White Mountains

The White Mountains are the largest in Crete with 54 peaks reaching over 2,000 meters and another 38 up to 1,800 meters. They form one of the largest mountain ranges in the country. Over 60 kilometers long and 35 kilometers wide, they occupy ¼ of the area of the prefecture of Chania. The highest peak is Pachnes, at 2,453m., located on their southern side, very close to the Libyan Sea.

Their rock is limestone, which acts like a sponge and all the rain and meltwater flows into the ground. This way, huge underground sinkholes, and underground caverns have been created. The largest and deepest is Gurgouthakas with a depth of 1,208m, the deepest in Greece and the second deepest in the Balkans.

The White Mountains are among the most interesting mountains in Europe in terms of speleology.
The climate in summer is relatively dry without much heat at high altitudes but with little running water from natural springs. Nevertheless, walking in the summer is pleasant since the temperature will hardly exceed 25 degrees and at night the temperature drops significantly. The ideal time for walking is from May until the end of June and then from the beginning of September until the middle of November when the weather is relatively mild. But the heat is bothersome only at low altitudes.
The White Mountains have 36 gorges (the most famous is Samaria) and most of them are oriented from north to south and end at the Libyan Sea coast. Similar in length to Samaria but unorganized and more difficult are Elygia, Klados, and Trypiti.

From our lodge, you can enjoy the view of the White Mountains! Book your next adventure here.