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Chania - Nature

Apart from the countless heavenly beaches, you will find hidden in the nature of Chania dozens of other beauties. First place from all the natural attractions goes naturally to the Samaria Gorge, one of the most impressive in Europe. To cross it will take you about six hours and the route usually starts at the plateau Omalos of the White Mountains and exits at Agia Roumeli, with the crystal clear waters of the Libyan Sea. If you are lucky, you might see from afar a kri-kri, the wild goats of Crete that is an endangered species - one of the reasons why the canyon is protected.

In the nature of the hinterland of Chania you will find many more canyons for hiking, others easier, as the gorge of Aradena and others of greater difficulty, as Topolia.

Chania has some very impressive caves, such as those with a religious interest, the Cave of St. John the Hermit and the Cave of Agia Sophia, but also Demonospilios or Arkoudospilios with their accompanying legends. A category of its own is the underwater Elephant Cave, where were discovered, among others, the bones of a unique species of an elephant.

On the small islands that adorn the coast of Chania you will find some of the most beautiful natural landscapes: the Castle of Gramvousa, the wild goats living on the island of Theodorou and the ruins of the Venetian era on the Souda islet.

Other attractions of the nature of Chania is the lake of Kournas, the White Mountains, the Cedar forest in the south, and the small rivers running through the region.

  • Imbros Gorge

    Imbros Gorge is the second most "famous" gorge of Chania after Samaria and it is located in Sfakia.

  • Gorge Eligia

    It will take you two days to cross the Gorge Eligia.

  • Kato Sarakina

    Kato Sarakina is a cave located about 2.5 kilometers north of Theriso at the foothills of the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) and at a distance of 16 kilometers from the town of Chania.

  • Monumental Olive Tree of Samonas

    The «monumental» olive tree of Samonas is situated at the homonymous village, in Apokoronas, Chania. Learn more about the supercentenarian tree on Terrabook

  • Gorge of Sfakia

    The Gorge of Sfakia starts from the village Imbros of Sfakia and it is among the most beautiful gorges of Chania.

  • Lissos Gorge

    The Lissos Gorge ends up in the region of the homonymous ancient town.

  • Gorge of Iliga

    The Gorge of Iliga is situated in Sfakia and its descent is considered quite easy.

  • Gorges Vavouledo and Trachinou

    The Gorges Vavouledo and Trachinou are small and their river beds intersect.

  • Gorge Asfendos

    It will take you a three hours hike to cross the gorge Asfendos.

  • Gorge of Figous

    The small Gorge of Figous is part of the gorge of Agia Irini.

  • Ellinospilios

    Ellinospilios is a cave near the beach Afrata, on the cape Rodopos of Chania.

  • Demonospilios

    Demonospilios is located near the entrance of the Samaria Gorge and according to legend is the lair of fairies.

  • Arkoudospilios

    Arkoudospilios was in antiquity a place of worship of Apollo and Artemis.

  • Cave Tzani

    In Cave Tzani, in older times, lyricists gathered to play and get the blessing of the great musician.

  • Cave Sfakia – Asfendos

    In the cave Sfakia – Asfendos in Sfakia, Chania, rock paintings have been discovered, dating from the Neolithic Age.

  • Elephant Cave

    The Elephant Cave is the only cave in Greece where bones of elephants have been found.

  • Cave Gourgouthakas

    Cave Gourgouthakas is the deepest cave in Greece and the second deepest in the Balkans.

  • Caves Zoures and Harakas

    The Caves Zoures and Harakas are located near the village Azogires of Paleochora, in Chania.

  • Cave of St John the Hermit

    The Cave of St John the Hermit in Chania is so named because there according to tradition lived and died St John the hermit in the 6th century AD.

  • Cave Krionerida

    In the Cave Krionerida, the residents of Vafes found martyric death by suffocation during the Ottoman occupation.

  • River Tiflos

    The River Tiflos passes through the gorge Topolia.

  • White Mountains (Lefka Ori)

    The White Mountains, also called Madares, is the mountain range that dominates Chania and characterizes its landscape.

  • Thodorou

    Thodorou, the island - refuge for the wild goats Kri-Kri of Crete.

  • Islet of Souda

    The islet of Souda, with the Venetian Fortezza Castle, is located in the bay of Souda in Chania.

  • Gramvousa

    Agria and Imeri Gramvousa are two small islets of Chania, located two miles from the exotic Balos.

  • Gavdopoula (islet)

    Gavdopoula is an islet located four miles north of Gavdos.

