The gorge of Agios Nikolaos, Gafaris or Rouvas is bounded by the peaks of Ambelakia from east and Samari from west. This is the most important gorge of Psiloritis and central Crete and took its name from the homonymous Byzantine church in the south entrance. This is an ecosystem with rich flora and fauna, smaller canyons and interesting geological formations and cliffs of rare beauty.
The gorge of Agios Nikolaos, Gafaris or Rouvas is bounded by the peaks of Ambelakia from east and Samari from west. This is the most important gorge of Psiloritis and central Crete and took its name from the homonymous Byzantine church in the south entrance. This is an ecosystem with rich flora and fauna, smaller canyons and interesting geological formations and cliffs of rare beauty. It has a total length of 4 km with 2,7km being well-shaped by the Forest Service for soft activities such as hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, naturalism and observation of wildlife in a truly unique environment. Unfortunately, a significant part of the beautiful forest of Rouvas, near the south entrance of the Gorge was destroyed by a major fire in 1994.At a 2.5 km distance you will find the gorge which leads to the amazing holly forest of Rouvas. There you will find the church of Agios Ioannis and the holly forest of Rouvas one of the few in Greece.Beneath the hollies you will find the perfect place to enjoy your snack and relax during your way back where you can sit by the amazing wooden tables and drink your water.