Seen, Flüsse & Wasserfälle

Aba Waterfall

Archanes-Asterousia, Heraklion · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

A waterfall in a lush canyon in the south.

The Ambas gorge and waterfall lie in the Asterousia mountains, about 50 km south of Heraklion, near the village of Paranymfi. The gorge is carved by the Mousoulis stream, which plunges over the rocks in a waterfall of several dozen metres.

The name Ambas comes from the Latin word abbas, perhaps after one of the hermits who once lived here. The waterfall is at its best in winter and spring, when there's more water. A signposted road leads from Paranymfi towards the beach of Treis Ekklisies, and a path goes down to the waterfall.

Archanes-Asterousia stretches from the wine villages south of Heraklion, like Archanes and Peza, down to the wild Asterousia mountains and the Libyan Sea. Mount Giouchtas, which looks like the profile of Zeus, rises above Archanes, and the area is rich in Minoan sites. Further south, the Asterousia hide monasteries, gorges and remote beaches such as Treis Ekklisies and Tsoutsouros. The wineries of the Peza area are open for tastings.

Around Archanes-Asterousia

Nearest town: Lentas, about 25 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 54 km by road

Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion