The Agii Pantes Gorge in Skopi, Sitia, is one of the greenest and most beautiful hiking routes in all of eastern Crete. The easy trail runs along the riverbed on a well-marked path, which is shaded throughout by ancient plane trees and other vegetation. In winter, the river called Skafidaras flows with water, and there are two springs that provide water year-round.
The first spring, called Koutsounari, cascades from a rock high up, creating what is known in the Cretan dialect as a "koutsounari". The second spring, called Chosto Nero, originates inside a cave, to which the path leads. The exit of the gorge is at the sandy beach of Agii Pantes, just before the Faneromeni Monastery in Sitia.
The wetland description is a result of the deliverable of the research project Joint Innovative Activities for Outdoor Tourism-JoinOut. The project entitled "Partnership of Innovative Rural Tourism Actions" and distinctive title: "JoInOuT", is implemented within the framework of the Action "Cooperative Innovation Formations/SCC" - 2nd Call: Businesses" and is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by National Resources in the context of the Operational Program "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (EPANEK)" of the NSRF 2014-2020" (Project code: ΓΓ2CL-0359457).
