Crete Jeep Safari

A Crete jeep safari is an off-road day in open 4×4 vehicles across the mountains, plateaus and gorges of Crete. It is one of the Greece tours on Crete.

What is a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari is an off-road day spent in four-wheel-drive vehicles on the dirt tracks of Crete. The jeeps leave the smooth main roads behind. Instead, they head out onto rough ground and climb into the wild inland country of the island.

Crete is the biggest island in Greece and the fifth biggest in the Mediterranean Sea. It stretches 260 km from east to west. At its widest point the island measures 60 km, yet it narrows to just 12 km near Ierapetra. That long, narrow shape gives a Crete jeep safari plenty of ground to cover.

The landscape of Crete is mainly mountainous. A single high range spans the island from its west end to its east end. Six separate mountain groups join together to form this long range. That mountain backbone sets the scene for every Crete jeep safari. Its high slopes give each outing a rugged, open-air feel.

A dirt track is an unpaved road. It has no asphalt, concrete, brick or stone surface. A four-wheel drive, also called a 4×4, has two axles. Its drivetrain sends power to every wheel at the same time. That steady grip on all corners suits the bare earth of a Crete jeep safari.

• Island size: Crete covers 8,336 square kilometres, a large stretch of land for off-road trips.
• Coastline: The shore of Crete runs for 1,046 km around the whole island.
• 4×4 code: In the name 4×4, the first figure counts axle ends and the second counts powered ones.

A road network reaches the greater part of Crete. Even so, a jeep trip leaves that tarmac behind to explore the rougher ground beyond it. The day trades smooth comfort for bumpy tracks, wide mountain views and a real sense of adventure.

Which resorts does a Crete jeep safari pick up from?

A Crete jeep safari sets out from the resort towns where travellers stay. Heraklion airport serves four of these resorts: Malia, Hersonissos, Stalida and Sisi. Together these four towns form one clear group of bases. Travellers who fly into Heraklion reach all four from one airport.

Hersonissos sits roughly 25 kilometres to the east of Heraklion. The resort began as an old village with a small harbour. Tourism turned that harbour into the port town that stands there now. For a Crete jeep safari, Hersonissos gives travellers a coastal base within easy reach of Heraklion city.

Georgioupoli is a resort base between Chania and Rethymno. The town is 39 kilometres east of Chania and about 23 kilometres west of Rethymno. At Georgioupoli, the Almiros river forms a small harbour. Fishing boats and tourist boats both use this harbour. Travellers who stay here have Chania and Rethymno within reach by road.

Platanias lies about 10 kilometres west of Chania city. The resort stands on the shore of Chania Bay, with the sea at its door. The city stays a short ride away for travellers who stay here. A Crete jeep safari from Platanias suits travellers who want a bay-side base near Chania.

• East airport: Heraklion airport sits about 5 kilometres east of the main Heraklion city centre.
• West airport: On the Akrotiri peninsula, close to Souda Bay, sits Chania airport, 14 kilometres out of Chania.
• Long beach: Georgioupoli’s 9-kilometre beach draws visitors as the area’s main attraction.

Public transport also helps travellers reach a resort base. Buses run from Chania airport to Chania and to Rethymno. A traveller who lands there can ride into either city by bus. Each of these resorts makes a sound base for a Crete jeep safari.

What does a Crete jeep safari show on the Lasithi Plateau?

A Crete jeep safari to the Lasithi Plateau shows the largest plateau in Crete. This plateau is the main feature of Dikti. It lies about 70 km east of the city of Heraklion. Its floor sits at an average altitude of 840 metres above sea level.

From east to west, the plateau runs for 11 km. From north to south, it measures 6 km. So the land runs almost twice as long as it is wide. It forms one broad, level stretch of open ground. These two numbers give anyone planning a Crete jeep safari a sense of its scale.

The white-sailed windmills on the plateau are not mills at all. They are wind-pumps, built to a local design. Their job is to bring up water for the land. These pumps have watered the plateau since the 1920s. The sails catch the wind, and the wind powers each pump.

