Karfi - Lassithi Plateau
80 minutes up, 3.5km 350 m ascent
A walk up to the post-Minoan settlement of Karfi. See the Rough
Guide to Crete for details. The Rough Guide gives an alternative
route to get to Karfi. from the East.
Start at a map (above) (N35 12.201 E25 28.728) by the side of
the road between Lagou (Λαγού) and
Tzermiado (Τζερμιάδο)
and follow the trail NW which soon climbs up through a gate (N35
12.329 E25 28.553). The cobbled trail leads up round the West side
of the hill.
At one point blue arrows indicate a side turn, but this is not
apparent, and should be ignored. Continue to a clear, signed
junction (N35 12.449 E25 28.176 ) and turn right. Here you begin to
see views North beyond the Lassithi plateau, in the direction of
Krasi and the sea. Continue down below ruins of windmills (below)
through a gate (N35 12.729 E25 27.968).
The track becomes a path and heads up to the NorthEast, through
one switchback and finally coming to signs for the Archaeological
site at a spring with Inscriptions on marble blocks (below). (N35
12.729 E25 27.968).
Continue NE up to the ridge where you can actually find
the ruins of the post-Minoan settlement of Karfi
(Καρφί- below)
(N35 13.060 E25 28.233). A signpost on the ridge top
indicates that a path ascends the ridge from the East (as does the
Rough Guide), but I did not follow it.
All pages and photographs copyright © Andrew Senior 2005
Not to be reproduced or published without permission.