Agia Irini Nunnery and the Mili Gorge

When: Daily, year round
Languages: Agia Irini Nunnery and the Mili Gorge Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Finnish, Swedish, Turkish,
Duration: Twelve or more hours depending on your whereabouts on Crete
Meeting Point: Heraklion: Liberty Square; or, upon request, pick up and drop off at your hotel.
Dress Code: Casual; comfortable walking shoes; warmer clothes in early spring; wide-brim hat; back pack; perhaps a walking stick; sunblock
Including: Transportation to and from Heraklion; full services of an officially qualified tourist guide; entrance fee to the gorge(s); boat ticket (from Ayia Roumeli to Chora Sfakion: there are no roads at the end of the gorge); bottled water
Food: Yes
Walking difficulty: Participants should be physically fit for a downhill 16km hike of approximately 5-6 hours
Rest rooms/WC: Yes

Recommended as a half-day activity, ideal for families with young children. The program begins at the Monastery of Aghia Irini (Santa Irene) at the foot of Mt. Vrisinas about 5 kms south of Rethymnon. One of the oldest monasteries on Crete (built before 1352), it now operates as a nunnery. Restored in 1990, is now regarded as one of the most beautiful monasteries on the island and has been awarded the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage for conserving its architecture. The nuns in residence are multi-lingual and known for their hospitality, treating visitors to a tour of the three-aisled church and their workshops (painting, embroidery, and sewing).

The Mili Gorge is a fairly easy walk of 4.5 kms (about 2 hours) starting in the village of Xiro Chorio. The trail follows an old Turkish kalderimi that has a rich history and features old churches and several stone-built watermills; the scenery throughout the gorge is beautiful.