High on the northern flank of Psiloritis, the mountain the ancients called Ida, the road from Anogeia climbs onto a stony plateau, and at around 1,200 metres you come upon a Minoan building standing alone among the scrub and grazing goats. This is Zominthos, a large Bronze Age complex that excavations have shown to be more than a mountain shelter: it had dozens of rooms, workshops and storage spaces, and it sat on the ancient route toward the sacred Idaean Cave, where myth says Zeus was raised. In 2025 it was included with Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and others among the Minoan Palatial Centres listed by UNESCO, which gives you an idea of its importance.
Anogeia, a few kilometres below, is a village with a fierce reputation. During the Second World War it supported the resistance and was implicated in the 1944 abduction of the German commander General Kreipe, and in reprisal the occupying forces destroyed the village and killed many of its men. It was rebuilt and remains proudly Cretan, known for its music, especially the lyra, its woven textiles and its shepherding tradition. The local food is mountain food: lamb, goat, graviera cheese and thick yoghurt, with raki to finish.
The ride up is the reason most bikers come. From Anogeia the road winds steadily upward through rocky hillsides with long, flowing bends and wide views back toward the north coast, then crosses the plateau toward the Nida basin beneath the summit of Psiloritis. The surface is generally decent but can be broken in places, with gravel, fallen stones and the occasional goat or sheep standing exactly where you want to be. Wind on the plateau can be strong and cold even in summer, and snow closes the upper road in winter. Late afternoon light here is extraordinary, turning the limestone gold.
For fuel, rely on Anogeia or the larger villages and towns below; nothing is available on the plateau, and Gazi near Heraklion is the nearest sizeable town. Anogeia has tavernas and cafés where the old men play tavli and the coffee is strong. Bring water up the mountain, park near the site, and walk around the excavated rooms, imagining Minoan pilgrims pausing here on their way to the cave. Then continue to the Nida plateau if the weather allows, because the view of the summit from there is worth every curve.