The ground seen on a Crete jeep safari carries marks of Venetian rule. Under the Venetians, villages were torn down and farming was banned. Locals were not allowed back, on pain of death. The Venetians also built a network of drainage ditches, the linies. Workers dug them between 1514 and 1560, and the ditches still serve today.

• Tzermiado: This village holds the seat of the municipality that covers the Lasithi Plateau.
• Agios Georgios: This village ranks as the second biggest on the Lasithi Plateau.
• Psychro Cave: Near Psychro village, this cave is reputedly where Zeus was born in Greek myth.

Around 10,000 of these wind-pumps once stood on the plateau. That is a huge count of pumps for a single plateau in Crete. The figure helps anyone on a Crete jeep safari picture the plateau as it looked in the past.

Which gorges line the route of a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari crosses an island cut by deep gorges. The White Mountains alone hold about 50 of them, and the Samaria Gorge is the best known. Other canyons lie further south and east across Crete, each with its own rock walls and views.

Imbros Gorge is an 11 km long canyon near Hora Sfakion in southern Crete. Its rock walls press close together in places. At the narrowest point, the gap measures only 1.60 metres. The canyon comes to an end at Kommitádes village. For anyone on a Crete jeep safari, Imbros is a name worth knowing.

At Kourtaliotiko Gorge, a road runs right through the rock. It heads north to south and links Koxare with Asomatos. This road lets a Crete jeep safari pass through the gorge itself. In the same gorge, the Kourtaliotiko River flows south. Its water runs between two mountains, named Kouroupa and Xiron.

Ha Gorge runs for about 1.5 km, yet its size is hard to miss. Rock walls climb as high as 300 metres. The gorge is about 1,000 metres deep. A fissure is a long, narrow crack in rock. The fissure at Ha is said to rank among the world’s largest.

• Ambas Gorge: This gorge lies about 50 kilometres south of Heraklion in the rugged Asterousia Mountains.
• Gorge of the Dead: Crete’s list of gorges includes this canyon, which lies at Kato Zakros.
• Richtis Gorge: Another name on the island’s list, this gorge lies at Exo Mouliana.

Kourtaliotiko Gorge holds two more sights worth a stop. One is a small church of Agios Nikolaos. The other is a waterfall that drops 40 metres. Both give a Crete jeep safari a reason to pause and step out of the jeep.

Which peaks rise above a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari runs below the island’s big mountain ranges. The tallest is Mount Ida, a massif also known as Psiloritis. At 2,456 metres, it is the highest mountain on Crete. Other high ranges stand beside it, each with its own shape and rock.

Pale peaks give the White Mountains their name. Limestone whitens the tops in summer, and snow covers them until late spring. The range is made mainly of limestone. Its shades run from light grey to bluish or even black. On a Crete jeep safari, these pale tops catch the eye.

Pachnes is the highest summit of the White Mountains, at 2,453 metres. Yet it is just one top among a big crowd of peaks. Over 30 of the range’s summits top 2,000 metres. For riders on a Crete jeep safari, the sheer number of tall tops sets the scene.

The Lefka Ori, or White Mountains, carry a second name: Madares. It comes from a Cretan word meaning bald, or bare of plants. Above 1,800 metres, the range’s central and southern heights look like a moon landscape. On a Crete jeep safari, these high tops form a stark backdrop.

• Dikti: Spathi is the highest point of the Dikti range, rising to 2,148 metres.
• Kedros: Mount Kedros, one of the mountain groups that cross Crete, reaches 1,777 metres.
• Asterousia: The Asterousia Mountains form part of the island’s high range and reach 1,231 metres.

Mount Ida also draws walkers. A branch of the E4 European walking route leads all the way to Timios Stavros, its summit. A Crete jeep safari keeps to the tracks lower down. The final climb to that peak belongs to hikers on foot.

What does the Nida Plateau add to a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari to the Nida Plateau adds a flat stretch of high ground to the route. The plateau lies at 1,400 m, in the gap between Mount Ida’s east and west peaks. It sits about 22 km from Anogeia.

