Ha gorge

One dominant feature of the area of Ierapetra, in front of the beautiful village and the minoan remains of Vassiliki is located the Ha Gorge. It is considered one of the wildest gorges in Greece, a rare morphological phenomenon of nature, probably caused by tectonic earthquake.

It remains a virgin environment, untouched by man, who still finds its formation prohibitive for exploration or development.

Very few experienced climbers have crossed it. Any attempt without the experience or the equipment could prove fatal, as it happened in the past.

It has about 33 rappels, the largest is 35 meters high. At some points the walls come very close, just a few centimeters, which makes the gorge special. In the last third of the gorge, a waterfall of 215 meters height is poured, which increases the amount of water in the gorge. This is often the problem up to that point for canyoneers. The Ha is dry up to there, but from there it has large amounts of water. The waterfall is the largest in Crete and is located at the end of Mastoras sub-gorge.

The entrance of the gorge is very narrow, about 3m and opens on the top. Its width in many parts is only 30cm and in others no more than 3m. To the left and right stand huge stone walls 200m to 400m high. Its length is about 1km. Right before the entrance there is a pond, created by a small waterfall that comes from another lake above. This is not visible from the root of the mountain but you can marvel at it once you climb a few rocks carefully. The intense parallel colors on the rocks are impressive, too.

As you reach the inside you can see many such small ponts and waterfalls, especially in the wintertime, which is the best time to visit the gorge.

As you proceed inside you are filled with awe, as huge rocks, cut in square or rectangle blocks shadow the small valley, you just left behind. The highest waterfall in Crete is located in Ha, having 215 m height.

Near Ha, there are some ruins of old stone watermills, monuments of a bygone era.