Upload your photos for Lefka Ori and share them with us! Press here.
Address:
Telephone:
Places near Lefka Ori
It was built in 1994. Christos Houliopoulos, the then president of the mountaineering club, led the building works and the shelter is named after him. It is worth mentioning that the greater part of the building materials had to be brought by helicopter to this location. It is about 6-7 hours hiking away from the Kallergi shelter, and from Rousies where the dirt road from Anopoli village ends, it is about 3 hours away. The shelter can accommodate 20 climbers.
The Aradena bridge (2 km before Agios Ioannis) is one of the highest in Europe. The road beyond Anopoli ends at Agios Ioannis; only hiking trails lead back to the coast. Although dead ends are always disappointing, the road from Hora Sfakion to Agios Ioannis is worth driving every kilometer—in both directions. At the end of the road from Chora Sfakion to Anopoli and Aradena lies the small village of Agios Ioannis. It has a beautiful church, Agia Panagia, with very old frescoes. Around are several impressively large caves.
Here is your opportunity to discover a real cretan village and another, more authentic side of Crete.
It is located on the edge of a plateau at an altitude of 800 m. On one side the towering summits of the White Mountains rise up, on the other side, steep 600 meters cliffs plunge into the Lybian Sea.
There is a walk from Agia Roumeli (Samaria Gorge) to Agios Ioannis This walk starts along the coast, passing by the almost deserted beach of Agios Pavlos, then climbs up through a pine forest on an ancient path to the village of Agios Ioannis. Splendid views and a chance to see bearded vultures if you are lucky.
At the location of "Atzines" at an altitude of 1500 m, in the foothills of the Lefka Ori Mountains, Chania Prefecture, close to the village of Melidoni in the district of Apokoronas, was discovered in 1990 - and fully explored by 1998 - the deepest cavern in Greece, the famous Gourgouthakas, 1208 meters (3965 feet) deep and 900 meters in length!
Initially discovered in the early nineties, Greek speleologists were the first to investigate the cave; a couple short years later a team of climbers triumphantly conquered it. The area around Gourgouthakas Cave is extremely beautiful and worth exploring on its own. Only those who are the most qualified and experienced climbers should consider this expedition.
Many experts often refer to West Crete as a "region of caverns". By the latest official account (1999), cavers recorded 1503 caves, only in the general region of Hania! Most of them, apart from their natural beauty, have a touch of historical flavor: In different times -some as early as the first inhabits of the island-they used to be religious and ceremony grounds. In more recent years, they were used as hideouts and partisan bases.
The oldest refuge or mountain shelter in the White mountains (Lefka Ori) is on the Volika peak at an altitude of 1450 meters on the western region of Crete, Chania Prefecture, above the village of Kambi Keramion and was built in 1958.
Drakoulaki Cave is located close to Agios Ioannis village at south Lefka Ori, Sfakia region, west Crete. A small opening at the root of a cliff leads to a whole different world in the bowels of the earth.
The sand, the stalagmite designs, the small transparent lakes and the absolute silence that prevails, create a memorable experience. The first 400 meters are compatible for everyone but from there, the descent can be done only by experienced cavers. The Drakoulaki Cave is located northeast of Agios Ioannis and the path leading there is about two and a half hours.
Login with
Facebook