Description / Geology
The same geological forces that have created the mountain ranges of Crete also created a large number of truly remarkable gorges throughout the island.
The geological composition of the island and centuries of seismic activity have caused it to be literally honeycombed with an estimated 3,500 caves, many of which are of extreme archaeological and religious significance. In the past and even more recently, caves were used by Cretans as places of refuge, cult sites and centres of resistance to invaders. There are believed to be over one hundred churches in caves around the island. According to legend, the Dikteon Andron on the Lassithi plateau was the birthplace of Zeus, the supreme deity who later grew up in the Ideon Andron on Mount Psiloritis.
The Prassano Gorge which starts south of the village of Prasses, offers a 4-5 hours walk and is considered a miniature of the famous Samaria Gorge. It is crossed by the Platanes river and its impressive rock faces and a few rather difficult points of access make this a particularly interesting walk. Its cliffs are huge and imposing and its inaccessible caves give home to vultures which set off in the mornings, slowly rising and using thermals in the air. Near the village of Prasses is the huge cave of Piatsida which used to have lots of crystals. (Source: www.crete-kreta.com/prassano-gorge)
The Gorge also called: griffon vulture gorge, because if you look up you can see many griffon vultures. It looks very threatening.
Many visitors to the Cretan gorges are wondering how these gorges were formed. Since the late Miocene period, 5 to 10 million years ago, the intense uplift of the whole Cretan area, due to plate tectonics, accelerated karstic weathering, forming these many gorges and caves and plateaus.
The gorges are formed mainly in carbonate rocks, i.e. limestone and marble, as a result of continuous land uplift and erosion by water of the rivers. The land uplift is usually caused by faults, or 'cracks in the earth':
Early stage: Coastal limestone planes crossed by a river, which brings rain water and melted snow down from the mountains:
Middle stage: The fault or crack is breaking, due to geological uplift and pressure. A gorge is beginning to be formed. The river in its bed causes immense erosion:
Final stage: Immense erosion by the river and rising of the stone floor continues, widening the gorge. This can be seen at most of the gorges in Crete now, like at Samaria and Imbros gorge. Sometimes a wide coastal plane is formed, like in Frangokastello, Sfakia:
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