EASTERN CRETE

C H A P T E R 5
Zakros and the Valley
of the Dead
From the top of
the sacred peak
of Traostalos
you can see the
grottoes that
mark the
entrance to the
Hochlakies
gorge
As one leaves the village of Palaekastro a
sign indicates the road for Zakros, one of the
great Minoan palaces of Crete. The land
between the two mountain chains that flank
the valley is fertile and is cultivated by the
farmers who live in the small traditional
villages of the area. Just past the houses of
Hochlakies a narrow gorge begins: the way
is almost blocked by
gigantic boulders
and a dense
vegetation, but at
the end it opens
suddenly onto a
great marshy
meadow with beds
of reeds which are
used for making
matting and baskets.
Further on, a lonely
beach of round
pebbles stretches
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