Agiofarango:Scenic and picturesque

 
"Agiofarango" is located south of the Odigitria monastery, at the south of  Heraklion region,  and created by the beds of two streams that start in a north - northeast of "Gyalomonochoro" and the other northeast of Odigitria. The two streams are meeting near Agia Kiraki after following a relatively smooth path west and south of Church "Agia Kiriaki's porofarango" entering from where begins the main gorge, "Agiofarango" and end up in the Libyan Sea, which lies a small but beautiful beach . The longest route of the gorge rising right and left huge vertical cliffs where there are many caves. 
 
Agiofarango is very scenic and picturesque is still the fact that you can only pass on foot, and the place is isolated, wild and rugged. All these together with the fact that it is too far from populated areas did Agiofarango the first center ascetic life not only the region but the whole of Crete, from the earliest Christian times.  
 
Moreover, the very name of the site performs better than any description of the sacredness of the site. Going down the canyon and about 250 meters before reaching the beach is the church of St. Anthony (Agios Antonios) who was also the center of the asceticism of the area after him should be made all the rituals of Christian worship. The church of St. Anthony is believed to have been renovated three times to get its current form. First was a small church in a small cave in the rock, but as the years passed and the growing number of practitioners needed more church about it and grew. For the third and last renovated or grew during the 14th or 15th century and so maintained until today. It's excellent technical architecture and had toichografithei but because it was located near the sea, the murals were destroyed. Outside the church there is a well from which water is supplied to the ascetics it because there is no nearby source. South of the church on a small hill was plundered circular vaulted Minoan tomb indicates human presence from the Minoan era. Finally descending from the Church of St. Anthony to the sea on the left side and a short distance from the church is the "Goumenospilios."Sources: www.imodigitrias.gr, lexifilia.blogspot.gr