It is built on a fertile plain with ancient olive groves formed at the exit of the amazing Gorge of the Dead. It is the port of picturesque Ano Zakros with water sources and picturesque narrow alleys. The existence of abundant water in this arid thermal region of Crete was the main reason for habitation since antiquity, as evidenced by the numerous archaeological sites that have been located in the area, most important of all the Minoan palace in Kato Zakros.