The Kourtaliotiko Gorge closure on May 31, 2025, follows heavy rainfall and echoes a familiar pattern along this scenic route. With crews on site and no injuries, the event offers more inconvenience than peril. As officials tackle the rocks and locals provide their dry commentary, the timeless dance between nature, tourists, and bureaucracy continues—rain or shine.
Friday night brought rain. Not gentle rain, but the kind of downpour that thinks tourist season is a personally inflicted wound. Nature, showing her usual flair for timing, launched a small landslide into Kourtaliotiko Gorge just before sunrise on May 31, 2025. The world-famous Rethymno pass didn’t crumble with dramatic theatre but opted for a more unceremonious approach: a scattering of rocks and gravel, carelessly tossed all over the only road to Plakias.
By three in the morning, police and fire crews arrived, stretching their legs and their patience across the debris-strewn stretch. “Thank goodness it wasn’t worse,” muttered one exhausted officer, looking at the rocks like they’d been personally delivered. While the fire department remained on standby, the stones behaved and didn’t burst into flames.
Municipal crews from Agios Vasileios began clawing their way through the rubble before most locals found their coffee. Officials, with commendable restraint, announced there were “no injuries or damages.” For once, the rocks missed the mark. Still, law enforcement blocked access, sending would-be beachgoers down new roads and into philosophical contemplation.
“This road closes almost as often as my cousin’s shop opens,” grumbled Stathis, a local driver, as he performed his annual ritual of muttering at municipal barriers. Eleni, who claims she saw the whole thing, declared, “The rain doesn’t care about entry tickets or tourist plans.” Local wisdom, unimpressed by regulations and landslides alike.
Old Habits, New Rules: When Improvements Meet Indifferent Weather
For those keeping score, this gorge last closed on January 19, 2024. That episode inspired authorities to green-light 2 million euros for upgrades for Rhetymno’s gorges, a sum almost as large as the annual supply of visitor sunscreen. Rockfalls and blocked roads aren’t swayed by big spending.
Fast-forward to February 2025, and the powers that be decided the time had come for new entrance fees. Five euros gets you in if wet rocks allow. The annual pass is a bargain at fifteen, while students pay three—provided that “Kourtaliotiko Gorge closure” isn’t trending locally.
“Infrastructure funds are money well spent,” declared a municipal spokesperson, possibly hiding behind paperwork. Tourists, however, remain undeterred, though some suspect the rocks are simply protesting the new rules.
Locals, who have seen more than a few road closures, greeted the latest incident with equal parts resignation and sarcasm. “I guess next they’ll charge extra to climb over the rocks,” quipped Maria, owner of a local café.
For the near future, travellers are advised not to rush to Plakias or at least to bring sturdy boots and a flexible schedule. The weather, of course, remains unconvinced by all official statements.
[…] Heraklion and several southern towns. Yesterday, in Rethymno, the sky chucked down so much rain the Kourtaliotiko Gorge set off a landslide, which promptly blocked the road to Plakias. While sleepy tourists might have been grateful for the […]