A Mártsalo Walk calls to anyone looking for wild beauty far from the usual tourist crowds. This remote route to the Mártsalo Beach behind the west Asterousia mountains in the south of Heraklion feels like a different world. If you’re willing to trade the smooth pavement for a rugged dirt road (and the comfort of your car for a bit of grit in your socks), this hike will reward you—big time.
Start from Moni Odigitrias (the Odigitria Monastery). Take the dirt track that links the monastery with Lithino. Somewhere on this road—keep your eyes peeled—a handmade sign points left to Mártsalo. Here’s where things get mildly adventurous: just 500 meters past this turn, the road ends. From this point, your legs do the work.
The walk begins with a steady downhill stretch, weaving between rocks and wildflowers. Just as your knees start noticing the slope, a small, pebbly stream breaks the descent. Cross that, and after about 700 meters, a little marvel appears: the cave church of Panagia Martsaliani.
Wonders Along the Trail: Nature, History, and Silence
This isn’t your everyday church. The chapel hides inside a cone-shaped hollow in the rock, carved generations ago. Its stone walls reach about 10 meters high and eight meters deep. Local legend says it was buried under stones until some 19th-century shepherds from the monastery stumbled onto it. Inside, they found a precious icon of the Virgin Mary. Some say she still watches over the canyon.
Follow the path as it threads through thick greenery. Palms sway in the breeze at the heart of the route, while oleanders, wild carobs, and olives edge the path. Somewhere in the middle—a spot called Perivoli—an old stone cistern flickers with the clean water of a small spring, usually watched by a fat lizard or two.
The Mártsalo Walk lets you sneak through a 2-kilometer-long gorge lined with caves. Ages ago, hermits made these dark corners their home. Now, only the silence and the odd goat remain.
As you near the end, the path opens onto Mártsalo Beach. Forget sunbeds. Here, tamarisks rule the shore, the air smells of salt, and time seems to pause. The stones along the coast once served as a port in Minoan times, a fact confirmed by the shovels of archaeologists more patient than most beachgoers.
Mártsalo Walk Highlights
- Remote location in southern Heraklion, just beyond the west Asterousia mountains;
- Dirt road access from Odigitria Monastery to Lithino, ending with a marked turnoff;
- Walk only—final 500 meters by foot, with a 700-meter descent to the gorge;
- Panagia Martsaliani: ancient cave church set deep in the rock, with a unique history;
- Perivoli: old stone cistern and spring framed by lush greenery;
- Palm trees, wild cypress, tamarisks, oleanders, and Carob trees line the trail;
- Impressive 2 km gorge with caves once home to ascetics;
- Mártsalo Beach: peaceful, untouched, and steeped in Minoan history;
- Archaeological findings point to its use as an ancient port;
- See more at Diasostes Mesara’s Facebook post.
Every part of the Mártsalo Walk is a treat for the senses, but it’s also a reminder that in Crete, the best places are sometimes the hardest to reach. Whether you’re a curious traveler or a local who’s walked these rocks before, the wild canyons and quiet coves of Mártsalo never get old. Wear good shoes, bring water, and let the path surprise you.
