Lasithi Plateau and South Coast

Crete's high plateau paired with a quieter south-coast finish.

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Why this ride

Crete's high plateau paired with a quieter south-coast finish. The road: E75, EO90 and mountain roads. Distance and riding time are estimates from the checkpoints until the road is measured on this page.

Roadbook

1. Heraklion start

   Heraklion is the big, busy, slightly untidy capital of Crete, and it has never tried to be pretty. The old Venetian harbour still holds a fortress, the Koules, whose sea walls were built to keep out the Ottomans, and the long ramparts of the town, with their bastions, enclose a centre of narrow streets and small squares. On one of those bastions lies the grave of Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of Zorba the Greek, with a plain wooden cross and an epitaph that says he hoped for nothing, feared nothing, and was free.

   The great attraction is just south of the city. Knossos, the palace of the Minoan kings, was the heart of a civilisation that flourished on Crete about four thousand years ago, with frescoes of dolphins, bulls and young acrobats, and a tangle of rooms and corridors that may have inspired the legend of the labyrinth. The Archaeological Museum in the city holds the finest finds, and is well worth a visit, especially for the delicate gold jewellery and the famous snake goddess figurines.

   Heraklion has over 137,000 people, so fuel is plentiful. The city itself is chaotic, with heavy traffic, scooters and double-parked cars, and the best advice is to leave it quickly. The mountains lie within easy reach, with roads climbing through olive groves and villages to high plateaus and gorges, and the coast road to the east leads through resorts to quieter beaches. Cretan food is some of the best in Greece, with thick barley rusks topped with tomatoes and cheese, wild greens, snails and lamb, all washed down with raki.

   Summers are hot, and the wind can blow hard on the coast, so a spring or autumn ride is more comfortable. In the evening the harbour fills with strollers, and the old fortress glows in the last light. It is a good place to start a trip, with a coffee in hand and the mountains waiting on the horizon.

2. Lasithi Plateau stop

   The Lasithi Plateau is a high, flat bowl in the Dikti mountains of eastern Crete, a plain of roughly eight hundred metres above the sea, ringed by limestone peaks that can hold snow into spring. It is one of the few places on the island where the land is level enough to farm in big fields, and for generations it has been famous for potatoes, apples and pears. The plateau is also known for its windmills: once there were thousands of them, white-sailed pumps that lifted groundwater for irrigation, and a number still stand, though many sit idle now.

   Getting here is part of the point. From the north coast, around Mália and the busy resort strip, the road climbs in long, steady bends into the mountains, past villages, olive groves and then bare, rocky slopes, before reaching a rim where the plateau suddenly spreads out beneath you. The surface is generally decent, though patched, and the corners are fun at a moderate pace. Sheep and goats can appear in the road, and the occasional tour bus takes the full width on tight bends, so stay alert and keep to your side.

   Once on the plateau, the road circles the edge past small villages, and the pace slows. The nearest towns of any size are Mália and Ágios Nikólaos on the coast, so if you need fuel, fill up before you climb rather than hoping for a pump up here. Tavernas in the plateau villages serve simple Cretan food: grilled meat, local cheese, wild greens, and raki after the meal if the host insists. Mountain weather is cooler than the coast by several degrees, and cloud can settle on the rim, so bring a layer.

   The plateau is bound up with Cretan myth too. Nearby, the Diktaean Cave is said to be where Zeus was born and hidden from his father, and the cave attracts visitors in numbers, many walking up the steep path from the car park. Whatever you believe, it adds a layer of story to what is already a striking landscape. Spring brings blossom and green fields, autumn brings harvest, and the long evening light on the rim is memorable.

3. Psychro stop

   Psychro is a small village on the southern edge of the Lasithi Plateau, and it exists on the map for one reason: the cave above it. The Dikteon Cave, or Diktaean Cave, is a wide limestone grotto high on the mountain slope, and Cretan tradition makes it the birthplace of Zeus, hidden here by his mother Rhea so that Kronos could not swallow him as he had his other children. Archaeologists found offerings in the cave dating back to the Minoan era, so people were treating it as sacred long before the Greek gods acquired their tidy family tree.

