Ambas Gorge

The gorge of Ambas is located 53km south of Heraklion, in Asterousia Mountains. This is a large (4km long) and beautiful canyon with many narrow passages. Starting from the small plateau formed near the village Paranymfi (710m altitude), it ends at the beach of Treis Ekklisies and is accessible only by experienced canyoners. If you're one of them, you will need to do more than 20 vertical descents by rope, the largest of which is 45m. If not, you can also visit a part of the gorge starting from Treis Ekklisies.

The main feature of the gorge is a waterfall formed near its start, with a height of 145m! Especially when it has rained before, the waterfall is very surprising in the arid landscape of Asterousia. To reach the waterfall of Ambas, there are signs at the entrance of the village Paranymfi, leading to the location via a dirt road. In the end, you have to walk along the cliff for a while and watch the waterfall from the side. The view to the sea and the awe-inspiring vertical cliffs is amazing.

Lastly, only a few people know that this inaccessible point of Asterousia hosts the largest colony of preying birds in Europe. The birds find refuge in the gorge of Ambas, away from human and next to the water.