Richtis Gorge: One of Crete's Most Beautiful Waterfall Hikes

 The drive was easy and the route to the gorge was well signposted. Shortly before a bend behind a small village, we found the parking area directly above the gorge. From there, the adventure began. At the parking area, clear signs pointed out two important things: sturdy footwear is strongly recommended, and the entrance fee is EUR 5 per adult over the age of 15. We were lucky and only had to pay once. From the parking area, a small paved road leads down to the official entrance of the gorge. It is an easy walk, but it goes downhill all the way. After only a few minutes, we were already thinking about the way back. If this was all downhill now, we would clearly have to climb it again later. After around 15 minutes, we reached the entrance. The ranger asked us for our language and showed us an information board with details about the trail and the safety rules. One important warning was that visitors should not drink the water from the pool below the waterfall, as it is not considered clean enough. To our surprise, we were able to pay the entrance fee by card. ## Into the Green Valley From the official entrance onward, the trail became more demanding, but also much more beautiful. The path narrowed and led into a shaded valley full of trees, roots, rocks and running water. Again and again, the trail crossed a small stream. At first there was only a little water, but the further we walked into the gorge, the more water appeared. Dragonflies moved above the stream, and the roots of the trees twisted across the path and through the water. The whole landscape felt unexpectedly lush and almost tropical. The route was very well marked. Along the way we found signs as well as red, yellow and white markings painted on rocks and trees. We also learned that this trail is part of the European long-distance hiking path E4, which passes through some of Crete's most impressive landscapes. 

 The deeper we went into the gorge, the more adventurous the hike became. In some places, there were steep drops directly beside the trail. They looked impressive, but they also reminded us to stay focused. After about half an hour, the path became even more beautiful. The stream formed small natural terraces between large, rounded rocks. Clear pools appeared again and again, and in some places the water was so transparent that we could see all the way down to the bottom. Small wooden bridges helped us cross the stream in several places. A little later, the ground became muddier and the amount of water increased noticeably. The gorge felt wilder with every step.  

 After a little more than one hour of hiking from the parking area, we finally reached Richtis Waterfall. It was a wonderful surprise. We had expected a few drops of water falling into a small pool. Instead, we found a real waterfall feeding a beautiful natural basin. Several people were already swimming in the cool water. We sat down at a small wooden table near the waterfall and took time to rest. After a while, we noticed something unusual in the water next to us. A large fish, or perhaps an eel, around 50 to 60 centimeters long, kept appearing from under a rock ledge before slowly disappearing again. We watched it for quite some time, fascinated by the idea that such an animal could live in this small pool below the waterfall.