Exploring Zaros

As I was reading a post about Zaros on TA yesterday I was inspired to make a small trip to explore the area and meet with a friend of mine who lives there.

Zaros is a village of 2,215 inhabitants, in the new province of Heraklion.

The village is best known because of the bottled mineral water (natural or sparkling) named after the village which is available the last twenty years.

Zaros is located in the southern foothills of Mount Samari, a branch of Psiloritis.

The distance from Heraklion is around 45 km. It produces olive oil, dried grapes, citrus, vegetables and carob. The name of the village comes from the plural prefix Za and the verb flow (reo), and it means many waters flowing.
Near Zaros are 2 small places Vrondisi and Kurtes
Kurtes at an altitude of 390 meters, boast a Minoan settlement and
in Vrontisi there is a Monastery dating from the 14th century and it overlooks the plain of Messara and to Asterousia Mountains.
sights
Inside the village there are three churches. In the north part is the old church of St. Nicholas with frescoes. Today it is an Old monastery.
The artificial lake of Zaros or Votomos is located on the southern slopes of Psiloritis, 1 km north of Zaros.
The lake before 1987 was a small wetland . It took current form in 1987, when the Forest Service reconstructed the region and created an artificial lake where the waters of the spring are held.
The lake is fed by water from the source Votomos, an area overgrown with trees, with a trout farm . From the sources of the region three bottled water brands are produced: "Zaros" "Rouvas", and refreshments Miracle, with a production facility in the region.
Around the lake there are several cafes and restaurants where the specialties are trout and salmon reared in tanks next to the lake.
There is also a children's playground, spaces with benches and tables, where you can picnic. The walk around the lake is very short and the banks are drowned in vegetation and trees.
Finally,from the lake begins the path that leads through the gorge of Agios Nikolaos and ends after 5 km in the magnificent oak forest of Rouvas (2:30 hours).
Zariani (Zaros citizens) are known for their talent in Cretan cuisine and here one will find delicious mezedes like rusks with grated tomato and olive oil seasoned with oregano, baked bread, stafidolies (olives like raisins), fresh salads, Psiloritis feta cheese, traditional Cretan cheeses, omelette apaki (smoke pork in vinegar), different ways of cooked pork, vegetable pies, smoked trout, grilled trout, baked salmon, sturgeon barbecued, rabbit fried, sfougato with apaki Cretan smoked sausage, fried snails, snails, beans, black-eyed peas, lamb with askolymprous, bulbs, rabbit casserole, stuffed lamb with artichokes, rabbit with peppers and basil, chicken with sage, local pies with honey and a wide variety of sweets.
They have also a large variety of raki and wines included strong house wine!
Among others, in Zaros there is a regional clinic ,a kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, guest houses and banks. The namesake football team competes in a category of amateur local league of football union of Heraklion.
History
The water supply in the area was developed in ancient times. From Sterna, north of Zaros, supplied with water ancient Gortyna. There are remains of a Roman aqueduct.