Welcome to the mystical Topolia Gorge, nestled in the lush inland area of Kissamos, in Crete’s Chania prefecture. This captivating geographical marvel begins its stretch at the village of Topolia and meanders for approximately 1.5 kilometres, culminating in a verdant valley by Koutsomatados.
Despite its short length, the gorge’s wild landscape boasts vertical walls soaring to 300 metres, housing a plethora of flora and fauna. Notable among the features are the intriguing cave of Saint Sophia and the chapel dedicated nearby.
The gorge’s mystical allure is heightened by its association with the Minoan goddess Vritomartis, and the legends of fairies that once lived here. A convenient 45 km from Chania, Topolia Gorge offers an idyllic excursion, and a bustling marketplace where local producers sell fresh fruit, honey, and olives. The historical site also forms part of the E4 European long-distance trail, drawing hikers from around the globe.
The river Tiflos, whose source is in Elos, on Dikaios mountain, goes through the gorge and joins the sea at the Kissamos bay. In addition, at the beginning of the path, you’ll find the Agia Sofia cave.
According to legend, the Topolia gorge was the home of fairies, as well as of the goddess Britomartis, in the Minoan times. The mythical Talos was said to come here many times, to rest and enjoy the song of the fairies. Talos would pass by the gorge, go to the large cave, have some water and fall asleep. Then the fairies who lived nearby would come and sing and dance lullabies for him.
Next to the gorge, the Topolia tunnel is another Cretan landmark, and is the only one on the island to have been dug by hands without the use of machines. The tunnel is 4m wide and about 100m long and thus, only one car at a time can pass through it. The incoming traffic is regulated by two traffic lights at the two entrances.
The tunnel was completed during Eleftherios Venizelos’ term as prime minister of Greece and was the result of the actions of the member of parliament Georgios Markantonakis, who was originally from Topolia. It was a very difficult project as can be seen in the following passage from the book “Oi anamnisis enos nostalgou” (The memories of a nostalgic person) by Haridimos Spanoudakis: “The road passed through the gorge, at about mid-distance from the river to the top of the mountain. Most parts were not dug but literally carved in the stone, a hard, solid limestone that smelled of gunpowder when it was chipped at.
Large pieces of the rock were blown off and rolled down into the distance. The workers had to work no matter the weather, in the sun and in the rain and in the strong winds created between the rocks, often tied at the waist to the strong roots of a tree or a rock. They used a chisel and a hammer, one man holding the chisel and another hitting it with the hammer. After each hit, the man holding the chisel would turn it a bit to get a better hold of the rock. Every now and then they would pour water over the rock to stop the dust from getting into their eyes. At first they thought that they wouldn’t have to build the tunnel, since they carved it into the rock, but water started running from various spots and even parts of the rock fell off, obstructing the road, so they decided to build the tunnel.”
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