  • Gorge of Tripiti

    The Gorge of Tripiti is one of the hardest and most inaccessible gorges of Crete.

  • Samaria Gorge

    The Samaria Gorge is the most famous of Crete and during the summer it is crossed daily by 3,000 hikers.

  • Klados Gorge

    The Klados Gorge is inaccessible and its traverse is recommended to experienced climbers.

  • Gorge Kallikratis

    Gorge Kallikratis is a small gorge in Sfakia.

  • Imbros Gorge

    Imbros Gorge is the second most "famous" gorge of Chania after Samaria and it is located in Sfakia.

  • Gorge Eligia

    It will take you two days to cross the Gorge Eligia.

  • Gorge of Aradena

    The Gorge of Aradena in Chania starts from the White Mountains and ends at the Libyan Sea.

  • Gorge of Agia Irini

    The Gorge of Agia Irini in Chania has a length of 7 km, starts from the village and ends at the beach of Sougia.

  • Cave of Agia Sophia

    The Cave of Agia Sophia is the second largest cave in Crete, where you will see impressive and numerous stalagmites and stalactites.

  • Ποταμός Αλμυρός

    O ποταμός Αλμυρός (που είναι γνωστός και ως Δέλφινα) μεταφέρει τα νερά της Λίμνης Κουρνά στο Κρητικό Πέλαγος.

  • River Almiros

    The river Almiros carries the waters of Lake Kourna to the Cretan Sea.

  • River Kladisos

    The river Kladisos flows into the bay of Chania, west from the beach of Nea Chora.

  • River Tauronitis

    In the delta of the river Tauronitis, a natural wetland has formed, which is a natural habitat for many species of fauna.

  • River Keritis

    The River Keritis of Chania stems from the village Meskla, crosses the fertile basin of Alikianos and flows into the beach of Platanias.

  • River Kiliaris

    River Kiliaris is one of the largest on Crete and traverses Apokoronas, in the north of Crete.

  • Plain Almyros

    The plain Almyros in Chania is located in the area of Georgioupoli and is very fertile because of its rivers and springs.

  • Plain of Apokoronos

    The Plain of Apokoronos is one of the most fertile areas of the prefecture of Chania

  • Πεδιάδα Καστελίου

    Η Πεδιάδα Καστελίου είναι μια από τις πεδιάδες των Χανίων  και βρίσκεται στα βορειοδυτικά του νομού, στην Κίσσαμο. Είναι μια από τις περιοχές με γόνιμα εδάφη στις οποίες καλλιεργούνται αμπέλια, ελαιόδεντρα, σιτηρά, εσπεριδοειδή και κηπευτικά, που είναι τα βασικά προϊόντα του νησιού. Από τις ελιές της περιοχής βγαίνει το εκλεκτό κρητικό λάδι, από τους αμπελώνες φημισμένο κρασί, αλλά και τροπικά φρούτα όπως μπανάνες, αβοκάντο, ακτινίδια κ.ά.

  • Plain of Kasteli

    On the fertile plain of Kasteli in Chania, agricultural products are cultivated that supply the entire Greece.

  • Οροπέδιο Καλλικράτης

    Το Οροπέδιο του Καλλικράτη είναι ένα μικρό οροπέδιο των Λευκών Ορέων στην επαρχία Σφακίων με μέσο υψόμετρο τα 540 μέτρα, το οποίο απέχει 66 χιλιόμετρα από την πόλη των Χανίων.

  • Plateau Kallikratis

    The Plateau Kallikratis is located in Sfakia, 66 km from the city of Chania.

  • Plateau Askyfos

    Plateau Askyfos is located 47 kilometers south of the city of Chania in the direction of Sfakia.

  • Plateau Anopoli

    The Plateau Anopoli is located 13 km west of Sfakia.

  • Plateau Omalos

    Plateau Omalos is surrounded by the high peaks of the White Mountains and is 38 km from the city of Chania.

  • Lazareto

    The island Lazareto was the quarantine zone of Chania.

  • Lake Macherida

    Lake Macherida is located in Chania, has brackish water and is an important wetland of water snakes, turtles and migratory birds.

  • Lake Kourna

    The Lake Kourna is the only natural freshwater lake on Crete.

  • Lake Agia

    Lake Agia was a marsh, before the PPC flooded it with water for the production of hydroelectric energy.

  • Cedar forest

    A unique to Crete coastal cedar forest on exotic Elafonisi.

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