JEEP SAFARI

Mountain Range of Idi or Psiloritis
Adventure excursion with jeeps, accompanied by a well experienced guide will lead you to the Cretan mountainous regions with astonishing views.
We start in the morning around 9:00 h and the first hour we drive on an asphalt road so that all the drivers get to know the cars. Our first stop is Anogia, 740 meters up on the north face of Mount Psiloritis, a village with a powerfull and tragic history and the birthplace of the famous Greek singer Nikos Xylouris.
Enjoy a Greek coffee in Agios Georgios square, the atmosphere here is wonderful - hospitality and welcomes are surprising in their warmth. Excellent local cheeses and Raki are available to buy, at the shops in the square. You are more likely to see men wearing the Cretan baggy trousers tucked into their boots, heads decorated with nets, here than just about anywhere else. Also the small church of Agios Georgios is worth a visit if it is open. Anogia is also famous for its musical tradition; therefore you will visit the famous lyra player Georgios in his private museum.

The route continues along the peak of Psiloritis ( 2456 m ), only  20 km away  from Anogia we will arrive at  the Observatory of Skinakas at 1750 m altitude. Because of heavy thunderstorms, freezing rain and snow the observatory is closed regularly from middle of November until end of March, and for the visitors it is only open  four or five days each year . The view from this height is a lifetime experience; you may have a break for taking pictures.

An offroad leads us further on, through the Rouvas Gorge to the beautiful village of Zaros, famous since the ancient time for its water springs.
Here we will have the oportunity to have lunch – nice grilled fresh fish (trout )– from the local fisheries.
Don’t hesitate to take a walk around the lake which is really a delight for the eyes of the visitor with his exotic vegetation, the ducks and the small wood paths.

From here we will take the returnway to Rethymnon, through the valley of Amari, one of the most scenic regions in Crete, dotted with tiny village churches – some of them more than 700 years old –  and olive groves and vineyards. This upland region is surprisingly fertile, thanks to topsoil washed from the surrounding slopes, and in the Byzantine era was among the wealthiest regions in Crete.
And finally we will drive through Spili, an alpine village, nestled into the foothills of Mount Kedros with a dramatic cliff overlooking it .You will see many old stone built houses on small streets which lead to the square with a fountain of lions’ heads.

The tour is a unique experience, an itinerary of the history of this place, of its rich flora and fauna, and finally a great choice for your holidays.