church - Katharo

Katharo is a plateau on the east side of Dikti mountain on the island of Crete, in the prefecture of Lassithi. Administratively it belongs to the municipality of Aghios Nikolaos, (municipal division of Kritsa). 

It is 16 km from Kritsa (asphalt road) and 12 km from Mesa Lassithi (rough mountain road). It is 4km long, 1.5km wide and at an average altitude of 1150m above the sea level (300 m higher than Lassithi Plateau).

On the West of the Katharo are the peaks of Spathi (2148m) and Lazaros (2085m) and on the North East and East the peaks of Tsivi (1665m) and Platia Koryfi (1485m). The waters of the Plateau drain through the Havgas gorge into the much larger but lower Plateau of Lassithi, i.e. Katharo is part of river Aposelemis drainage area.Due to its altitude the plateau is not inhabited in winter while in summer it has about 500 inhabitants mainly shepherds and a few tavernas. Katharo has a special property status and is essentially community-owned. The fertile soil of the plateau is used for production of vegetables, potatoes and fruit (grapes, pears, apples).
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For those who love not only mountains and luxuriant vegetation, but also stark rock, a visit to the Plateau of Katharo should not be missed. Located sixteen kilometers west of Kritsa, at a height of 1.150 meters, the plateau of 60,000 stremma stretches out and here cereals,vegetables, vineyards and fruit-trees are cultivated.Flocks of thousands of local sheep and goats generate dairy products of the highest quality. Katharo is also interesting because of the paleontological discoveries of dwarf hippopotamus and elephant fossils. 

The village of Katharo Plateau

For those who love not only mountains and luxuriant vegetation, but also stark rock, a visit to the Plateau of Katharo should not be missed. Located sixteen kilometers west of Kritsa, at a height of 1.150 meters, the plateau of 60,000 stremma stretches out and here cereals,vegetables, vineyards and fruit-trees are cultivated.Flocks of thousands of local sheep and goats generate dairy products of the highest quality. Katharo is also interesting because of the paleontological discoveries of dwarf hippopotamus and elephant fossils.