Excellent ''adventurous activity''. If you are that kind of type, don't miss it. The waterfall at the 2/3 of the route is all the money! The water is chilly of course but do try it. It is a vigorous experience! Another 40 min from there and you reach the beach. Quite windy and wavy that day I visited. With big rocks and stones so be carefull. Be sure to wear some snickers. The route could get rough at some points.

Quoting Horst:

@Cretaman...
but there is absolutely no need to go down any waterslide or use ropes (?!?!?!).

Hello and thanks for your updated review. I think the stairs and the small bridges are very recently constructed (2010) by the Sitia Municipality. Some people does not know that.

Indeed a remarkable gorge and area!

This hike can be done in summer and in winter. During the hike at certain places in the gorge there is some intense climbing and clambering. The entire hike is only 6 kilometers long, but in many places we have to create our own path through the wilderness. The river that flows here regularly creates obstacles.

We often have to climb over the water to the other side to get back on the narrow footpath. At various places we climb over small rocks and we have to walk close to the ground underneath the branches. Halfway through this gorge, we come across a stunning waterfall. This has a free fall of water of 30 meters. At the end of the canyon we reach a deserted beach.

From the mountain village of Mouliana we walk down towards the river. In the village you will have the last chance for a sanitary stop and to buy water. The walk down is fairly easy. Along the way we will see many plants, oregano, chamomile, mountain tea, and many other herbs and wild flowers.

This path is an old concrete path, bringing us to the crossing of the Tamariskos canyon. At the beginning of the gorge is an old Turkish saddle bridge, which we will pass underneath in the direction of the river bed.
From the Turkish saddle bridge we walk in a Northerly direction into the canyon. From the riverbed we follow a path that now and then washes away in the winter. Every time we hike here the path is always different, it is nature that changes the path every time. The beginning of the trail is easy to walk. In the summer you are sheltered by the trees here. In the spring, long pants are required, as many nettles are growing here this time. Here we have to cross the river, through which beautiful clear water flows, every time in spring and winter. Many plants that you will not find elsewhere grow alongside the river bed.

After a walk along the river in the open countryside, we arrive at a truly exceptional place with an old house with a small mill still standing there. How did people manage to build this 200 years ago? This house is located far away from everything and everyone. The windows with metal bars are still completely intact. Inside there still is a millstone, which was used for crushing olives. The front door is low; you really have to bend down to enter. The garden that was in front is also still visible. Here the grape branches grow high into the trees, with thick trunks that serve as vines. They are so strong that an adult could hang from them!

We'll pass a few more abandoned houses along the River. There are now a couple of descents where we need to hang on to old grape vines to be able to go down, but we can also use our rope. The river stream has already accelerated in this area, before turning into a beautiful waterfall further on. We will see beautiful rock formations with lots of greenery and trees around us; each time we will climb over the river until we come across a natural waterslide. You will slide down 5 meters on this to get to a rocky foot path, on which we continue our hike towards the waterfall.

After a walk through the rocks with many ascents and descents we arrive at the top of the waterfall. Here there is a winding path downwards, and you can already hear the raging water. Upon reaching the bottom you will see the free fall of the water, which is beautiful clear water. Below the waterfall you can see how much water is coming down here. The cliff of the waterfall has beautiful colors that give an amazing effect. In front of the waterfall a plateau has been made of natural stone from which you can get a good view of the waterfall.

After the waterfall we will continue our hike towards the sea; a route taking us criss-cross through nature, along the river. You will come across small obstacles here brought down by the river, such as rocks and tree trunks. Nature is changing slowly as you get closer to the sea. Now and then stand still and take a moment to listen to the birds in this tranquil area. The mountains here are colored red and brown, and the vegetation is lower. After a lovely walk we will arrive at the crossing which continues to the sea. Our arrival at the sea indicates the end of the walk. Here you can rinse yourself off and have a swim. We can also bring along our snorkeling equipment for those who like snorkeling.

This deserted beach is not sandy, and is excellent for snorkeling. There are also benches and a nice BBQ area. Grilling can be done by us as well, upon request. After an hour of swimming and drying off, we will be picked up here by the inn keeper of the village from where we started walking. The route back is by itself already worth the hike; a narrow mountain road rarely used by anybody, with stunning sea views. After a long winding road we will back where we started.