Minoans build there their fourth founded palace, the ruins of which is one of the major attractions for the visitors. In 1961 Nikolaos Platon traced and excavated the non looted palace and surprised the archaeological community with the amazing variety of the findings which gave precious information about the way of living and the level of civilization of the Minoans. Another major attraction of Kato Zakros is the famous Gorge of the dead. The canyon that starts from the village Zakros and goes on the last footsteps of the international trail E4 ends in the bay of Kato Zakros. The strange name is given to the canyon from the archaeologist Nikolaos Platon who discovered numerous tombs in the caves of the Gorge. Nowadays there are goats and sheep herding all over the length of the Gorge and also very good vertical rock ideal for climbing. Due to the efforts of Elias Pagiannides owner of STELLA’S TRADITIONAL (mountaineer with experience in Alps, Kilimanjaro, Himalayas and all the Greek high mountains) all the trails in the area are clean and very well marked. From Elias you can take all the necessary trekking information of the area as well as his climbing equipment to perform interesting climbs in the Gorge of the dead. Another interesting site of the area is the cave of Pelekita. A huge almost unexplored cave a few meters from the sea (one hour walk from Kato Zakros) 350 meters deep with amazing stalactite and stalagmite decoration. But if you don’t like hikes and walks, the beautiful, little seaside of Kato Zakros is one of the most tranquil and friendly places to hang out on vacations in Crete. Four taverns by the beach provide you the best Cretan food you can taste on the island. Fresh fish, meat, vegetables, cheese, milk products, potatoes are cooked by the traditional way with fresh olive oil and of course it is worth tasting local olives, fruit, raki, wine, sweets and much more. The weather is always sunny, except some rainy days in winter and some windy days in August.
But except good weather, interesting sites, unspoiled sea, beautiful walks, tranquil atmosphere, pure food, you will enjoy the smile, the friendship and the traditional hospitality of the local people.   
  
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