Kiliaris River is the second river in Crete. It starts from the village of Stylos and flows to the beach of Kiani Akti in Kalyves. It is 5 kilometers long and its name derives from the word “roll”. In antiquity, it was called Pyknos as its banks were full of dense bushes and trees.
The river’s waters come from two peaks of the White Mountains, from Barsamos to Korfi (1389m) and Mavri (2069m). It consists of four tributaries, Keramiotis, Anavreti, Mylavoulakas, and Madamas.
Along the river, there were three watermills and a mill in the area, Neo Chorio, operated by horses. From the springs in the village of Stylos, begins a path that crosses the dense vegetation and the watermill and ends at the Platanakia area. There is the sacred temple of St. John the Rigologist. The church was built in 1898, its courtyard is shaped with benches and tables and is surrounded by a dense grove of plane trees.
Until the river reaches the beach, it crosses the plain with beautiful orchards, dense vegetation with plane trees, reeds and aquatic plants. It is an important wetland for birds, turtles, amphibians, eels, and crabs. For those who love rafting, Kiliaris River is ideal.
