Kapetaniana-Agia Ioannis Road
Kapetaniana-Agia Ioannis is the name of the sharply winding and precipitous ascent in a steep and narrow zig-zag road located in the southern Cretan Heraklion, in Greece. Drive with care as this is a mountain road with hairpin curves and dangerous dropoffs. The drive is very steep, with sections up to 15%.
This difficult route demands 100% concentration. It has humbled many egos. The road links Kapetaniana, a mountain village and Agia Ioannis, a small town. The drive is certainly breathtaking and it has a fearsome reputation. The road is gravel, rocky and bumpy. This road tests the skill, and courage, of any driver. It’s definitely not for anyone suffering from vertigo or a fear of landslides. One mistake and it's a free fall to your death. Expect 25 hairpin turns along the way. The surface on this gravel road is often loose, especially along the sides of the road.
The road, located within the Asterousia Mountains, can be closed anytime due to landslides. 4x4 recommended. There are sheer drops virtually along the entire route and enough hairpins to make a whirling dervish dizzy. This route is not recommended if your passengers are prone to car sickness. Don’t stuff your belly too much. Eventually, you might feel vomiting temptations while climbing circuitous roads at higher altitudes.
Careless drivers may fall to the cliff. The road is bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters (many hundreds of feet) unprotected by guardrails. This difficult and dangerous road is 7km long. The drive is very steep, with sections up to 15%. Starting from Agia Ioannis, at 37m above the sea level, the road is 7km long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 722m with an average gradient of 10.31%.
Pic: cyclingcreta