Things to do in Lasithi Plateau
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Dikteon Cave
Lasithi's major sight is the Dikteon Cave, just outside the village of Psyhro. Here, according to legend, Rhea hid the newborn Zeus from Cronos, his offspring-gobbling father.
The cave, also known as the Psyhro Cave, covers 2200 sq metres and features both stalactites and stalagmites. It was excavated in 1900 by the British archaeologist David Hogarth, who found numerous votives indicating it was a place of cult worship. These finds are housed in the Archaeological Museum in Iraklio.
The cave began to be used for cult worship in the Middle Minoan period and continued, though less intensely, up to the 1st century AD. An altar for offerings and sacrifices was in the upper se…
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Tzermiado
Tzermiado (dzer-mee-ah-do) is a sleepy town with dusty little streets lined with houses overgrown with vines and hanging plants. It's the largest and most important town on the Lasithi Plateau and has a fair amount of visitors from the tour buses going to the Dikteon Cave. A number of shops sell rugs and embroideries, although they're not of a particularly high quality. Of better quality are Lasithi's superior potatoes, which are celebrated in a three-day festival at the end of August in Tzermiado.
There is only one main road running through town that takes you past the town square, with a couple of ATMs and a post office.
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Psyhro
Psyhro (psi-hro)is the closest village to the Dikteon Cave. It has one main street with a few tavernas, and plenty of souvenir shops selling 'authentic' rugs and mats of largely non-Cretan origin. It is prettier than Tzermiado and makes for a better rest stop. Buses to Psyhro drop you at the end of the town where it's about a kilometre's walk uphill to the cave (the bus may take you all the way if lots of passengers are going there).
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Karfi
North of Tzermiado, perched on a dramatic rocky hill, is the Minoan settlement of Karfi, a crude refuge for Minoans fleeing the Dorians. You can drive the bulk of the way and walk for about 40 minutes up to the site. Otherwise it takes about two hours to do the 6km climb. Take plenty of water. Follow the signs to the Timios Stavros church (where you need to leave the car) to the well-marked path up to the ruins.
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Kourites
Some of the best Cretan cuisine around is served at Kourites, including vegetarian delights such as artichokes. Try some of the dishes cooked in the wood oven - the suckling pig with baked potatoes is delicious. There are simple rooms above the taverna with small balconies (single/double including breakfast around €25/around €35) and you can have free use of the bicycles.
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Lasinthos Eco Park
You cannot miss the signs in the region directing you to the massive Lasinthos Eco Park, just past Agios Georgios. This new complex, including the barn of a taverna, craft displays and a massive souvenir store, caters to tour buses. The workshops of traditional crafts are contrived and the 'farm' is rather light on.
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Kronios Cave
South just outside Tzermiado is the Kronios Cave, for which you need a torch (and preferably a guide - they tend to hang out waiting) to explore. From the signposted turnoff, you can drive to the end of the dirt path, from where you go up about 150 steps to the cave.
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Cycling
The plateau is a popular bike route, and on any given day you will be assailed by squadrons of helmet-clad cyclists. Enterprising cycle tour operators in Iraklio and Agios Nikolaos ferry bikes and cyclists to the plateau but you can also get bikes locally.
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Taverna Rea
Maria does the cooking at Taverna Rea on the main street of Agios Georgios, which rustles up excellent grilled local meats (her husband is the butcher) and good-value Cretan staples. They also rent out studios above the taverna (around €30).
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Agios Georgios
Agios Georgios (agh-ios ye-or-gios) is a tiny village on the southern side of the Lasithi Plateau and the most pleasant to stay in. If you have your own bicycle, you can base yourself here and explore the plateau at your leisure.
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folklore museum
Agios Georgios boasts an excellent folklore museum housed in the original home belonging to the Katsapakis family. Exhibits are spread over five rooms and include some intriguing personal photos of writer Nikos Kazantzakis.
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Petros Taverna
Former cave guardian Petros Zarvakis has opened Petros Taverna opposite the entrance to Dikteon Cave, serving Cretan food and grills. He also organises regular hikes up to Mt Dikti, camping out under the stars.
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Stavros
With its neat folksy interior and street-side tables, Stavros serves a good range of traditional home-style Cretan dishes. Most of the meat and produce is from the family farm.
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