Mili gorge (φαράγγι μύλων)

Mili gorge (φαράγγι μύλων)

Mili Gorge on Crete Greece (Rethymnon):

The Mili gorge is pretty easy to walk and starts at the village Xiro Chorio. The vegetation in the gorge is really magnificent; the whole area looks like a jungle with so many plants around and even a flowing stream is not lacking. The path is a beautiful ancient kalderimi with a lot of history. Besides the stunning nature you will see on the way everywhere old abandoned houses, including even a deserted little village. There are even some little churches to be admired.

Description Mili hike:

We start in Xiro Chorio, where we walk down through the village. During the walk you pass nice white streets and typical Greek village cottages. At the edge of the village the road goes straight down. Keeping left, you walk towards the Mili gorge; no need to panic, there are signs to show the way. The gorge of Mili has in the beginning fruit trees like orange, mandarin and lemon trees. The path continues down towards the river, which flows all year. This river never shows an obstacle; you can cross it at any time. After hiking for a while you reach a nice old church, which is painted in red and white. It is a great place to rest up in the shadow. Leaving the church behind, you continue down and arrive in a deserted village.

You can view the old houses, but do not attempt to climb to the upper levels since there is collapse danger. You walk crisscross through the village up to the top. Then turn left following the path above the river where you will find various tunnels and rock formations. On the right side you see sandstone walls, which show you the creation of Crete; you can see the shifting of the earth throughout the years, a real paradise for geologists. After the sandstone formations, go slightly down, where small pockets of water form during the winter and spring seasons, also forming a number of attractive waterfalls. This refreshing water is completely safe to drink in springtime.

Continue past some abandoned houses and you will reach a watermill, in which the millstone is still intact. Keep following the path going high above the river until you get to another small church with a cemetery.

From this point you get a great view of the sea and you can look through the entire gorge. On both sides of the rock formation you will see many fantastic birds, busy flying around. Especially for bird watchers, Mili gorge on Crete is worth a visit. Leaving the church, continue the walk and arrive at a tavern at another abandoned village. It is especially interesting to see how this tavern manages to get its stock: using a ramshackle cable-lift, which spans the gorge and pulling the goods towards the tavern. The food and drinks are fine here, so enjoy the spot for a lunch-break. From this point you can either walk back or continue further as described below.

Options for the Mili Gorge on Crete hike:

The Mili gorge itself is about 4,5 kilometres, but of course there are more hiking alternatives as well. Start in Xiro Chorio, walk through the gorge, eat in the Mili Tavern and go back the same way. This is in total about 9 kilometres. This is a very good option, since when walking back, the gorge looks totally different again. Another alternative is to start in Xiro Chorio and walk around: after the tavern in the gorge, continue the gorge and at the end go up the stairs.

At the top turn to the right and walk all around until you are back Xiro Chorio, in total about 12 kilometres. The longest option is walk all the way through the Mili gorge and after the stairs turn left. You follow the asphalt road until you can turn left, which is after about 3,5 kilometres. Walk this path going down and follow the path at the other gorge until you get back in Xiro Chorio. This long option is about 14 kilometres.

More info and pictures:
https://www.zorbas.nl/mili-gorge-on-crete