Sitia

ZIROS – SKALIA

The starting point is the village of Ziros, where we can visit the small wetland at Pyrgoliki, an important spot for birdwatching, especially during migration periods. We tour the village and stop at the churches of Agia Paraskevi and Agios Georgios, following the E4 trail. Continuing on the route, we pass through the small plateaus of Zakathos and Kanevas, and we arrive at the historically significant, now abandoned settlement of Skalia.

The geotrail starts from the picturesque village of Lastros, where a Minoan settlement has been discovered. Southwest of the village lies the Late Minoan cemetery, where a bronze sword, pottery, and a clay female figurine were found. Within the village, the Byzantine church of Saint George is preserved, and we can visit the monumental olive trees of "Mathaina" and "Michelomaria."

The journey to traverse Richtis Gorge begins at the village of Exo Mouliana, where we can see the Byzantine church of Saint George. There are also preserved Venetian buildings and a fountain.

This geotrail explores the small and relatively easy-to-navigate gorge located to the west of the town of Sitia. It starts from the Sfakidia area of the village of Skopi and ends at the bay of Faneromeni. 

The geotrail starts from Kato Zakros and heads north, following the old and easily accessible coastal path that eventually leads to the beautiful Karoumes beach. Along the way, we encounter several geosites, such as the marine terraces of Zakros, the Pelekita Cave, the ancient quarry of the same name, etc.