Archaeological sites Hidden gem

Karfi

Lasithi Plateau, Lasithi · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

A Minoan refuge town high above the Lasithi plateau.

Karfi is a rocky peak at about 1,100 m on the northern edge of the Lasithi plateau, above the village of Tzermiado. Around 1100 BC, after the collapse of the Minoan palaces, people fled here and built a mountain town that was hard to reach and easy to defend.

Archaeologists found houses, a shrine and clay figures of goddesses with raised arms, now in the Heraklion museum. The path from the Nisimos plateau above Tzermiado takes about an hour, and from the top you can see the plateau, the north coast and the islands on a clear day.

The Lasithi plateau lies at about 850 m in the Dikti mountains, a flat, fertile plain surrounded by peaks and ringed by around 20 villages. It was once famous for its thousands of white-sailed windmills. The area is home to the Dikteon cave, where Zeus is said to have been born, and to monasteries such as Kroustallenia and Vidiani. It's cool in summer and snowy in winter, and the village tavernas serve hearty food made with local potatoes, apples and cheese.

Around Lasithi Plateau

Nearest town: Malia, about 11 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 42 km by road

Lasithi, the eastern end of Crete, is quieter and greener than you might expect. Agios Nikolaos wraps around a small lake and a lively harbour, with cafés on the water and beaches within walking distance. Just north, Elounda and Plaka look across to the fortress island of Spinalonga, one of the most moving places on the island. More about Lasithi