River Kiliaris

The River Kiliaris starts near the village of Stylos in Apokorona and empties on the beach of the Cote d’Azur near Kalyves, north of Chania. Its length is 5 km and it is the second largest river in water flow in Crete. In ancient times, the river Kiliaris was called Piknos (dense).

The waters of the River Kiliaris come from the peaks of the White Mountains of Varsamos (altitude 1,389 meters) and Mauri (2,069 meters). River Kiliaris has four tributaries (Keramiotis, Anavreti, Mylavlakas and Madamas) and the total length of the river network reaches the 36 km.

River Kiliaris is a very important wetland for birds, turtles, amphibians, eels and crabs. It passes through orchards, a valley of olive groves and the vegetation surrounding it until it reaches the sea is dense.

The Municipality of Chania with a series of interventions, in collaboration with the Technical University of Crete, the 28th Department of Byzantine Antiquities and other commissions aimed at the advancement of the old path along the River Kiliaris and monuments standing on its banks, remnants of a pre-industrial era (watermills).