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Kourtaliotiko Gorge is located 22 km south of the city of Rethymnon. The Gorge”, took its name from the sound the wind makes as it passes through the cavities of rocks creating whistles that remind of castanets. It’s 7 km long, and crossing it is quite difficult. The Kourtaliotis Gorge, following the name of the river, starts from the village of Koxare, ending on the beautiful beach of Preveli. Its landscape is wild with rich flora and fauna and divided into five streams that join together forming small lakes and a large waterfall. It’s consisted of enormous rocks full of small caves as its rocky slopes reach at 600 meters. To the west of Kourtaliotis River, you can see the "Kato Preveli Monastery", dedicated to the John the Baptist and  the "Piso Monastery of Preveli", which has a particular historical value and played an important role in all the liberation struggles of the Cretan revolution, while at the end of the gorge there is a tropical lake-li...

In the Prefecture of Lasithi and near the town of Ierapetra, lies the Gorge of Ha.  Although its length is only 1 km, the visitors of Ha Gorge are mainly experienced mountaineers, as its descent is quite dangerous. The Ha gorge is considered as one of the wildest in Greece, as its formation, consists a rare morphological phenomenon of nature, according to geologists. The gorge has rich flora and fauna as well as small lakes which are important wetlands for many migratory birds, but also for permanent birds and mammals. The entrance of Ha is very narrow, about 3 m, and its width in many places does not exceed 3 m, too. Its  sides are huge with a height of 200 to 400 meters. In Ha’s last part a 215 meters waterfall, the largest in Greece, is poured. So, I'd call it an ultimate destination for those who dare!

The “Orino” or “The red butterflies Gorge”, located in southeastern Crete, is an artificial hiking and easily accessible gorge, considered as one of the most beautiful gorges of Crete. It begins from the Orino village, at the east of Ierapetra. In it there are many red butterflies, small streams and small waterfalls all the way while its last three waterfalls near to its exit are among the most beautiful in the whole of the island. As the scenery rotates, the visitor will meet dense vegetation, a mountainous cultivated area and huge rocks sculpted by the nature.

Arvi Gorge is one of the most impressive Gorges of Crete, located in the prefecture of Heraklion . Should be mentioned that crossing it is of big difficulty. There are waterfalls along the whole length of the canyon while the downhill can only be reached by rope. Even during the summer, the Gorge has plenty of water coming from the springs of Kefalovrysi. The uniqueness of the Arvis Gorge is that the river penetrates the earth for 150 meters, creating a cave with underground waterfalls but access to this section requires the use of artificial lighting by the visitors. After passing this point the canyon continues to be very narrow as large rocks create bridges above from which you can pass. The trail ends up to the wonderful beach of Arvi. 

If you are a nature’s lover visiting Crete, you should visit the gorge of Imbros in Sfakia as it is one of the most imposing, narrow and deep canyons of the island. The gorge of Imbros (7 km long), starts from the small plateau of Imbros village and ends in the village of Komitades with spectacular view of the Libyan Sea. During its descent, the canyon is constantly narrowing and the side walls are becoming taller giving an impressive landscape while its vegetation consists mostly of cypresses and asfendamous. The most impressive point of the Imbros Canyon is the “Stenada” where the sidewalls are only 1.6 m apart, with their height reaching 300 meters while the rocks are sculpted by nature itself. After a few more narrow passes you will reach the exit of the Gorge, in the village of Komitades and near the beach of Frangokastello. Have fun!