Lassithi Plateau & Monastery of Kera

Join us for a special Lasithi Plateau Tour and discover one of the most peaceful and traditional parts of Crete. This half-day trip takes you through quiet villages, beautiful nature, and places full of history and legend. We begin our tour with a visit to the Monastery of Kera Kardiotissa. This is a calm and spiritual place where nuns live and care for the church. Inside, you can see old paintings on the walls (called frescoes) and a famous icon of the Virgin Mary, which many believe has special powers. The artwork here is from the 14th century and tells stories from Crete’s religious past. Next, we continue our Lasithi Plateau Tour and travel higher into the mountains. We reach the Lasithi Plateau, a wide and green area 850 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by the Dikti Mountains and has 18 small villages where people still live the traditional Cretan way. You will see the white windmills that were once used to bring water to the fields and the old Venetian ditches that helped with farming long ago. We then stop at the village of Psychro. This is where you’ll find the famous Dicteon Cave. According to Greek mythology, this is the place where Zeus, the king of the gods, was born. Inside the cave, you will see stunning rock shapes called stalactites and stalagmites. Psychro is also known for pottery. You will visit a workshop and watch how local people make beautiful ceramics by hand. (*If Dicteon Cave is closed for maintenance, the visit will be removed from the program, and the stay at other sites will be extended by approximately 15 minutes each.*) The last stop on our Lasithi Plateau Tour is Tzermiado. This is the biggest village on the plateau. It has lovely stone houses, quiet streets, and great views of the mountains. It’s a great place to relax and enjoy a tasty lunch in a local taverna before we head back.