Geology: mountains, gorges & caves

Much of Crete is made of limestone, and that explains a lot of what you see: steep mountains, deep gorges and thousands of caves.

Rising mountains

Crete sits close to where the African plate slides under Europe. Over millions of years this pushed the island up out of the sea, which is why you can find sea fossils high in the mountains, and why earthquakes are part of life here.

Gorges

Rain and rivers slowly cut through the limestone and created hundreds of gorges. Samaria is the most famous, but Imbros, Agiofarago and Richtis are just as beautiful and much shorter.

Caves

Water dissolving the rock also made caves everywhere. Several are linked to myths, like the Dikteon cave where Zeus was said to be born, and the Idaean cave on Psiloritis. Some are open to visitors with paths and lights.

Plateaus

High, flat basins like the Lasithi plateau and Omalos formed where water collected between mountains. They are fertile and cool, perfect for farming in summer.