Atlas › Region

Crete - Heraklion

12 canyons.

• 4B II X

  Abas

  A 140 meter waterfall split into four big rappels, two of them free hanging, dropping the Asterousia range straight into the main street of Tris Ekklisies.

  Paranimfi, Heraklion Unknown flood
• 4B II R

  Arvi

  The highest rated descent in Heraklion: a 75 meter waterfall followed by a genuinely dark section where headlamps stop being optional.

  Arvi, Viannos, Heraklion High flood
• 3B II

  Kalami 1

  The wetter of the two Kalami canyons, bolted out of the water so it still goes in high flow, and short enough to pair with Xerofarago next door.

  Kalami, Viannos, Heraklion High flood
• 3A I

  Kalami 2

  Four hundred meters of back to back rappels, usually dry, and the natural pairing with the wetter Kalami 1 next door.

  Kalami, Viannos, Heraklion Low flood
• n/a

  Kamaraiko

  The biggest line in Heraklion by a wide margin: 5 kilometers and roughly 1230 meters of descent starting at 1785 meters above Kamares.

  Kamares, Faistos, Heraklion Low flood
• 3B I

  Kaviousou

  The rappels start almost immediately and keep coming, through a short set of constrictions descente-canyon singles out as the most photogenic around.

  Keratokampos, Viannos, Heraklion Low flood
• 4B II R

  Maridaki

  Two walking sections bracket a single 60 meter waterfall, and the walk back along the hillside is the part descente-canyon actually recommends.

  Tsoutsouros, Heraklion Low flood
• 4A III R

  Mesosfini

  A dry Asterousia line down two huge cliff walls, a 90 meter and a final 80 meter, past faces where vultures nest.

  Paranimfi, Heraklion Low flood
• 3B III

  Portella

  A long Omalos plateau descent whose upper crux is a 15 meter drop into a pool half drained by two siphons, now so full of rubbish the local source suggests skipping that section entirely.

  Chondros, Viannos, Heraklion High flood
• n/a

  Psoraris

  Short Heraklion-area descent with a 15 m maximum rappel, currently a stub entry on the canonical wiki.

  Heraklion, Crete Moderate flood
• 3B II

  Tsoutsouros

  A quiet walk down the bed gives way to one deeply enclosed 32 meter waterfall, the single real event on an otherwise gentle Kofinas line.

  Tsoutsouros, Heraklion Unknown flood
• 4A II

  Valaha

  Four via ferrata equipped obstacles, then a 50 and a 55 meter waterfall, then a pleasant valley walk out to a very good beach.

  Agios Ioannis, Gortys, Heraklion Low flood