Must see

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The most important sight in the Plateau is the Cavern of Psichros, or else the Cave of Zeus, or the Dikteon Andron, which is located next to the village Psichros. According to the Greek mythology and local tradition, this is where the father of the Olympian gods, Zeus, was born. Mythology also mentions that this is the cave where Zeus impregnated Europa, leading to the birth of Minoas. This cavern was a place of worship of the Dodekatheon, for many centuries. In the ante-chamber, you can see the foundations of the altar on which offerings and sacrifices were made. The cavern is nowadays quite organized and many tourists visit it daily. Inside, you can find impressive stalactites and stalagmites, while at the deeper part of the cavern, lies an amazing lake. The cave of Zeus is the sight you must not miss when you visit the plateau.

Another sight of the plateau is the Linies, the draining channels that the Venetians built to water the fields, which were up until that point, infertile. This way, the Venetians managed to convert the area to a gigantic productive garden, which even today provides the whole of Crete with excellent quality products.

Near the village of Agios Konstantinos and the proximate artificial lake-tank with the numerous goldfish, lies the commanding Canyon of Chavga that transfers the water of Plateau Katharo (located higher), to the fields. The fields are run through by Megalos Potamos, which ends up in a sinkhole, Chonos, on the opposite site of the Plateau, where all the water is poured in to the biggest river in Crete, Aposelemis. Chonos has water until spring-time, and you can see up-close the village Kato Metochi.

Next to the village of Agios Konstantinos, built on a green hill, is the historical monastery of Panagia Crystallenia, which played an important part in the Cretans’ revolutions, resulting in its destruction twice: in 1823 and 1867.

On the other side of the plateau, lies the monastery of Vidiani – Zoodochos Pigi (1841), which has been reconstructed, an old property of the Bidos family, where a small museum of natural history is set up. In Agios Georgios, you can visit the Folklife Museum and the Museum of Eleutherios Venizelos. It’s also worth taking a walk at the Plateau of Nisimos (over Jermiado) and to visit the Church of the Timios Stavros, or to walk up to the post-Minoan settlement of Karfi, at the top of an extremely tall rock called Ariadne’s Seat. From up there, the view of the northern coasts of Crete is amazing. Furthermore, other plateaus you can visit are the small plateau of Limnakaros near Agios Georgios, with the beautiful forest of walnut trees and the Temple of Agio Pneuma (Holy Spirit), and the Plateau of Katharo (easiest way to reach is from Kritsa), where paleontological evidence of elephants was found.

If you visit the Plateau during the summer, you will live up-close the “Festival of the Potatoe” in Jermiado, the “Festival of the Pumpkin” in Avraconte, the “Festival of Xefournia” in Kato Metochi etc. Furthermore, each year, the international road games “Dikteoi Agones” take place, where athletes from all over the world run around the Plateau (23km).

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