Lassithi Plateau and Psychro Cave

It is famous for its rich agricultural production, windmills and historic caves, but most of all, its autonomy and amazing tranquility are surprising guests and visitors of the eastern part of Crete.

Lassithi Plateau is one of the most interesting parts of eastern Crete, formed by the Dikti mountain range revealing a world in itself. Quiet and with slow mountainous rhythms, the Plateau stands out from the rest - more touristic and cosmopolitan – Lassithi prefecture. With an average altitude of 850 m, is located west of Lassithi, near the border with the prefecture of Heraklion.

The heart of the Plateau beats in the crops and the famous windmills. Nevertheless, the Plateau has its villages, which are built in a circle, at very close distances from each other: Tzermiado, Avrakontes, Lagou, Agios Georgios, Psychro and Mesa Lassithi are some of its most famous settlements.

In the Plateau, it is worth wandering from village to village and sitting in one of the cafes you will find on your way (such as the traditional Tsamandoura cafe in Mesa Lassithi or the Zorbas cafe in Tzermiado) for Greek coffee, mezedaki and tsikoudia.

You will find restaurants in Argoulias, in Lassinthos and of course in Diktaio Andro, where there is a lot of tourist traffic - one of them is the Petros tavern. In Agios Georgios, there is a very well-built neighborhood of four museums (Folklore, Ecclesiastical, Neoclassical, Eleftherios Venizelos), which gives color and life to the village.

If you like visits to church sites, the Monastery of Panagia Kroustallenias (between Agios Konstantinos and Mesa Lassithi) and the Monastery of Vidiani (between Pinakiano and Kato Metochi) are definitely worth a visit.

Dikteon Andro Cave and Psychro are linked to the most important story of the Cretan mythology; the birth of Zeus, but also the conception of Minos King. To this day, the legend remains alive and the number of visitors to the cave, located above the village of Psychro in the Lassithi Plateau, exceeds 200 thousand visitors a year.

The cave of Psychro is one of the most important cult places of Minoan Crete, a place of ancient worship, and one of the most important and imposing caves in Greece. The cave has an area of 2,200 m and in its interior, there is a rich decoration of stalactites, stalagmites and a beautiful lake.