Central Crete is rich in archaeological sites and isolated rural areas like the fertile Lasithi plateau, resources of which which have been used throughout history and prehistory. Here we present some of Crete's best sites and another interesting walk you can take, the Lasithi Plateau loop.
Getting to Knossos
From Crete's capital, Heraklion, the Minoan palace of Knossos is a few kilometers away by bus number 2 (from the port or Plateia Eleftherios). Travel agencies offer day trips to Knossos as well. If you're driving, take the road to Archanes our of Heraklion. For detailed instructions and site description, see Knossos: Minoan Palace of Mystery.
Beware that the palace is quite ruined, and the "resoration" by Sir Arthur Evans in 1900 is a bit of a fantasy, but the sprawling complex is still fascinating.
Buy a combination ticket and visit the Museum in Heraklion to get an understanding of the material culture of the Minoans.
Phaistos - Palace of King Radamanthys
Phaistos is perhaps a more evocative set of palace ruins than Knossos, the hilltop setting certainly is. According to deTraci Regula:
It is associated in legend with King Radamanthys, who may have been the first "Minos" of legend, known for his wisdom, fairness, and prowess at sea. But even this may be a later overlay over another, earlier, civilization. Phaistos is also associated with some of the legends we usually assign to Knossos - Pasiphae and her encounter with the bull were said to have occurred on the plains near here, not at Knossos, where the countryside is not as favorable for the herding of cattle. An ancient quarry a few miles away has tunnels extending for miles, and until recently was marked as the site of the labyrinth on maps of Crete."~ Phaistos
What You'll See at Phaistos
You'll see two palaces, called the old and new palaces, built of ashlar blocks on different terraces. Inside are royal quarters, storerooms and workshops. There are also Minoan settlements on sites called Chalara and Aghia Photeini.
You can also visit Gortys, 17 km away from Phaistos, where it is said that Zeus made love to Europa under the plane tree. This is probably not allowed today, unless you're a god...
Phaistos is 62 km south of Heraklion. Regular public transportation is available from Iraklion and Rethimnon. Travel agencies in Heraklion also offer day trips.
Remains from Phaistos--the most famous called the Phaistós Disk--are found at the Heraklion museum.
The Lassithi Plateau
I was first attracted to the Lassithi Plateau after seeing pictures of an idylic landscape brimming with Greek cloth-sailed windmills powering irrigation pumps. Alas, there is electricity, and these windmills are no more, except for a few preserved ones for show. But the plateau is still worth visiting, and it's still agricultural, ringed by small villages alive with the Greek spirit--and an interesting cave.
The best way to reach the Lassithi Plateau by car is by the road from Neapoli, an interesting market town in itself. There are buses from Heraklion (lines), the bus that stops in Malia and Neapoli goes on to Agios Nikolaos (timetable with prices).
We enjoyed walking the ring road around the plateau, which is an oval trending east-west, 11 kilometers by 6, an area of 25 square kilometers that's quite recognizable in satellite photos. The walk is one of our favorite walks of Europe. There are 20 or so evocative and picturesque villages to visit.
On a winding path west of Phychro is Dikteon Andron, the cave where Zeus was said to have been born. (or rather Rhea hid baby Zeus from his father Cronos to get raised there by a nymph). If you go by yourself, bring a flashlight, candles, or a torch. People have used the cave as a place of worship though the ages.
More: Lively Lassithi
Mallia
Mallia is both a modern city with a big bar and nightlife scene and an ancient Minoan palace, said to have been ruled over by Sarpedon, one of the three sons of Zeus by his captured bride Europa. See: Mallia - Party Town on Crete.
