The beginning
A day trip from Longhouse to a magical waterfall! What an exciting adventure. We heard about an amazing waterfall in a cave accessible only by swimming. Where is this secret waterfall? Could we do this as a day trip?Finding out the location was only the beginning of the adventure! Happily, it wasn’t too far to drive and an hour later we arrived at the famous Kourtalikio Gorge https://www.destinationcrete.gr/nature/gorges/kourtaliotiko-gorge/. The signs for the waterfall were easy to find but to navigate to the waterfall itself was a mystery. There were steps which led to a beautiful pool from where one could see the beginning of the waterfall.
Looking down a hole in the roof of the cave from a picturesque bridge our appetite was only further whetted!
We could actually be standing under the waterfall in the cave. BUT HOW TO GET THERE?
The middle
Alex had the bright idea to follow the river-bed which at this time of year had a low water level and passable.
The walk on the river bed was awesome and an adventure in itself. Our sturdy hiking boots kept us from slipping and falling … although I could have done with a walking stick! After about an hour of scrambling over the boulders and rocks dotting the river-bed there was still no sign of any cave or waterfall. This day trip to a magical waterfall was beginning to sound like a crazy idea.
Nearly the end
Suddenly, we came upon a wide stony area and there in front of us was a pool of water and a CAVE – hurray! We realised we would have to SWIM to get to see this amazing sight … and we had no idea how far in to go and the water was COLD!
And of course, our reward was the incredible experience of soaking in the bright sunlit cave bathed by the waterfall. We had set off from Longhouse at 10.00 in the morning with huge anticipation and the feeling of achievement and euphoria when we arrived 3 hours later was immense – a very worthy day trip to a magical waterfall!
