Rechta Gorge at Kolokasia

At the lowest point of the ruined village Kolokasia , Sfakia Provice, at the church of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) starts forming a stream. The stream collects the water of the village.

After crossing the olive grove of the village it turns to a small, but rugged, gorge called Rechtas or Rektas . Its name means waterfall in the local dialect.

A few meters after the start of the gorge it forms, indeed, a spectacular waterfall about 20 meters high which blocks access to the rest of the gorge without the use of a rope. After the big waterfall, we meet impressive rock shelters and caves used by the locals as paddocks for animals in the past.

We cross some small falls, a natural arch, and a grove of carob trees . At some point, the canyon opens and we meet an old trail that climbs up the side of the east side of the canyon and ends in a rock shelter.

This beautiful rock shelter located high above the riverbed offers beautiful views across the gorge and the valley of Fragokastello . This wild rock shelter in recent years turned into a small and wonderful cavernous temple, perhaps the most recent in Crete.

The idea of converting the cave into a temple was of the priest from Sfakia , George Chiotakis , who saw an oracle of the Blessed Porphyrios from Athos who advised him to build the temple. Thus informally the church is dedicated to Saint Porphyrius , icons of who are scattered inside the temple as well as several icons of the blank Saint Anthimos from Cephalonia who lived for a short time in the region of Sfakia .