Tzermiado Village

Lasithi Plateau, Crete

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Tzermiado Village lies in the farming community of the Lasithi Plateau Οροπέδιο Λασιθίου  (Oropedio Lasithiou), 50 km from Agios Nikolaos in the east of Crete.

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About Tzermiado

Tzermiado - the plateau is a fertile plain 11 km by 6 km surrounded by mountains, with a mild climate ideal for cultivation, which has seen it inhabited by civilizations for centuries. The plateau supports agriculture, animal farming and some adventure tourism.

This plateau and its villages and caves can easily be reached from Heraklion with a drive of 55 km, perfect for a round trip for lunch from either Heraklion or Agios Nikolaos.

Τζερμιάδο lies on the slopes of Mt Selena, 12 km from the Dikti Cave, and close to the other villages of the plateau such as Agios Giorgios, Avrakontes and Kaminaki.

Touring in the area, visitors will find fresh vegetables of all kinds, and good tavernas with fresh produce, such as Kronio Cafe and Taverna Kourites.

The Kroustalenia Monastery is located near Agios Konstantinos, and close by is the Trapeza Cave, in which archaeologists have found artefacts from the pre-Minoan times. 

In these mountainous areas bird watchers will be looking out for Lammergeiers Gypaetus barbatus, Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrines, Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus and Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus. See more about the birds of Crete on our nature pages.

Plathiani Lagkada Wildlife Refuge is 9 km from the village, near the smaller village of Agios Charalambos.

At the entrance to Lasithi Plateau - arriving via northern road from the village of Krasi and Kera Kardiotissa Monastery. The 24 windmills stand in ruins on this saddle, sadly fallen into disuse.

Visitors also enjoy these mountains for rigorous nature walks, botanic and nature photography, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and touring, also for caving and for exploring the numerous historical sites.

The Dikti or Psychro Cave is said to have been the birthplace of God Zeus, however there is a cave on Psiloritis mountain in Crete which is also given that myth. 

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Videos...

Videos of Lasithi Plateau and the mountainous region of Dikti.

A video of climbing in the high Dikti mountains – showing the Ascent to the Church of Afentis Christos on the feast day of August from the Lasithi Plateau below, and the magnificent views of the mountains.

Below you will see plenty of the Lasithi Plateau and walking trails all around the village of Tzermiado, including the ancient site of Karfi.

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On the Map...

See the location of the village on the map of Crete below.

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A Backroads Journey

Visit Tzermiado on your own exploration of Crete using our mini-guide.

Crete Island Greece - Trip Ideas - this travel guide with contributions from Anastasi, Apostoli and Katia includes visits to archaeological sites, traditional Cretan cuisine at local tavernas, visits to historic sites, tiny mountain villages, country roads, isolated beaches, the only palm forest in Europe and again, provides route choices away from the madding crowd, to explore authentic Cretan life.

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Accommodation

Peaceful rural places where the slow pace of life rolls by, surrounded by farms, ringed by the Dikti Mountains, exploring local tavernas and hiking trails.

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Tavernas and Restaurants

In Tzermiado itself you are able to explore the best of paradosiaki traditional Cretan food:

• Cafe Kronio
• Zeus Garden

On Lasithi Plateau you can also find good fresh food:

In the nearby village of Krasi, sit in the courtyard under one of the biggest plane trees in Crete, to enjoy a Greek coffee in tranquility. This tree is so old that it has been preserved as a natural monument.

Images of Tzermiado...

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Hiking Trails

Hiking from Tzermiado - Exo Potami to Selena's Peak to Onisimos Plateau by the Agios Nikolaos Mountaineering Club, thanks to Andreas Loukakis

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Exploring Eastern Crete

The region in the east of Crete is called Lasithi or Λασίθι and holds some of the best-kept secrets of Crete, with so many peaks and pockets to explore. There are rocky mountains and gorges, forests to walk in and beautiful beaches to lie on, as well as the towns of Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra and Sitia.

Some other highlights of the region include:

• Dikti Mountains
• Elounda Village
• Spinalonga Island
• Richtis Gorge
  
• Chrissi Island
• Kritsa Village
• Zakros Gorge, Zakros Palace and Kato Zakros Beach
  
• Palekastro Village
• Vai Palm Forest and Beach
• 7 Beaches of Eastern Crete
  

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Getting Here

The easiest way to get here is to take a hire car and drive from the town of Heraklion on the island of Crete.

Information for car rental in Crete here...

To get here more independently, fly from Athens to Heraklion, hire a car and drive for about 1 hour on country roads for 50 km to Tzermiado.

Taking a more scenic route, drive via Knossos Palace, Archanes Village, Peza village and country roads with wineries, up to the plateau, a journey of about 75 km.

More information on flights and ferries to Crete below.

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