Beaches near Kapetaniana
Aghios Ioannis Beach
The beach in front of its village is quiet, with sand, pebbles and deep crystal-clear waters, perfect for spear-fishing and camp
Gortyna
Gortyna Municipality
Koudoumas
Aghios Antonios (Koudoumas)
This quiet and secluded beach is located between Aghios Ioannis and the Monastery of Koudoumas.
Ancient Rizinia
A flat-topped elevation known as Patella tou Prinia is located at the eastern foothills of Mount Psiloritis; this is where the remnants of a remarkable cityw
Ancient Lebena
Lebena (Levin) was a prosperous ancient town, located at the southern foot of the Asteroúsia mountains, on the shore where the current settlement
Archaeological site of Gortyn
The archaeological site of Gortyn is located near the present-day village of Agii Deka, very close to the river Mitropolianos (known as Litheos, in Antiquity
The Asterousia Mountains
This range is the southernmost in Greece: they stretch along the south coastline of the Heraklion prefecture, between the Messara plain at the no
E4.58-59 Rouvas - Mountain Shelter of Oak - Asites
Route or Trail Type
Path Length
14500 m
Difficulty Level
Medium
Path Markers
E4 (Yellow/Black)
Nature Activities
Hiking
Mountaineering
Bird Watching
From Agios Ioannis (1), we take the dirt road which passes through the south-eastern corner of the forest of Rouvas, in an easterly direction. Then, it climbs on the eastern slope and after 4,5 km (approximately 1 hour and 35 minutes), leads us at an altitude of 1.300 m, where it splits (2) into two branches, northwards and southwards.
The southern branch leads to the village of Gergeri.
E4.54 Kamares - Zaros
Route or Trail Type
Regions
Path Length
12500 m
Difficulty Level
Easy
Path Markers
E4 (Yellow/Black)
Nature Activities
Hiking
From Kamares (1), we follow the asphalt-paved, slightly uphill road eastwards; after 2 km, the village of Vorizia comes into view. One of the many gorges of the southern part of Psiloritis opens out on our left.
We begin to descend, until we get to the first houses of the village (2).
The Asterousia mountain range route
This route connects the most important places of interest of the Asterousia area, such as archaeological sites, settlements, gorges and beaches. One can choose to follow whichever parts of the route that one finds most interesting. It should be noted, though, that the roads which climb up the slopes of the mountain range usually twist and turn, and in some cases they are not paved.
Route or Trail Type
Distance
84 km
Heraklio-Kroussonas-Zaros
This route goes along the eastern and southern foot of Psiloritis, passes through picturesque villages, archaeological sites, Byzantine churches and locations of particular natural beauty, and it also offers the possibility of exploring many different side-roads and hiking routes.
Therefore, if one wishes to make all the suggested stops and try all the secondary routes, one should consider that it is not possible to do everything within only one day.
Route or Trail Type
Distance
78 km
