// Arvi – Agios Antonios – Panagia Lygiotissa

Sunday, September 13th, 2026

A hike inthe wider area of Arvi and its gorge, a place where outdoor banana cultivation thrives and where the swallows do not leave during the winter.

Arvi, like the other settlements of Viannos and the coastal towns of Sidonia (Psari Forada), Keraia (Keratokampos), and Inatos (Tsoutsouras), has a long history dating back approximately 4,000 years. In the wider area of Symi, the Sanctuary of Hermes and Aphrodite flourished from 2400 BC to 300 AD and was of importance throughout Crete. Arvi is mentioned as an autonomous city with its own currency as early as the 18th century BC. However, it experienced significant development as a Roman naval and commercial city following the Roman conquest of Crete in 67 BC and in subsequent periods.

The Arvios Zeus was worshipped in the area, and his sanctuary is believed to have stood at the site of today’s Monastery of Agios Antonios. Arvi was also the first city to be completely destroyed by the Arabs, who landed at Psari Forada in 824 AD. During World War II, in the course of the Holocaust of the Viannos region, the wider area of Arvi was declared a “dead zone”, and those who were found attempting to escape suffered a horrific death at the hands of the Nazis.

Arvi was connected with the settlements farther north by trails to the west and east of the gorge. These trails survived until the 1970s, when agricultural vehicles became part of everyday life. Along these paths, caravans carrying local products travelled daily and, after the war, mainly bananas—a unique crop that thrives thanks to the area’s warm and sheltered climate.

Our route follows the two old trails that once connected Arvi with Amiras and Agios Vasileios, one on each side of the Arvi Gorge.

We start from Arvi heading towards Pefkaras. Heading eastward and parallel to Mount Arvion (today known as Plevra), which forms Arvi’s natural windbreak, we approach and admire the northern entrance of the impressive Arvi Gorge.

We then reach the highlands of Lygia and pass by the church of Panagia Lygiotissa, which offers panoramic views stretching from the Asterousia Mountains to Gaidhouronisi (Chrissi Island). We continue to the site of martyrdom where the Nazis tortured and killed three young siblings because they refused to betray their father.

We then return towards the eastern summit of the gorge to admire it from above, along with Fortezza and the Sanctuary. Afterwards, following a trail, we descend from the mountain into the Arvi Valley and visit the Monastery of Agios Antonios, which is believed to have been built on the site of the Sanctuary of Arvios Zeus.

We also visit the exit of the gorge, known as Porofarango, where until the 1980s water flowed from both the riverbed and the gorge walls. Our route finishes in Arvi.

Payment should be made to the IBAN accounts of EOS Heraklion, and proof of payment should be sent to the Association’s email: info@eos-her.gr

Alpha Bank IBAN: GR76 0140 6610 6610 0233 0001 166
Piraeus Bank IBAN: GR05 0171 9120 0069 1215 4711 881

Leader: Stelios Barbagadakis • Hiking time: 6 hours • Difficulty level: 2 • Elevation gain: 460m

Departure time: 07:30 from the Archaeological Museum.

Information – Registrations: Monday to Friday, 20:00–22:00, at the offices of the Mountaineering Club, 53 Dikaiosynis Street, Heraklion, tel.: 2810227609, email: info@eos-her.gr