Agia Irini gorge: 3.5km - 3 hours walking - Difficult passage - No footpath in the gorge. The gorge is known to the natives, but unknown to the most of the visitors, who pass from Ziros or Xerokambos (the two destinations most known near the gorge).

In fact here we have two different gorges, the north and the south, which they meet just before the seashore.

We are going to describe mostly the southern gorge in this page.

In order to reach the entrance of the gorge, we follow the dirt road to Agia Irini. It starts near Hamaitoulo to the south, on the way to Xerokambos.

Just after we turn from the asphalted road, we start descending. At the beginning we walk through some olive groves, which are planted very closely in some places. After we pass through the groves, we enter a wild and rocky area. 1,5 kms far from from the asphalted road, on our left we see the entrance of the gorge. From that point we get out of the dirt road and we enter the gorge.
There is no path, that’ s why you have to be very careful. Sometimes the pass is difficult and we need to have a very good physical condition!! We don’t recommend to those who are not used in hard hiking.

Agia Irini gorge Agia Irini gorge Agia Irini gorge

The gorge is very declivitous, but so impressive and somewhere it is too narrow (3-4 m) with high cliff to both sides.

It was very difficult to us to choose the photos we display here. They were many more, but we had to decrease their number.

It starts from 500 m high and ends to the sea. In order to pass the gorge itself, we need about 2 hours. As we arrive at the end, i.e. at the seashore, we can swim at the small pebbled beach.

The settlement of Agia Irini is located 500 m far from that beach and up to the hill. You can return to the point you started on the dirt road.

Agia Irini gorge

If you have a very good physical condition, you can visit the northern gorge, which joins the southern 1 km before you reach the beach.

You have to take into account that the northern gorge is much harder, with difficult passes and in some place there are bluff hypsometric differences !! But it is possible for a well-conditioned wayfarer to pass.
The beginning of the northern gorge is just 1 km far from the asphalted road, near Hametoulo.

One more alternative solution for the return is to pass the path which the leads to Xerokambos, parallel to the coast and when you reach there, you can return near Hametoulo by a passing car, where you started passing the gorge. In order to spot the path, you have to ask a native from Agia Irini village.

HAMETOULO – GORGE – AGIA IRINI – HAMETOULO (return from the dirt road) : 4-6 hours walking.

HAMETOULO – GORGE – AGIA IRINI – XEROKAMBOS : 3-5 hours walking

View Agia Irini Gorge and the Village in a larger map

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Knossos Studios in Palekastro

Casa Di Mare in Kouremenos, Palekastro

House Margot rooms in Palekastro

Anatoli Rooms in Agathias, Palekastro, East Crete

Zeus apartments, Xerokambos

Villa Petrino apartments and Studios in Xerokampos

Olgabeach apartments in Kouremenos, Palekastro, East Crete

Vrachos Studios in Kouremenos, Palekastro

Sirines apartments, Palekastro East Crete

Thalassa apartments in Palekastro, East Crete

Elia studios, Agathias, Palekastro

Kato Zakros Palace Apartments

Akti Villas in Kouremenos, Palekastro

Hotel Ostria in Palekastro, East Crete

Bay View rooms in Kato Zakros

Palekastro in Sitia, East Crete

Ierapetra, East Crete

Gra Ligia Village southeast Crete

Agios Nikolaos, East Crete - Towns and sights on the island of Crete

Elounda in Agios Nikolaos, East Crete

Myrtos or Mirtos Village southeast Crete

Plaka Village in Agios Nikolaos, East Crete. Holiday village in Crete

Xerokambos Village in East Crete

Koutsouras in East Crete

Mochlos in Sitia, Eastern Crete

Makrigialos or Makrys Gialos holiday village

Pachia Ammos, Ierapetra, east Crete

Neapolis Town, Lassithi, East Crete

Koutsounari, Ierapetra, south east Crete

Goudouras village

Kapsa or Pervolakia gorge in Makrigialos

Milonas gorge in Ierapetra, East Crete

Sfaka gorge, Mochlos, East Crete

Richtis Gorge by Sitia,Mouliana

Kavousi Gorge Hiking and gorges in East Crete

Pefki gorge in Makrigialos, East Crete

Ziros - Xerokambos gorge. East Crete gorges and Sights

Ha gorge by Ierapetra - Kavousi, East Crete

Agii Pandes - Sitia gorge. Sights hiking and gorges in East Crete

Zakros Gorge - Kato Zakros. Gorges and sights in East Crete

Xerokambos gorge. Kato Zakros - East Crete gorges and Sights

Kritsa gorge in Agios Nikolaos, East Crete

Orino Butterfly gorge in Makrigialos-Koutsouras. Sights and gorges in East Crete

Xeniakou gorge by Embaros Lasithi

Adravasti gorge in Palekastro. Sights and gorges in East Crete

Archaeological Sites in Makrigialos, East Crete

Traostalos Peak Sanctuary in Palekastro, East Crete

Dragmos Archaeological Site, East Crete

Fortress Kales in Ierapetra, East Crete

Archaeological Site in Hamezi Sitia, East Crete

Archaeological Site in Tripitos Sitia, East Crete

Roussa Ekklesia: Religion and Politics in East Crete

Milatos archaeological site. Mirambelo East Crete

Lato archaeological site. Kritsa, East Crete

The venetian mansion in Voila Handras, Sitia

Petsofas Peak Sanctuary in Palekastro, East Crete

Erganos: Archaeological findings

Archaeological Site in Kato Zakros, East Crete Sights

Psira by Mochlos Island in Agios Nikolaos, East Crete

Archaeological Site in Pressos, East Crete Sights

Agricultural Folk Museum in Piskopiano

Natural History Museum of Gergeri, Rouvas Municipality, Crete

Lychnostatis Museum in Hersonissos Crete

Folklore Museum in Agios Nikolaos, East Crete Lasithi

Nikos Kazantzakis Museum in Heraklion Crete

The Typography Museum of Crete in Chania

Historical and Folklore Museum of Archanes

Olive Tree Museum of Vouves, Kissamos

Toplou Museum in Palekastro

Museum of the Preveli Monastery

The Michael Argirakio Museum, Episkopi

Water museum in Zakros - East Crete

El Greco Museum in Fodele, Heraklion

Centre for Cretan Popular Art Museum in Rethymno

Palekastro in Sitia, Folklore museum - East Crete