The Rokka Gorge lies 13 km southeast of the town of Kissamos, starts at the village of Deliana and after some 2 km concludes at the area of Mesonisi, north of the village of Rokka. This is a signposted gorge, quite sloped, relatively hard, takes 2 hours to cross mainly through its river, which is the reason to do it in the summertime when the river runs almost dry. There are places where it gets too narrow, with vertical and imposing flanking rocks towering above at 200 m, while plane trees standing tall cast their cool shade along the whole way. It’s the continuation of the Gorge of Mesavlia-Deliana and its river flows into the Nopigia beach. Its flora and fauna history is quite significant as once it was crowded with numerous animals and birds as well as a plethora of beehives producing a surplus of honey, so much in fact that it was said to overflow and stream down like ribbons of silk as it flowed into the river. Worth mentioning is the thornless capers growing in the area, in contrast to the one growing in the lowlands, something that renders it easy to collect.
DISCOVER ALSO
Culture
FOLKLORE CULTURE Folklore is a culture defined by its namesake: everything the people of a land say, do and act collectively and as a society. Folklore roots across the region of Kissamos are lost in the haze of time, back to Minoan Civilisation times. FOLK ART MUSIC Music and singing are strongly connected to all sides of everyday life for the inhabitants of the area. Traditional musical instruments of Kissamos are the lute and violin, instead of the lyre found in other regions. Locals have dubbed them ‘zygia’ and they are a vital part of days-long celebrations of joyous events like weddings, fairs, engagements, christenings and more. The dancing activities of the people of Kissamos is abundant too, who stomp…
Gastronomy
THE KISSAMOS DIET Kissamos locals, as do all Cretans, are traditionally gourmand and enjoy good, quality food. Their land’s trademark produce is the cornerstone of Mediterranean Diet. Local cuisine is, at its foundation, indigenous and the rule of thumb is the use of olive oil on every dish, with tomato and oregano assuming starring roles. The dietary habits of today’s locals are close to those in ancient times, something that is documented by inscriptions on Linear B tablets regarding cheese, olive oil, honey, wine, herbs and spices, meats and grain. Its basic features are simplicity, sparsity, making use of local and seasonal produce, all cooked with imaginative variation. OLIVE OIL No matter where you land on Crete, be it high…
