Monastiraki-Thripti-Kavousi

An awome hike in Eastern Crete along the E4 European Trail.

It’s 21 km long, it takes about 8 hours and the difference of altitude is about 1600 meters.

The route is along a dirt road and a clear, well-signed trail. Up to the small chapel of Agia Anna the way is mild up, then it becomes steeper. The way down is not difficult and offers a wonderful view to the Cretan sea.

The route can be cut down to 6 hours if you don’t ascend to the peak Estavromenos Christos at 1476 meters and you decide to stop at the small village of Thrypti, where there is a tavern.

Period: All year long.
Equipment: Daypack (approx. 25-35lt), trekking shoes, water bottle (at least 2lt of water during the summer), hat, sun cream, sun glasses and fleece jacket, windproof jacket if doing the hike during the winter.

Mesonas Gorge

An impressive gorge in eastern Crete, just half an hour away from Agios Nikolaos city.

With a view to the sea and the impressive Cha gorge (requires canyoning techinique to descent the gorge), the Mesonas gorge is a must hike in Eastern Crete.

Spathi Summit

The topology of the mountain range is rich with a lot of plateaus (Lassithi, Katharo, Omalos Viannou, Limnakaro), valleys and secondary peaks. Some important peaks are Spathi 2148m, Afentis Christos/Psari Madara 2141m, Lazaros 2085m, Madara 1783m etc. Large areas of the mountain are forested with pines (Pinus brutia), Kermes oaks (Quercus coccifera), cypresses (Cupressus sempervirens), Holm Oaks (Quercus ilex) and Cretan Maples (Acer sempervirens). The fertile valleys and plateaus of Dikti are of significant importance to the local economy.

Dominant feature of Dikti is the Lasithi Plateau, the largest and most picturesque plateau in Crete. It is a place with great history. Diktaion Antron, is located here, a cave where -according to the Mythology- Zeus was born. In a different myth, Dias (Zeus) was born in Idaion Antron in Mt Idi. A third myth is a compromise of the two, claiming that Zeus was born in Diktaion Antron but raised in Idaion.

The Lasithi Plateau is a nice place for pleasant excursions. Durring this hike the group will reach the highest summit of the mountain, Dikti at 2148 meters. One will be able to see both sides of Crete from the summit including the Aegean and Lybean sea as well! A superb hike.

Period: All year long. During the winter months you will need to have excellent self rescue skills on snow using your ice axe and crampons due to snow. Usually there is snow from late December to late March.
Difficulty: The Spathi hike is a demanding trek with a maximum of 8 hrs walk on rocky terrain.
Participants should be in very good physical condition. Experience is essential during the winter.
Equipment: Daypack (approx. 35-45lt), trekking shoes, fleece jacket, windproof jacket, water bottle (at least 2.5lt of water during the summer), hat, sun cream, sun glasses and ice axe/crampons if you choose this trek during the winter.