{"id":8451,"date":"2019-12-17T18:23:18","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T18:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/?p=8451"},"modified":"2023-08-31T10:58:21","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T09:58:21","slug":"exploring-the-white-mountains-of-crete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vintagetravel.co.uk\/blog\/exploring-the-white-mountains-of-crete\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the White Mountains of Crete"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The diverse island of Crete has much to offer visitors. From\nancient historical ruins to beautiful beaches, pretty villages and incredible\nsunsets, this verdant island is a true marvel to explore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"920\" height=\"614\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vintagetravel.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7_-920x614.jpg\" alt=\"Exploring the White Mountains of Crete\" class=\"wp-image-8452\" style=\"object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vintagetravel.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7_-920x614.jpg 920w, https:\/\/www.vintagetravel.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7_-710x474.jpg 710w, https:\/\/www.vintagetravel.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7_-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.vintagetravel.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7_-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.vintagetravel.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7_.jpg 1002w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most spectacular parts of Crete is, undoubtedly, the White Mountains, which dominate the central-western side of the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mountains are made predominantly from limestone. Their name\nderives from their covering of snow during winter and spring. The mountains\u2019\nsnow carpeted peaks contrast majestically to the cobalt sky overhead and the\nemerald landscape at their feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Known locally as the \u2018Lefka Ori\u2019 or \u2018Madaras,\u2019 these mountains\nrise to over 8,000ft at the highest summit of Pachnes, which towers above a\nfurther 30 peaks, all of which break through the 6,500ft mark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The White Mountains really are a playground for those who yearn\nadventure, with deep gorges, abandoned villages, and high deserts scattered\nacross these beautifully diverse highlands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Around 50 gorges are carved into these mountains, the largest and\nmost famous of which is the Samaria Gorge. Being 15km in length and narrowing\nto just 4m in width at one point, with sheer rock faces soaring above up to\nalmost 1,000ft, the gorge presents a challenge to hikers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being easier to navigate, the Imbros Gorge is a popular canyon for\nfamilies to explore. The stunning Aradena Gorge ends at the beautiful Marmala\nbeach, while the Vrissi Gorge is lined with waterfalls tumbling into pretty\nmountain pools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Contrasting to these fertile gorges is a mountain desert, nestled\nwithin the White Mountain\u2019s highest peak of Pachnes. This unique mountain\ndesert resembles a surreal moonscape appearance and is the only desert of its\nkind to be found in the Northern Hemisphere. \n\nWith\ntheir great beauty and rare natural landscape, it\u2019s safe to say that the White\nMountains of Crete provide some of the most spectacular walks in Europe. \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The diverse island of Crete has much to offer visitors. From ancient historical ruins to beautiful beaches, pretty villages and incredible sunsets, this verdant island is a true marvel to explore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[774,2,35],"tags":[798,282,1230,573],"class_list":["post-8451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycling-abroad","category-eco-tourism","category-things-to-do-in-crete","tag-crete","tag-greek-island-holidays","tag-mountain-range","tag-things-to-see-in-crete"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Exploring the White Mountains of Crete - Vintage Travel - Blog Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The diverse island of Crete has much to offer visitors. 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