The land on Nida is not farmed. Instead, the high plateau serves as grazing ground for flocks. Shepherds’ huts called mitata stand there. Each hut is made only of local stone. The mitata were built for shelter and for cheesemaking. For a Crete jeep safari, this means a landscape of pasture rather than crops.

Nida also holds a wartime story. Before the Battle of Crete, residents of Anogeia laid boulders on the plateau. Their goal was to stop German aircraft from landing there. The boulders turned the open land itself into a defence. A Crete jeep safari to Nida joins mountain scenery with this piece of island history.

The Idaean Cave opens on Mount Ida’s slopes. In legend, this very cave was the birthplace of the god Zeus. The cave’s main room measures 36 by 34 metres across. The room is also 17 metres high. Its legend and its size make the cave a key landmark on the mountain slopes.

• Location: Zominthos lies about 7.5 km west of Anogeia, on the path from Knossos to the Idaean Cave.
• Walls: At the Minoan building of Zominthos, walls up to 3 metres high still survive.
• Earthquake: The building was abandoned after a big earthquake around 1600 BC.

Finds from the Idaean Cave include bronze shields and bronze tripods. Other finds from the same cave are figurines, lamps, pottery and jewellery. With these objects in view, a Crete jeep safari on Mount Ida covers history as well as height.

Which caves hide in the hills of a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari rolls across a rocky island packed with caves under the ground. Crete holds 3,296 known karst features, and 2,908 of them are caves. Of those caves, 2,838 formed through nature, while the remaining 70 were made by human hands.

Sfendoni cave lies close to the village of Zoniana, in the Rethymno prefecture of Crete. On a Crete jeep safari through Rethymno, Zoniana marks the way to this cave. The name also shows up with the spelling Sfentoni. It counts as a major show cave of the Psiloritis geopark, with richly decorated chambers.

Melidoni cave holds a deeply sad story from the history of Crete. Between 1823 and 1824, the army of Hussein Bey laid siege to the cave. That siege ended when the army set a fire. The smoke killed everyone inside the cave. Those who died there deserve to be remembered with quiet respect.

The Kamares site has a strong link to ancient Cretan art. It gave its type name to Kamares ware, a pottery style of the First Palace Period. The pots carry abstract patterns in white, red and orange. Painters laid these bright colours over a black background. The dark base makes each pattern stand out clearly.

• Gerani cave: Six halls inside this cave display magnificent stalagmites rising from the floor.
• Skotino cave: This cave reaches 160 metres in depth and stretches 36 metres in width.
• Agia Sofia cave: This cave stands near Topolia, in the Chania prefecture of Crete.

Milatos cave opens through eight entrances, small and large, spread along 40 metres on three levels. Learning these cave names adds depth to a Crete jeep safari. Riders on a Crete jeep safari then see the rocky land as more than scenery.

Which villages welcome a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari opens the way to mountain villages with deep roots in island life. Anogeia is one clear example. It lies on the northern reaches of Psiloreitis, at an altitude of 700 to 790 metres. That height sets it well above the coast.

Anogeia carries a hard and proud history. In August 1944 the village was razed again. The attack came in reprisal for its people’s part in the resistance. The village also has a strong link to Cretan music. Singer, composer and lyra player Nikos Xylouris is listed among the notable people of Anogeia.

Zaros sits lower, at an altitude of 340 metres above the sea. A lake and a gorge lie close to the village. Zaros is also known for its bottled water. That water comes from Lake Votomos. For a Crete jeep safari, Zaros offers a village whose name is tied to its water.

Kritsa rises like an amphitheatre on Kastellos hill. Its houses climb the slope at 375 metres. Olive groves spread around the village and frame the view. The curve of the hill gives Kritsa a stepped, open look. Travellers on a Crete jeep safari find a village shaped by its hill.

• Kritsa crafts: The village keeps old Cretan customs alive and ranks among the leading centres of weaving art.
• Panagia Kera: This church, 1 km from Kritsa, holds the finest-preserved Byzantine frescoes in Crete.
• Archanes: Arthur Evans first called it palatial, judging it a possible summer palace of the Knossos kings.