   Visitors climb from the car park on a steep path, sometimes with a mule for hire in the old style, and then descend into a cavern with stalactites, damp stone steps and a cool, dripping stillness after the heat outside. It rewards a slow visit, and the walk is hard in motorcycle boots, so bring something lighter if you plan to go in. The village below is lined with tavernas and stalls selling honey, herbs and woven goods, a fairly touristy scene by midday, but pleasant at either end of the day.

   The ride itself is the plateau loop, a gentle road that circles the flat farmland at the foot of the mountains, with orchards, potato fields and the occasional white windmill. The bends are easy, but the surface is variable, and you share the road with tractors, tour coaches and the odd shepherd. Mália, on the north coast, and Ágios Nikólaos are the nearest towns of size, so fuel is best taken before climbing from either, and local shops here are better for water and a snack than for anything mechanical.

   The plateau is high, so even in summer evenings are cool, and in winter snow dusts the surrounding peaks. Spring is the finest time, when the almond and apple blossom contrasts with the grey rock above, and autumn, when the harvest is in and the light turns gold. Stop for a coffee and a plate of something local, listen for goat bells from the slopes, and give the cave a visit if your legs agree.

4. Ierapetra stop

   Ierapetra is the biggest town on Crete's south coast, with a population of around twelve thousand, and it likes to describe itself as the southernmost town in Europe. Whether or not that is strictly the case, it faces the Libyan Sea and has the dry, bright climate to match. It is a practical, working place, and that is part of its appeal: fuel, banks, bakeries and a seafront promenade with cafes where people spend a long time over one coffee.

   The town's history is layered. In the Roman period it was a significant city, and later the Venetians built a small fortress, Kales, at the harbour to protect against pirates and rivals. It still stands by the water, a simple square keep that is quietly impressive. Local tradition adds that Napoleon spent a night in a house in the old quarter on his way to Egypt, a story told with enough conviction that you may as well enjoy it. Wander the narrow streets near the harbour and you will find Ottoman-era features, a mosque minaret and a mix of old stone and whitewash.

   Around Ierapetra the landscape is unexpected. The coastal plain is covered in plastic greenhouses, where tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables are grown for markets across Europe, thanks to the sunshine and mild winters. It makes for a slightly unlovely ride at times, but it is an honest piece of Crete's economy. Offshore lies the island of Chrissi, or Gaidouronisi, a sandy islet with a rare natural forest of cedar that you can visit by boat in season.

   For riders, the town is a base for the south coast road and a sensible refuelling stop before heading along the coast toward Myrtos or up into the hills. The wind here can be strong and gusty, especially in summer when the meltemi blows, so keep a firm grip on the bars on exposed sections. Go in spring or autumn if you can, and choose a late lunch of grilled fish at the harbour before the evening promenade begins.

5. Myrtos stop

   Myrtos is a small village on Crete's south coast, squeezed between the sea and the mountains, with a long pebble beach and a handful of whitewashed houses leaning toward the water. It is a quieter, more intimate place than Ierapetra, which lies roughly fourteen kilometres to the east, and it is the kind of village where people sit outside and watch the coast road with polite curiosity. The hills behind are steep and dry, and the sea in front is a deep, clear blue.

   Its archaeology is far older than its tourism. On a hill near the village stands Fournou Korifi, an Early Minoan settlement dating to roughly the third millennium BC, one of the oldest known communities on the island. Excavation showed a tightly built complex of small rooms, and the finds, including storage jars and tools, say a great deal about daily life before the grand palaces. It is an undemonstrative site, but worth a look if you like to know what lies under the dry soil.

   The road along this coast is a mixture of calm and drama. The stretch between Ierapetra and Myrtos runs beside the sea past greenhouses and farm plots, then turns to climb and twist along the cliffs, with views over the water and drop-offs that remind you to concentrate. The surface is generally good, but sand and grit blow onto the tarmac, and the wind can arrive suddenly. Coaches and hired cars use this route, so be ready for slow-moving vehicles on bends.

   For practical stops, small tavernas on the front serve fresh fish, salad with local olive oil, and strong coffee, and the shops sell water and basics. Fuel is better arranged in Ierapetra, the nearest bigger town. Come in spring when wildflowers colour the hillsides, or in autumn when the sea is warm and the crowds have thinned. In midsummer it is hot enough that the best moment for the ride is early morning, followed by a long swim and a longer lunch.

6. Back to Heraklion finish

Where this sits

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