# Sarakina Gorge & Mythi: The Honest Guide to the Wet Gorge Above Myrtos > A short, narrow gorge just outside the village of Mythi, a few kilometres up from Myrtos, with water in it most of the year — pools, small waterfalls, a few scrambles and polished rock walls only metres apart. - Canonical URL: https://honestcrete.com/guides/sarakina-gorge-and-mythi-honest-guide/ - Author: Neratzia (Honest Crete, Heraklion) - Area: East Crete · Category: Day trips - Last field-checked: September 2026 · Updated: 2026-09-26 · Published: 2026-09-26 - Coordinates: 35.054, 25.5769 - How to cite: "Honest Crete — Sarakina Gorge & Mythi: The Honest Guide to the Wet Gorge Above Myrtos (field-checked September 2026), https://honestcrete.com/guides/sarakina-gorge-and-mythi-honest-guide/" - About the source: field-checked guides to Crete by two Heraklion-based locals. Prices are hedged ranges in EUR; small businesses are kept anonymous; editorial is never paid for and advertising is clearly labelled. Method: https://honestcrete.com/how-we-check/ --- Sarakina is small, wet and beautiful: a slot of polished rock just outside the village of Mythi, a few kilometres up from Myrtos, where a stream runs most of the year and the walls close in to a few metres apart. The whole gorge is only a kilometre or so long, but you spend it wading, balancing across stones and climbing short rock steps beside small waterfalls and green pools. It is the opposite of a long gorge march — a couple of hours, much of it in the water. Distances and conditions come from the Municipality of Ierapetra, the Region of Crete and walking sources, checked in September 2026; the gorge is described from our own visits. **The honest facts** - **Where:** starts just north of **Mythi**, a few kilometres inland from **Myrtos**; about **16–22 km** from Ierapetra depending on the source. - **Length:** about **1 km** (Municipality of Ierapetra) to **1.5 km** (walking sources). - **Time:** about **an hour** (Region of Crete); allow **1.5–2 hours** with the return and time at the pools. - **The gorge:** walls around **150 m** high and **3–10 m** apart; water, pools, small waterfalls, stone steps and tree trunks at the climbs. - **Water:** flows most of the year; in winter you **cannot pass without getting wet**. - **Cost and closures:** no fee from any official source; not on the 2026 fire-closure list. Stay out after heavy rain. *Photo: The stream in Sarakina: pools and small cascades between the boulders* ## What the walk is like From the parking area by the bridge, the path follows the stream into the gorge almost at once. Walking sources describe route markings of yellow arrows and red squares, and within minutes the walls rise and narrow. The route is a series of small obstacles rather than a hike: stepping stones, pools to wade in places, a short climb up a set of stone steps or a fixed tree trunk beside a waterfall, then a stretch of calm water under the rock. Walking guides rate it easy — one gives it a 2 on a scale of 10 — and it is, provided you are happy to get your feet wet. Wear shoes you can walk in water with, not flip-flops, and carry your phone in a dry bag. In summer, walking sources describe the pools as good for a swim. ## When to go, and when not to Late spring to autumn is the easy season, when the stream is low and the scrambles are dry enough. In winter and early spring the flow can make the streambed route awkward or risky — one regional guide calls spring the canyoning season, which tells you how much water can come through. After heavy rain, do not go in at all. The gorge is not on the Region of Crete's 2026 list of areas closed on high fire-risk days, but the island-wide advice still applies on red-alert days; check the [fire-risk map and alerts](https://honestcrete.com/guides/heat-wildfires-and-the-112-alerts-in-crete/) before any walk in summer. *Photo: The narrows: a few metres of stone on each side and sky overhead* ## Mythi, Myrtos and the day around it Mythi is a small hill village at the mouth of the gorge. The obvious day is the gorge in the morning and a swim and lunch at [Myrtos](https://honestcrete.com/guides/myrtos-village-honest-guide/) on the coast below. From [Ierapetra](https://honestcrete.com/guides/ierapetra-and-chrissi-honest-guide/) it is a short drive west along the coast road. **The honest downside** It is short — some visitors drive a long way for what amounts to an hour in the water. The rock is slippery when wet, and after rain the gorge can go from charming to dangerous quickly. **The verdict.** **Worth it if:** you are staying around Myrtos or Ierapetra and want a short, wet adventure — ideal on a hot day. **Skip it if:** you dislike getting wet, have unsteady footing on slippery rock, or rain has fallen in the last day or two. *Disclosure:* Photos on this page: the pools by Yooga (CC BY 3.0) and the narrows by Nosfe79 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons, resized for the web. The gorge is described from our own visits; length, times, conditions and the fire-closure status were checked against the Municipality of Ierapetra, the Region of Crete's tourism site and 2026 fire-season order, and walking sources for the date shown at the top of this guide. Nobody pays to be featured in a guide — no business, no sponsor, no paid mention, ever. Adverts, where they appear, are labelled as adverts. ## Quick answers **How long is the Sarakina gorge?** The Municipality of Ierapetra gives about one kilometre; most walking sources say 1.5 km. The Region of Crete's tourism site puts the walk at about an hour, while walkers report an hour and a half to two hours including the way back and time at the pools. **Is there water in the Sarakina gorge?** Usually, yes. The stream runs for most of the year, forming pools and small waterfalls, and the Region describes most of the gorge as passable with water, ponds and scrambles. In winter and early spring you cannot get through without getting wet, and sometimes not safely at all. **Is the Sarakina gorge suitable for children?** For confident children with an adult, usually yes: the walk is short and rated easy, with steps and tree trunks placed at the harder climbs. When the stream is high, the scrambles over wet rock become harder, so judge on the day. **Where does the Sarakina gorge start?** Just outside the village of Mythi, on its northern side, a few kilometres inland from Myrtos and roughly 16–22 km from Ierapetra depending on the source. Walking guides describe a paved parking area by the bridge at the entrance. **Is the Sarakina gorge closed in fire season?** It does not appear on the Region of Crete's 2026 list of areas closed on high fire-risk days — the only Ierapetra entry is the Thrypti forest. That is not a reason to ignore the conditions: after heavy rain, stay out of the gorge. ## Myrtos, Mythi and the gorge **Up from the coast** — From Myrtos on the coast up to Mythi; the gorge starts just outside the village on its northern side. - Myrtos (35.004, 25.5837) - Mythi (35.0388, 25.5743) - Sarakina gorge (35.054, 25.5769)