Axos adds a deeper layer of the past. The village contains remains of the ancient city that shares its name. Together, these villages show mountain history, crafts, water and old ruins. Each one gives a Crete jeep safari a clear and lasting sense of place.

What wildlife lives along a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari crosses mountain country where wild goats, large birds of prey and small mammals live. One of them is the kri-kri, Crete’s own wild goat. Only about 2,000 kri-kri remain on Crete, and the species is rated vulnerable.

The kri-kri’s last strongholds are the White Mountains in western Crete. Its peaks reach 2,400 metres. On a Crete jeep safari in the west, this range fills the skyline. Binoculars help passengers scan the high slopes and ridges for movement. A sighting is a matter of luck, not a promise.

Crete’s mountains and gorges serve as refuges for the lammergeier, a vulture rated endangered. The island matters for a second vulture as well. No island in the world holds more griffon vultures than Crete. Anyone on a Crete jeep safari has good reason to watch the sky above the high ridges.

Not every animal in these mountains is large. The Crete spiny mouse has coarse, stiff hairs on its back and tail. The Cretan shrew lives on Crete and nowhere else. It has turned up on just three mountains so far. Spotting either one from a jeep takes sharp eyes and plenty of luck.

• Eagles: The island’s bird list includes both the golden eagle and Bonelli’s eagle.
• Cretan wildcat: Its status is unclear, as biologists class it as introduced, a European wildcat or a hybrid.
• Snakes: Crete has four snake species, and none of them is dangerous to humans.

Ancient Greeks gave Hercules the credit for Crete’s lack of large mammals. In their story, the island had no bears, wolves or jackals thanks to him. That old legend gives every Crete jeep safari a good tale to share on the mountain drive.

Which wild plants grow beside a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari crosses ground rich in wild plants. The island holds 1,600 plant species, and roughly one in ten of them is endemic. Endemic means these plants grow wild on Crete and nowhere else. Each bend in the track brings new leaves, scents and flowers.

Cretan dittany, Origanum dictamnus, is found growing wild nowhere but on Crete’s mountainsides and in its gorges. Gatherers once climbed steep rock faces high in the mountains to pick it. The climb put their lives at risk. Visitors on a Crete jeep safari can scan the gorge walls for it from the track.

The Cretan zelkova, or Zelkova abelicea, takes root on rocky mountain ground. It lives at heights between 850 and 1,800 metres, high above the sea. In the past, its tough wood was the top choice for the katsouna. This is the traditional Cretan shepherd’s crook, a hooked walking staff.

Large parts of the Dikti mountains are covered in forest. These woods hold three kinds of tree: pine, cypress and holm oak. The Selakano valley is one of the forested areas in the range. A Crete jeep safari in this part of the island trades bare rock for tall trees and shade.

• Spiny shrub: Sarcopoterium spinosum is one plant in the aromatic phrygana scrub of Crete.
• Wild thyme: The thyme Thymus capitatus also grows in this low, scented phrygana scrub.
• Rare herb: Ironwort, Sideritis syriaca, is a rare Cretan herb also known as malotira.

Anyone hunting for dittany on a Crete jeep safari has a simple clue. The plant is easy to spot by the soft, woolly hair on its stems and round leaves. This fine hair gives the whole herb a white-grey look against the stone.

Which south coast beaches end a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari heading south can finish at Preveli beach and its lagoon. Both sit beneath the monastery, at the point where the Kourtaliotiko gorge reaches the sea. Triopetra and Matala are two more south coast beaches for the final swim of the day.

A wide glade of Cretan date palms stands behind Preveli beach. The Latin name of this palm is Phoenix theophrasti. On the sand, a rock shaped like a heart catches the eye of visitors. Locals call it “The stone of lovers”. The palm glade and the rock set Preveli apart.

On 22 August 2010, a fire swept through the palm grove at Preveli. The flames burned a large part of the trees. Nature did the repair work, and the palms regrew without help. By 2011, the glade stood green again. A Crete jeep safari that ends at Preveli now reaches a grove that healed itself.

