Mountains

Dermatos is located 64km southeast of Heraklion and 4km east of Tsoutsouras. It is formed in a small valley on the western banks of the river Anapodaris. Traces of a Minoan settlement have been found in the area.

About 1km east of Chrysostomos settlement we meet the amazing beaches of Maha. The first beach is rocky and is mainly used as harbor. It is unorganized but there are some rooms and a tavern nearby, from where a dirt road leads to the beach.

Mountain Desert is probably the most beautiful and the most mysterious landscape that one can encounter in Greece, a unique phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere. The Mountain Desert is the area above 2000m altitude in the heart of the White Mountains, where dozens of cone-like peaks called Soros (Piles) are found. The highest peak is Pachnes (2453m).

The cave Trapeza, also known as Kronion Cave, is located between the village Marmaketo and Tzermiado, in Lassithi Plateau, at an altitude of 860m. It’s located near the secondary road that connects Marmaketo with Tzermiado School. There are signs leading to the cave both in Tzermiado and Marmaketo. A path with steps, hidden in trees, leads to the cave after ascending for 5'. The entrance to the cave is quite indiscernible and the view to Lassithi plateau from there is magnificent.

Nearby the lush green and full of water springs Orino village we meet one of the most steep rivers of Crete. Its springs are located high on the plateau Abelia on the slopes of Thripti and Papouri mounts. They shortly form a river which crosses the village square and enters the rugged canyon of Orino.

The gorge of Trypiti is formed at the range Asterousia, to the south of the village Vassiliki. The length of the canyon reaches 4 km and a beautiful pebble beach is formed at its exit. The beach is reached though a dirt road that runs high along the eastern side of the canyon for several kilometers before reaching its riverbed, just before the exit to the sea.

The shelter Kallergis is located at an altitude of 1680m, 5km (1:30 hour walk along a dirt road) east of the Plateau Omalos and is the most popular shelter of Crete. It is built on a amazing site with breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks and the seas of both North and South Crete. The place is very important because from here one can continue climbing to the peaks Psari, Mavri and Melidaou or to cross the White Mountains by walking to the other shelter at Svourichti.

Tzanis Cave or Katavothra or Chonos, is located in Omalos Plateau in Chania. It reaches a length of 2500m and a depth of 280m. The cave has raised the interest of foreign tourists since 1865. Since 1961 caver groups of different nationalities explore the cave. Tzanis is accessible, but is not organized for tourists.