Doxaro – Vosakos folds geotrail
Geotrail virtual tour
Open the virtual tour of ‘Doxaro – Vosakos folds’ geotrail from here, or navigate through the map below to the vaious Points of Interest.
If you own a VR headset like Oculus Quest, or Pico Neo you can enter the tour in a VR mode by opening those tours in your headset browser and activate the VR.
Intro
The trail of Doxaro – Vosakos folds is an easy track to walk along earth roads and old trails that do not present any difficult sections or dangers.
The visitor of the trail ‘Doxaro – Vossakos folds’ wonders along an area than can be regarded as representative of the cretan landscape and culture, with an additional highlight, the impressive succession of the Vossakos folds. It is an easy walking track for all the family chich moves along dirt roads, old trails and light traffic, paved road leading to Vossakos monastery.
Vossakos monastery
Vossakos monastery
North slopes of Psiloritis from the road to Vossakos monastery
Small plateau near Vossakos monastery
Beginning of the trail
The track starts from point 1, the village of KamposDoxarou located in one of the most beautiful valleys of Crete, the Mylopotamos valley. This first part follows the paved road towards Vossakos monastery for some meters, until point 2, the info sign, from where we should turn left, on the path leading north staright to Doxaro village. After 250 meters we will come accross a juction with another earth road with a beautiful plane tree at the side of the road. This is the location to where we will end up if we follow the suggested path and close the path loop. The suggested route will take us north, following the left earth road towards Doxaro village.
South part of the trail
Walking along pretty orchards the tracker approaches first the old village of Doxaro. After 250 meters from the earth roads juction of point 3, passing a century plant (Agave americana), we will come accross a Sweet Prickly Pear point 4, from where we have to leave the earth road and head left on a path towards the start of the village. The old trail that may be hidden in dense vegetation is passing a lot of abandoned houses.
Doxaro village
At this point of the route we will pass through the old village of Doxaro, walking the old cobbled pavement, that connected in old times the nearby settlements and climbs along the green covered slopes if the hill. Here we can see many beautiful yards and abandoned old stone houses, however there are still several in good condition that are still inhabited. In condition is the church at the center of the village, the church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother at point 6.
Outside of Doxaro village
A few meters after the church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother, we need to turn slightly on the right in the cobbled paved path to cross olive groves and meet the road after about 200 meters.
Cement road
By turning right in the cement road will take us to higher, above Doxaro village and after a short walk we will get to point 8 from where we will have a beautiful view towards the villages of Doxaro and Kampos Doxarou and the north slopes of Psiloritis mountain.
Threshing yards
Just after point 8 we can cross the fields and walk through point 9, where in a short distance we can find many stone structures, characteristic of the cretan landscape. There are threshing yards, stone fences and stone shepherd houses also known as mitata.
After the threshing yards
After the threshing yards we will walk through old olive groves in nicely arranged terraces and many wild wild flowers of Crete depending of the season (Geranium sp, Orchis sp., Ranunculus sp., Anthemis chia). Vegetation is getting ledd as the track approaches the hill top, and bare rocks become more prominent.
Folds and marble quarry
As we ascend further the vegetation will switch from the trees to low bushes with the rocks being more prominent. The typical platy marble of Crete crops along the slopes and road cuts, exposing sponfe fossils and angular folds in several locations. White marbles appear in the old quarry in point 15 where calcite crystals can be also found in point 15.
Vossakos folds
After the marble quarry we will reach the paved road that leads to Vossakos monastery and we have to turn right, on the way to return to the starting point of the route. The intense earth forces that created millions of years ago the mountains of Crete unveil their strength in the marvelous section of Vossakos folds, that can be especially apparent in point 16 along the paved road. The intercalations of the grey marble and white silica layers offer a spectacular view in the variable, angular, tight or open folding of the platy marble.
Paved road after the folds
More folds can be seen at the side of the road in point 17 and in point 18. After a short while the vegetation change because of the lithology change point 19 is visible again. A few meters more and we have to turn right to leave the paved road for the earth road that will take us back to the juction of point 3
End of the route
To the way back to Kampos Doxarou village from the earth road will take us through tall plane trees, erica and many other wild flowers.
Plan your visit
Before visiting Psiloritis check the interactive map for destinations and services.