Akoumia, a village in southern Rethymno, is known for its two Triopetra beaches. The name Triopetra translates as “three stones”. Matala is the third beach choice to close a Crete jeep safari. The village sits 75 km south-west of Heraklion. It lies just north of Cape Lithinon, on the southern shore.

• Matala caves: People cut the caves in the cliff above Matala bay during the Neolithic Age.
• Hippie years: In the 1960s, hippies lived in the caves until the church and junta drove them out.
• Kommos site: The partly excavated Kommos site lies 5 km north of Matala, beside Kommos Beach.

The Kommos ruins stay closed to the public, but visitors can still see them from the beach. That means a swim there comes with a view of the past. For a Crete jeep safari, the south coast pairs sea and sand with history.

Which ancient sites lie near a Crete jeep safari route?

A Crete jeep safari crosses rough hills and valleys that hold old ruins from Crete’s distant past. Ancient Phaistos is one such place. It lay about 62 km south of Heraklion. The ancient site also stood roughly 5.6 km east of the Mediterranean Sea.

At Phaistos, the palace’s northern royal apartments looked out toward the peaks of Psiloritis. This mountain is also called Mount Ida. The northern side of the palace also held a basement space known as Room 101. In 1908, the Phaistos Disc was found in that same basement room.

Gortyn offers a different kind of history for anyone on a Crete jeep safari. The Gortyn Code was discovered in 1884. No older or fuller code of ancient Greek law is known. The city’s laws are cut into large stone slabs, written in the Dorian dialect. Visitors can still see the words plainly today.

Ancient Eleutherna sits at a height of 380 metres on the northwest foot of Mount Ida. The ruins lie about thirty kilometres south of Rethymnon. For a Crete jeep safari on Mount Ida, Eleutherna marks the lower slopes of the mountain, far below its high plateau.

• Hagia Triada: This Minoan site lies about 3 kilometres from the palace ruins at Phaistos.
• Lato: The ruins of this ancient city stand about 3 km from the village of Kritsa.
• Vathypetro: This archaeological site sits 4 km to the south of Archanes town.

At Vathypetro, a Minoan wine press and an olive-processing factory stand beside the houses. A kiln and a pottery workshop stand there as well. For a Crete jeep safari fan, these remains show farm and craft work beside the homes.

What Cretan food and drink does a Crete jeep safari taste?

A Crete jeep safari tastes an island food culture built on olive oil. In traditional Cretan cooking, olive oil supplied the main fat. Cooks used it in salads and in cooked dishes alike. Cheese, rusks, lamb and a strong local brandy complete the picture.

On a Crete jeep safari, the island drink to know is tsikoudia. This fragrant Cretan brandy is made from grape pomace. Its strength sits between 40% and 65% alcohol by volume. Cretan restaurants serve it chilled from the freezer. It arrives as a complimentary digestif after the meal.

Tsikoudia is a village product with its own season. A standard Cretan village has one or two licensed distillers. Their stills work through late October and into early November. A Crete jeep safari in those weeks crosses the island during the distilling season. Outside that window, the stills stand quiet.

Graviera of Crete is a cheese made from sheep’s milk. Cheesemakers then leave it to ripen before it reaches the table. In the EU, the name Graviera Kritis has the status of a protected designation of origin. Three gravieras hold that status, and the Cretan cheese is one of them.

• Dakos: This barley rusk gets a soak in water or olive oil, then a topping of tomatoes and feta or mizithra.
• Antikristo: Also called oftó, this lamb dish is listed among the specialities of Cretan cuisine.
• Raki: In eastern Crete, people informally use the name raki for tsikoudia.

The Cretan diet also has a place in scientific research. Studies in Crete and southern Italy looked at the benefits of this way of eating. The Seven Countries Study later confirmed those findings. A Crete jeep safari crosses one of the regions behind that research.

What protects the wild land crossed on a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari crosses wild land that sits under formal protection schemes across the island. One clear case is Psiloritis Natural Park. Since 2001, the park has belonged to the European Geoparks Network. That network, in turn, forms part of UNESCO’s own network.

