The Agia Irini Gorge
 Agia Irini Gorge Whisper it not at Omalos, but many discerning people consider the lesser known gorge of Agia Irini, to the north of Sougia, to be equally as impressive, scenic and enjoyable as the famous Samaria Gorge to the east. It’s not as long of course, and at 7km is less than half the distance of Samaria. Nor as deep, descending from 600m, whereas the Samaria Gorge drops from 1250m to sea level. But whilst up to two thousand visitors a day in high summer will set off to walk down through Samaria to Agia Roumeli, the total enjoying the peace and tranquility of the Irini Gorge might not even reach double figures. There are several ways to arrange a visit to Agia Irini. The easiest is to book a tour with one of the travel agents in Paleohora ; a coach or mini-bus leaving around 8am will drop you at the top about an hour later, where there is a small cafe for breakfast or to buy a picnic lunch. An alternative is to take the 6.15am K-Tel bus to Agia Irini, and enjoy the early morning freshness of the gorge. There are several ‘rest areas’ with picnic tables and a water supply, and by the time you reach the ‘Oasis’ at the end, the cafe will be open for a fresh orange juice or Amstel/Mythos. The ’sting in the tail’ is a road walk of 5.5km into Sougia, but then a relaxing afternoon before the ferry (leaving approx. 6.30pm, May to Oct).  The Route Explained A car gives more flexibility, and can be combined with the Sougia/Chania bus service (check in the bus station for schedules, or contact www.bus-service-crete-ktel.com) One recent Sunday, friends and I drove over to Moni and caught the 1.30pm bus out of Sougia for the 40-minute journey to Agia Irini, and an afternoon walk down the gorge. There’s normally a small fee payable, but both cafe and entrance kiosk were deserted in mid-April. Crossing the fast-flowing river by a wooden footbridge, we set off under the shade of leafy plane trees into the gorge.  Hiking in the gorge The trail is easy to follow, level at first, then with a short climb and longer descent to the first picnic area. The path crosses and re-crosses the dry riverbed, the water now having filtered underground. Pine trees above, with wild flowers and various herbs, predominantly sage, all combined to give that unique olfactory experience which is Crete in Spring. With no urgency, or need to hurry for a bus or ferry, we meandered down the gorge, enjoying the scenery which unfolds around every turn. And appreciating the solitude, for in almost three hours we saw not one other person.  Agia Irini Gorge  Lower down the gorge At the exit the ‘Oasis’, as we anticipated, was closed, opening in May. A sign in the car park indicates ‘Sougia - 5.5km’, and nearby, for tired legs, is the ‘phone number of the local taxi service. After 600m along the road we reached a junction, with a small church left and an old Venetian stone bridge right. Sougia is ahead, around an hour’s walk away, but we turned right, on a track leading to the 14th century church of Agios Nikolaus, surrounded by (tasty!) orange and mandarin trees, and with a unique ‘campanile’ adjacent. Entering the church by the front gate, we left by the rear and followed the track up into Moni, emerging into the village by the cafenion, and our parked cars.  The Bell Tower at Moni Towards the lower reaches of the gorge, the path drops over boulders where hands may be necessary, but this apart the gorge of Agia Irini is a fine route for the average walker. The more adventurous may like to include the very worthwhile and recommended Figou ravine at the start of the walk, described in detail in our book ‘Ten Walks from Paleohora’ (see below.) This extension adds around two hours, joining the main gorge 1 km beyond the start, and as a bonus, it will save you the entry fee ….. ‘Ten Walks around Paleohora’ and ‘More Walks from Paleohora’ on sale at ‘To Delfini’ Tags: crete, holidays, chania, paleohora, , greece, paleochora, hania |
