This is the most famous and probably the most frequently visited gorge in Eastern Crete. It was named "Valley of the dead”, because of the Minoan cave burials which were found in the gorge.The lovely route begins south-east of the village of Zakros , passes through the gorge and ends up next to the Minoan palace at Kato Zakros.
It can be passed through almost all year round. It is 2,5 kilometres long in total, and the elevation difference between the entrance and the outlet is approximately 100 metres.
Its bed collects water from two main streams, those of Adravas and Pano Zakros, which merge at the location Lenika. The beauty of the landscape, its historical significance, and its easy accessibility attract a large number of visitors every year. The signage in the area is very good. It is a gorge of exceptional beauty with large caves in its walls. In some of these caves, tombs from the Minoan era have been found, along with artifacts of great archaeological value. Because of these tombs, the gorge is called the "Nekri Gorge" and the caves "Nekri Caves". About halfway through the gorge, a short path ascends to the hill of Kastelas to the north of the gorge, where Minoan fortifications have been discovered. The path that passes through the gorge is the last part of the European path E4.
It is also known as the Nekri Gorge because of the Minoan cemetery, which, besides its impressive relief, rich flora, and abundant presence of water, also hosts several other sites of archaeological and historical interest. The European path E4 also passes through the gorge, and at its exit, there is an organized rock climbing field. The path starts from Epano Zakros, ending at the archaeological site of Kato Zakros.
The geosite 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).
