- A fresh rockslide hit Kourtaliotiko Gorge, completely blocking the road.
- Boulders catapulted from over 100 meters up, shutting traffic temporarily.
- No injuries were reported, but it’s the second incident within a year.
- Illegal goat grazing on the slopes worsens the already precarious terrain.
- Officials and pastoralists are squabbling over who’s at fault for these land shenanigans.
Big Rocks, Big Problems: What Happened This Time?
Well, Tuesday didn’t disappoint—unless you were trying to drive through Kourtaliotiko Gorge that morning. A batch of rocks decided they were tired of hanging out 100 meters up and joined the world below, smashing onto the road. Predictably, traffic freaked out, and authorities had to sweep everything up. The street was reopened eventually, but nature left its mark again.
This latest landslide had local officials scrambling (and possibly sweating). Is it the sharp slopes of the terrain? The patchwork of fractured rock? Or maybe, just maybe, the illegal grazing goats, nibbling away at every blade of grass and leaving the land as stable as a house of cards? Turns out, all of the above can be true.
Oh, and if you think this was a rare cosmic event—think again. A similarly dramatic rockfall crushed a car just last year. No injuries? Sure. But luck doesn’t seem like the kind of safety strategy locals should be counting on.
The Blame Game: Goats vs. Gravity
There’s something poetic about blaming goats for this mess, isn’t there? According to reports, those four-legged munchers are feasting illegally on the gorge’s vegetation. Their grazing antics apparently destabilize the soil. No plants, no anchor for the rocks. Gravity wins, and boom—another landslide.
Authorities are now begging local goat herders to rethink their landscaping techniques, while Civil Protection has been loudly clearing its throat in the direction of drivers. Here’s their advice:
“Go slow and don’t assume nature is your friend.” Got it.
Despite ongoing work to reduce the danger, even government engineers admit there’s no way to eliminate the risk completely. It’s like slapping a Band-Aid on a fractured skull and calling it a day. Problem reduced? Sure, but not solved.
No Google Maps in a Gorge Mess
Now let’s get real. If Google Maps didn’t exist, how many tourists would stumble cluelessly into this rocky disaster zone? Can we all agree that roads closed by nature’s tantrums aren’t exactly listed on the welcome sign? Google Maps might not stop the rocks from falling, but at least it can prevent your Prius from being part of the rubble.
And when you aren’t navigating closed roads? It’ll help you find the nearest taverna where you can sip raki and laugh nervously about almost dying. It makes the difference between an “adventure vacation” and an “emergency room staycation.”
So yes, illegal goats and geology are at war in Kourtaliotiko Gorge, but don’t let Google Maps be the casualty here. Use it, people.
