DK Travel : Crete : The Amari Valley and Mt Idi

The Amari Valley and Mt Idi

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The remote Amari Valley, overlooked by the summit of Mt Idi, is 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. A heartland of the Cretan resistance struggle in World War II, many of its villages were destroyed by the Germans in retaliation for attacks by Cretan guerrillas.

Panagia at Thronas

Top 10 Sights

1. Mt Idi (Psiloritis) Summit

1. Mt Idi (Psiloritis) Summit

Towering above the remote valley, the 2,456-m (8,060-ft) peak of Mt Idi, also called Ida and Psiloritis, is the highest mountain in Crete. Marked walking trails (see Climbing Mt Idi) lead to the summit from the Nida Plateau, 23 km (14 miles) by road from Anogeia village.
2. Idaian Cave

According to Greek myth, Zeus, chief of the Olympian gods, was raised in this enormous cavern, 20 minutes’ walk from the Nida Plateau. In ancient times this was a place of pilgrimage. Artifacts such as bronze shields, which were left as offerings to Zeus in the 8th century BC, are in the Irakleio Archaeological Museum. The cavern is open daily.
3. Amari Village

3. Amari Village

A Venetian clocktower on the main square is one of the older buildings in the valley. Just outside the village, some of Crete’s oldest Christian frescoes, dated 1225, are in Agia Anna church.
4. Kamares Cave

This cave, where remarkable Minoan pottery known as Kamares ware was discovered, is a four-hour trek from Kamares village. This sacred site was dedicated to the goddess Eileithyia.
5. Hromonastiri

The church of Agios Eftihios, at the village of Hromonastiri, contains faded frescoes, dating from the 11th century, which may be the oldest of their kind in Crete.
6. The Memorial to Peace

6. The Memorial to Peace

German artist Karen Raeck’s work, to the north of the Nida Plateau, is a winged figure outlined in huge natural stone boulders .
7. Thronos

The 14th-century church of the Panagia at Thronos contains striking frescoes and traces of mosaics from an earlier basilica. Nearby are the ruins of a Hellenistic city.
8. Moni Asomaton

8. Moni Asomaton

The monastery of Asomaton, built in the Venetian era, is now deserted and spooky. It stands in a fertile oasis of plane trees, palms and eucalyptus.
9. Agios Ioannis Theologos

The church of St John the Divine, built in the 13th century, stands by the road just north of Kardaki village. The fine frescoes were painted in 1347.
10. Fourfouras

A pretty village set in stunning mountain scenery, Fourfouras is one of the jumping-off spots for the ascent of Mt Idi and some of the less challenging hikes on the Psiloritis massif.

Practical Information

Amari is the best base for exploring the valley and surrounding mountains on foot. There are several tavernas, rooms to rent and a post office where you can change money. Guided fossil-hunting and herb-gathering walks around the Amari Valley are organized by Lamvros Papoutsakis in Thronos village (28330 22760). Greek National Tourism Organization, Eleftheriou Venizelou, Rethymno 28310 29148