Trekking Psiloritis Summit

About this tour

Mount Ida, also known as Psiloritis is actually a chain of mountains the highest of which is Timios Stavros (Greek for Holy Cross). With an altitude of 2,456 m, Ida is the highest mountain on Crete. It has the highest topographic prominence in Greece. The wider area of Psiloritis is a Natural park founded in 2001, and a UNESCO Global Geopark. On its slopes lies the Idaean Cave (Greek: Ιδαίον Άντρο), in which, according to legend, Zeus, the king of the gods, was born.

The road trip from Heraklion to Lakkos Mygerou takes about an hour and a half. The same goes for the return. The hike starts from the north side of the mountain in the area called “Livadiotiko Aori” and follows a trail called “Strata tou Psiloriti” (Greek for: Psiloritis route), which starts from the plateau “Lakkos tou Mygerou” (altitude 1580m) and climbs to “Timios Stavros” (Greek for Holly Cross) which is located at the peak of Psiloritis mountain (altitude 2456m).

The small chapel at the top is built with simple mountain stones without any binding material keeping them together, which is the same technique that the local shepherds for centuries now use to make the stone structures called “mitata” (Mitato is a term meaning “shelter” or “lodging” in Greek). The view from the top of the island is unique towards all points of the horizon.