Villages & Towns

Zaros

Gortyna, Heraklion · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

Mountain village famous for spring water and trout.

Zaros is a mountain village on the southern slopes of Psiloritis, about 45 km from Heraklion, at 340 m. It's known for its spring water, which is bottled and sold all over Greece.

Near the village lies Lake Votomos, a small spring lake with ducks and a taverna serving fresh trout. From the lake, a path leads up to the monastery of Agios Nikolaos and the Rouvas gorge, part of the E4 trail. The Vrontisi monastery is nearby.

Zaros is a great place for a day of walking and good food.

Zaros is also known for its old water mills, some of which still work, and for the Vrontisi and Agios Nikolaos monasteries nearby. The spring water of Zaros is famous throughout Greece. The village has a few hotels and is a great base for walking on the southern slopes of Psiloritis, with the E4 trail passing nearby.

Around Gortyna

Nearest town: Mires, about 12 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 44 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