Eastern Crete has dozens of enchanting and unknown destinations that "capture" every visitor, making him…
Orino
This is one of the most westerly vίllages of the Sitia District towards the border shared with the District of lerapetra. It is about 11 km inland from the main Sitia – lerapetra road, and is reached by a side-road that branches off at the church of Ayios Panteleimonos a little beyond Koutsouras. The village is up in the mountains at 640 m altitude and the name itself means «mountainous». It is a picturesque village with a magnificent view and rich vegetation. It is surrounded by a pine-tree forest and at the south of the village is the big Butterfly gorge. The local people contract the name to Orno, and it was listed thus in the 1583 Venetian census with 217 inhabitants.
Evans in his «Diary» mentioned the existence of ancient remains at both Lenika and Skafi. There is a location belonging to the village called Solomos, so perhaps a branch of the Solomos family lived here at one time; there are also the remains of an old tower which bore their name.
In the Early-Christian church of the Transfiguration (Metamorphoseos tou Sotiros), these used to be an inscription on the lintel – «Α General of Byzantium came here». The church of Agios Dimitrios, which also has frescoes, belongs to the 12th century AD.
In the village Orino there are old houses with walnut trees, bunches of grapes, flowers and fruit trees. In the summer a small river flows through the village and there are hiking trails to explore. For those who just want to make a short stop in the village, there is a kafenion where you can order a drink or a small bite to eat.
Orino Gorge
Orino is a picturesque village with a magnificent view and rich vegetation. It is surrounded by a pine-tree forest and at the south of the village is the big butterfly or Orino Gorge. The route starts at the sea end, just 1km west of the village of Koutsouras, where there is a small car park set amongst the pine trees.
Along the route, there are red marks or yellow signs indicating the path. At the end of the route, close to Orino village, there are some small springs and waterfalls, which do not have water during summer months. However, in winter (December-March), the hiking in the gorge gets quite difficult.
Additional Info
Location: Makrigialos Region – 16 km far from Koutsouras
Access: Aphalt road
Residents: 180 (2017)
Αltitude: 620m
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