walk in the summer (no water in the gorge), the decent from the taverna was beautiful and our kids loved it. Certainly something they will not forget.

I visited this gorge for the first time this year. We had no idea it existed before...we just ran into it. It's not very far from the town of Rethymno and it's really a small paradise. We didn't walk through it, because we didn't wear the right shoes and we had no idea the condition of the paths. However, we walked till the small church of St Anthony, which is curved in the mountain. It is very peaceful and quiet over there and it seems that St Anthony has mand many miracles, because there were many offers from the people. There are even tables and benches near the church, where you can have a pic-nic, while there's a small spring with running water you can drink. There's also a taverna in the beginning of the gorge, where you can stop and have a soft drink or even eat. It's cuisine is very tasteful, while you can take a walk in their farm, too.

This place is a bit of a challenge to find, but there are signs for the restaurant all over, Drumos Tavern. Well worth the search though. The gorge has been in use for thousands of years and if you are lucky enough to have the main (church) area to yourself you will see how mystical it can feel! The church area is a short walk from the restaurant entrance, but if you plan on doing the gorge walk definitely be prepared to scramble over rocks and up and down makeshift ladders - wear the right shoes, take water, and use bug repellent. The couple of hours it takes to do the gorge and back are well spent and we had a very good and remarkably inexpensive meal at the restaurant at the end of the adventure. You DO NOT reach a lake at the end of the gorge - it was damned a number of years ago to create a reservoir. I did not see anyone in the reservoir or public access points for it. Although there were apparently two crocodiles spotted in the lake while we were staying in the area -no joke...news crew even captured it on camera. Think it is up on you tube!