Travel to Katharo Plateau in Crete Greece! A beautiful excursion to make in the mountains of Crete and meet the tradition!
Our Summer vacation ended, but there are still in my mind, with so amazing memories! Once more we have visited my beloved birthplace Crete and more specifically Agios Nikolaos! But this time, we had the chance to travel around in Crete and having a few excursion and discover new places! Let’s start then with a visit to Katharo Plateau in Lassithi!
Sunday morning, a cold coffee and juice and we are ready to go! The weather is amazing and it is the greatest opportunity to have launch on the mountain! The Plateau of Katharo is located at an altitude of 1200 meters and it is almost 26km away from Agios Nikolaos and 12km away from Plateau of Lassithi. If you wish to visit it, the safest and fastest road to take is the one from Agios Nikolaos, via Kritsa village and it will take less than 40min.
In Katharo there are three taverns – cafes. The taverns open when the shepherds move their flocks up to the plateau on May and they stay open daily until the end of October when the flocks leave the plateau for the lower, warmer areas. During the winter they open only on weekends weather permitting, since it is not unusual to find a heavy snowfall especially during January, that will cover all buildings and at such times access to the Katharo plateau is not be possible. The taverns serve local products and tastes, like grilled or boiled meat of young goat or lamb, mizithra (a fresh, soft white cheese produced by the shepherds of Katharo) , tasty grilled meat, gamopilafo , the white rice that we serve mostly on the weddings and it is cooked along with boiled goat and of course mizithropites, meaning pies with mizithra cheese served with honey!
In August two celebrations are arranged at Katharo each year:
- on August 6, the celebration of the local church of Afentis Christos (Jesus Christ)
- on the first weekend after August 15, the celebration of the Shepherd.
Visitors gather under a large oak tree and they can admire an exhibition of traditional items used by the shepherds. Shepherds of the area make cheese, the visitors can watch the whole procedure and afterwards, they can taste the fresh mizithra. Meat is also boiled and lunch is served to the visitors, while a Cretan lyra player entertains them. It is a popular event, so if you in Crete on August, don’t miss this chance to enjoy such a celebration.
Being in Katharo , even for a few hours, is the perfect way to relax and clear your mind! Enjoy a greek coffee in Aveliako (the central of the plateau with the tavernas) and walk around to admire plants and flowers. If you are also a lover of the nature’s photography, then this is your place!
We were lucky to be visitors in my best friends house and the family was as always hospitable! They have prepared a great launch for us with boiled goat and rice and after that we had the chance to enjoy fresh fruits and more specificaly the small pears that you can find in katharo, called in greek Apidia! A good excursion has always a great end, so when you will start driving back to Kritsa and Agios Nikolaos, you will have the chance to admire a great view, especially during sunset! Really amazing!
mats mouts
10 Comments
Κρητικιά λοιπόν! Να κάτι που δεν γνώριζα! Η Κρήτη είναι ένα μέρος που θέλω πολύ να επισκεφτώ αλλά λόγω του ότι θέλω να την γυρίσω κι αυτό χρειάζεται μέρες όλο το αναβάλω! Καλή προσαρμογή τώρα που επέστρεψες!
Kathy
Γεννημα θρεμα! Η Κρήτη είναι υπέροχη και κάθε νομός έχει τις ομορφιές του! Θέλει όμως όντως, αρκετες μερες για να τη γυρισεις και φυσικα δε γίνεται σε ένα Καλοκαίρι. Στο εύχομαι να μπορέσεις να μας επισκεφτείς κάποια στιγμη 🙂
Φιλενάδα πόσο σε ζηλεύω να ήξερες μόνο. Αγαπαω Κρήτη και θεωρώ ότι όποιος είναι από εκει είναι πολύ τυχερός άνθρωπος.Η ομορφιά της Κρήτης είναι μοναδική. Υπέροχη βόλτα!
Ειμαι ειμαι και το ξαναλέω…είμαι! Να ζουσα και μόνιμα εκεί, θα ήταν ακόμα καλυτερα!
Σε ευχαριστω πολύ!
Ζίνα μου, αγαπώ την Κρήτη (μάνα Χανιώτισσα, γαρ). Τι υπέροχες φωτογραφίες! Πολλά φιλιά, φίλη μου.
συμπατριωτακι???? ελα! τελεια!!!!
Μας πήγες και εμάς μια όμορφη βόλτα! Καλή προσαρμογή στην καθημερινότητα!
ναι..το δευτερο…ακομα το παλευω! Χιλια ευχαριστω!
Το μόνο μέρος που δεν έχω πάει στην Κρήτη είναι η περιοχή του Αγ. Νικολάου! Απίστευτο, έτσι; Σ'ευχαριστώ για την… virtual ξενάγηση στα μέρη σου!
Ευχομαι να μπορέσεις να επισκεφτείς και τον τόπο μου κάποια στιμη…είναι υπέροχος!
Φιλακια