Meskla lies 200 metres above sea level on a plateau of the Keritis River, 21 kilometres southwest of Chania. The village combines a striking landscape with cultural traces of various kinds. Two perspectives are therefore worth considering when planning your trip: water, rock and gorge on the one hand, and historic buildings and sacred art on the other.
Springs, Rock and Sarakina Gorge
The springs lie south of Meskla. The springs of the Keritis River are hidden among rocks and beneath evergreen plane trees. Sarakina Gorge is also hidden in the landscape around Meskla and difficult to find. The natural highlights are therefore springs in a rocky, tree-filled setting and a hard-to-find gorge.
In Sarakina Gorge, water has shaped the solid limestone rocks into a narrow passage over hundreds, possibly thousands, of years. The passage is 1 to 2 metres wide, 10 to 15 metres long and more than 10 metres high. The proportions are especially striking: the passage is much higher than it is wide.
Steps make walking easier along the trail through the gorge. The trail also includes carefully constructed wooden structures; small metal footbridges are found at some of the more difficult points. If you are planning a hike, check the current trail conditions in advance.
Walls, Fortress Remains and Churches
The area around Meskla contains Cyclopean walls, houses carved into the rock and ruins of a fortress dating from Classical Antiquity. “Cyclopean” describes a massive style of wall construction using large stone blocks; these walls differ in construction from the houses carved into the rock. The fortress ruins clearly link the history of the surrounding area to Classical Antiquity.
The Byzantine church of Sotiras Christ in Meskla has frescoes created by Theodoros and Michalis Venieris in 1403; many are in poor condition. The year provides a specific date for the paintings, setting them apart from the fortress remains of Classical Antiquity.
At the end of Meskla, the Church of the Conception of the Mother of God stands in front of a larger, newer church of the same name. The churches can therefore be distinguished by other features: Sotiras Christ by its frescoes, the artists’ names and the year 1403; the Church of the Conception of the Mother of God by its position in front of the larger, newer church of the same name.
When considering Meskla as a travel destination, you can focus on landscape and geology or on architectural and art history. The springs and gorge represent the first perspective; the archaeological traces and churches give the second its own character. The village thus offers a range of themes without needing to be reduced to a single attraction.
Discover more destinations: Vathi, Marediana, Faleliana, Drapanias, Kalathas, Ramni, Voulgaro, Vlacheronitissa
For the broader travel overview: Chania.
