Gorge of Cha

The gorge of Ha is among the wildest and most beautiful gorges in Europe. It lies exactly above the active fault of Ierapetra, where it owes its unique geological configuration. The gorge begins at the heart of Thrypti and ends up in the plane of Ierapetra, next to the scenic village Monastiraki. After Pachia Ammos, we drive in the direction of Ierapetra and a few kilometres later, we enter Kalo Horio and we drive to the left to the Thrypti plateau. After 10 kilometres, before we arrive at Thrypti, we drive to the left to the little church of Aghia (Santa) Anna. From there starts a small path that leads to the most accessible part of the gorge. If we want to reach the exit of the gorge, we walk to the village Monastiraki, and from there, we follow the road-signs. To cross the gorge, it takes more than 4 hours of uninterrupted movements, regardless of the fact that its total length does not exceed 1800 metres. The delay is due to the 27 waterfalls that vary between 7 and 36 metres, which one has to cross. The conditions that prevail inside the gorge require special training and equipment (ropes, neoprene uniforms, as well as rappel materials are necessary). To understand how the interior of the gorge looks like, one should imagine it as a big ladder. You walk a little, you climb up using ropes etc. On many occasions you will have to swim because there are quite a few ponds, especially between January and May. If you get lucky and there is much water, there are cascades of crystal-clear water flowing at many rappels. Thus, rappels are very pleasant. To date, the gorge is secured using the most sophisticated and reliable materials (inox bolts and relays), tested in 2012. Crossing requires experienced canyoners. Fot canyoners, it is great fun crossing the gorge because of the many waterslides and ponds to swim in. Recommended months to cross the gorge: January – May. During that period, waterfalls flow forming more than 10 pomds with crystal-clear water.