Trekking excursion in the Rouvas Gorge near Zaros starting from Heraklion

Go trekking in the beautiful Saint Nicholas Gorge and Rouvas Forest nearby the Lake of Zaros to discover amazing natural springs, waterfalls and much more!

Zaros is known from antiquity for the water spring which still provides fresh water nowadays. The trip from Heraklion to the Lake of Zaros takes about an hour and a half. The same goes for the return. The forest of Rouvas, in the gorge of Saint Nicholas, is an important ecosystem of holly trees of national interest.

The hiking path starts from the lake of Zaros and it is part of the E4 trail. You will follow the path in the gorge of Agios Nikolaos, where you will walk along the river bed, which has a lot of water in spring. Here you will get to admire several beautiful waterfalls and idyllic ponds. After 2 hours (almost 5 km) you will find ourselves in the enchanting holly forest of Rouvas. At Ai Giannis, you will find a landscaped picnic area. There is a mountain shelter, toilets, benches and a spring where we can enjoy a brief snack.

From there, your group will decide together, whether you would like to continue to the location "Dyo Prini", where we can enjoy the breathtaking view of the forest of Rouvas, Zaros and Messara plane, or if you want to return to the lake.