The waterfall
Twenty metres falling into a green pool amid the rock.
Kostdro — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rudolphu — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zde — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zde — CC BY-SA 4.0
**A green gorge that ends in a waterfall and then a beach** — the least known of Crete's gorges and the least like the others. Where Samaria and Imbros are **dry, rocky and exposed**, Richtis is **shaded, wet and green** the whole way: water running along the floor, huge plane trees shading the path, ferns and plants on the walls, abandoned old watermills, and a **Venetian stone bridge** still standing. About halfway along is the **Richtis waterfall** — some **20 metres** dropping into a green pool you can swim in. That is the sight people come for. The path then carries on until it opens onto pebbly **Richtis beach** on the sea — a perfect end to a mountain walk. ⚠ But the route is **poorly waymarked** and requires crossing the stream several times, and it **becomes dangerous after rain**. ✅ It is **free**, with no ticket and no gate.
Twenty metres falling into a green pool amid the rock.
An old stone span still standing on the valley floor.
A pebble bay on the sea, reached straight off the walk.
Exo Mouliana, 72300 Lasithi, Crete
**Decide before you start — it is the most important decision of the day.** ✅ **Option one (best): two cars or a driver.** Leave one car at **the road near Richtis beach** and drive up in the other to the gorge entrance above **Exo Mouliana**; or have a companion drive down and meet you. Then you walk **downhill only** — about two and a half hours with rests and a swim. ✅ **Option two: down to the waterfall and back.** Descend to the falls, swim, then **return the way you came** without going on to the beach — about **three hours**, a very sensible choice that spares you the long climb. ⚠ **Option three (the hardest): the whole route both ways** — down to the beach and a full climb back, **4–5 hours** with no water and no shade on the upper sections. ⚠ **Do not count on a taxi**: signal is poor at the bottom and the road near the beach is **isolated**, with little passing traffic.
**Three completely different gorges — the choice depends on what you want, not on which is famous.** ✅ **Samaria**: **the longest and best known** (16 km, 5–7 hours), dry, rocky and exposed, with the famous Gates, **seasonal** (May–October), staffed with wardens, water and rest points, and ending with a boat. **For the serious walker who wants the achievement.** ✅ **Imbros**: **the easiest and most sensible** (8 km, 2–3 hours), a continuous descent, **open all year**, cheap and less crowded. **For families and for anyone with half a day.** ✅ **Richtis**: **the loveliest and the most unlike the rest** — green, shaded, with running water, a waterfall and a beach at the end, and **free and nearly empty**. ⚠ But it is **entirely unserviced**: no wardens, no good waymarking, no water, and **a real flash-flood risk after rain**. **For a confident walker who wants something that resembles no other part of Crete.** ⚠ **Do not make it your first gorge** if you are not used to unmarked trails.