Car Hire Crete: Exploring Crete
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Crete is an extremely mountainous isle
in comparison to other Greek islands and its character is defined
by an intimidating mountain range crossing the island from west to
east, formed by three different groups of mountains that total five
peaks. Any which way you look at it, if you want to explore these
mountains, you'll need to hire a car for a few days
These peaks are named the Dikti Mountains, the White Mountains, the Ida Range, Thripti and Kedros. With the tallest mountain in the Ida Range measuring just below 2.5 kilometres and Thripti the shortest at only 1.5 kilometres, there is clearly a lot of time that can be spent enjoying the mix of precarious terrain and tranquil views.
The Cretan diet – one of the features that Cretans pride themselves upon most – will forever be indebted to the mountain ranges of Crete due to the incredibly fertile plateaux that they have graced the island with. This fact alone helps to display the importance of these beautiful ranges.
The best known of these mountain ranges are the White Mountains, whose Greek name is Lefka Ori translating directly to the English. These mountains occupy most of central western Crete and create an imposing set-piece around which towns and cities are based.
They gained their name due to the snow that caps their peaks during the winter months and are open (to a limited height) to the public to traverse. Mount Ida, as well as being Crete’s tallest mountain, has important mythological significance and upon its slopes lies the cave in which Zeus was born. Children of all ages will love the exciting mountains before them and parents are sure to be humbled by the incredible size of the Cretan mountains.
These mountains are more than topographic wonders though and act as the shelters for a number of seldom seen animals and birds. The mountains close to the Samaria Gorge act as home to the elusive ‘kri-kri’ whilst an endangered species of vulture known as the ‘Lammergeier’ nest throughout the ranges. By attending a Cretan mountain tour holiday-makers stand a chance of glimpsing either of these rare creatures, a moment that will be hard to forget.
Getting up close to the Cretan mountains is a highly recommended experience for anyone spending time in Crete. However, many of the small roads surrounding these peaks are single-lane and used by local shepherds so extreme caution must be excercised.
These peaks are named the Dikti Mountains, the White Mountains, the Ida Range, Thripti and Kedros. With the tallest mountain in the Ida Range measuring just below 2.5 kilometres and Thripti the shortest at only 1.5 kilometres, there is clearly a lot of time that can be spent enjoying the mix of precarious terrain and tranquil views.
The Cretan diet – one of the features that Cretans pride themselves upon most – will forever be indebted to the mountain ranges of Crete due to the incredibly fertile plateaux that they have graced the island with. This fact alone helps to display the importance of these beautiful ranges.
The best known of these mountain ranges are the White Mountains, whose Greek name is Lefka Ori translating directly to the English. These mountains occupy most of central western Crete and create an imposing set-piece around which towns and cities are based.
They gained their name due to the snow that caps their peaks during the winter months and are open (to a limited height) to the public to traverse. Mount Ida, as well as being Crete’s tallest mountain, has important mythological significance and upon its slopes lies the cave in which Zeus was born. Children of all ages will love the exciting mountains before them and parents are sure to be humbled by the incredible size of the Cretan mountains.
These mountains are more than topographic wonders though and act as the shelters for a number of seldom seen animals and birds. The mountains close to the Samaria Gorge act as home to the elusive ‘kri-kri’ whilst an endangered species of vulture known as the ‘Lammergeier’ nest throughout the ranges. By attending a Cretan mountain tour holiday-makers stand a chance of glimpsing either of these rare creatures, a moment that will be hard to forget.
Getting up close to the Cretan mountains is a highly recommended experience for anyone spending time in Crete. However, many of the small roads surrounding these peaks are single-lane and used by local shepherds so extreme caution must be excercised.