The Psiloritis geopark spreads over an area of 1,159 square kilometres. It takes in two mountain ranges, the Psiloritis range and the Talaia Ori. The valleys around these ranges belong to the geopark too. A Crete jeep safari in this area is still on geopark land when it drops into the valleys.

On Crete’s south-west shore lies Samaria Gorge. National park status came to it in 1962. The main aim was to give the rare kri-kri a safe refuge. Today the gorge holds two protected titles at the same time. It is a national park, and it is also a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Strict bans apply inside Samaria National Park. Camping is not allowed anywhere in the park. Overnight stays are banned too, so no one spends the night inside the park. Lighting fires is strictly banned as well. These bans cover every visitor who enters the park, on any kind of trip.

• Sitia geopark: Sitia UNESCO Global Geopark lies on Crete’s easternmost edge and joined UNESCO Geoparks in 2015.
• Lefka Ori: Natura 2000 site GR4340008 protects the Lefka Ori and their coastal zone.
• Dikti: Natura 2000 site GR4320002 on Dikti covers the Lasithi Plateau, Katharo and Selena.

Tourism is the main local trade near Samaria. Even so, activities are restricted inside the national park itself. A Crete jeep safari is one part of the island’s wider tourism scene. It brings visitors close to wild land that stays under firm legal limits.

What weather does a Crete jeep safari meet in each season?

A Crete jeep safari around Chania meets a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. The summers there stay sunny and dry, while winters turn mild and rainy. Each season gives the off-road trip its own feel, from dry summer heat to cool, wet winter days.

Between April and October, clear skies are almost an everyday feature around Chania. That run of sunshine suits open jeeps and photo stops. The mean daily high at Chania Airport climbs from 14.0 °C in January to 30.5 °C in July. A July Crete jeep safari needs water, sun hats and shade breaks for riders.

Spring brings a different challenge for drivers. From March, heat waves can reach Chania on hot southerly winds known as Sirocco or Livas. These winds bring Saharan dust with them. Sunglasses and a light scarf over the mouth help riders in an open jeep on such days.

Rain shapes the winter side of the year. Chania Airport gets 126.4 mm of rain on average in January but only 1.4 mm in July. A winter Crete jeep safari therefore meets the wettest part of the year. Waterproof jackets, spare dry clothes and sturdy shoes make sense in the wet months.

• Mountain snow: Crete’s mountains get regular snowfall in the months from November to April.
• Lasithi Plateau: Winters here can be harsh, and snow can linger on the plateau until mid-spring.
• Nida Plateau: In winter, the plateau turns into a spot for downhill skiing.

Snow is rare down on Chania’s coast. Even so, 25–75 cm of snow fell over the wider region during a storm on 13 February 2004. A Crete jeep safari in the cold months works best with flexible dates and a fresh weather check.

What questions come up about a Crete jeep safari?

A Crete jeep safari raises clear questions about traffic, licences, four-wheel drive and long walking trails. Greek road signs follow general European rules on shape and colour. That shared rule covers every sign category along the island’s roads and mountain routes.

Which side of the road does traffic keep to on a Crete jeep safari?

Traffic on a Crete jeep safari keeps to the right side of the road. Europe drives on the right, with four exceptions: Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom. Greece is not one of them. The traffic-side rule also fixes the side a rear vehicle uses to overtake.

What driving licence rules apply to a Crete jeep safari driver?

Greece asks for a driving licence on every type of motorised vehicle, and a jeep is no exception. The minimum age for a car licence in Greece is 18 years. A licence from any EEA member state is recognised across the whole EEA. That holds while the licence stays valid.

How does four-wheel drive cope with the dirt tracks of a Crete jeep safari?

Low-range gears let a jeep drive much slower while the engine stays in its usable power band. These gears suit rough, unimproved roads and extreme moves such as rock crawling. Higher ground clearance helps too. It lets the car cross uneven ground without scraping obstacles or damaging the underbody.

What is the E4 path that runs through Crete jeep safari country?

The E4 is a European long-distance path that stretches over 10,000 kilometres. Its route continues by ferry from Gythio and then runs through Crete. In Greece, the clubs of the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing set up the path and maintain it.