Nida Plateau
The fertile Nida plateau is surrounded by the Ida Mountains. It is located at an altitude of 1400m, 60klm from Heraklion and 24klm from Anogia, the famous handicraft and cottage industry centre in Crete. During the winter Nida plateau is covered in snow but in the summer time thousands of goats and sheep are brought here to graze. Day long celebrations with music, food and drink are held when the flocks are taken to the plateau in spring and back down again in autumn. The most popular scenery of the landscape is “mitata”, vaulted stone huts that are used as shelters by the shepherds.
A path from Nida plateau leads to Ideon Andron cave, the cave where Zeus was brought up and further on to Psiloritis, the highest peak of Ida mountains. A little bit further the skiing centre of Psiloritis can be found.
