22 Niatos ? Askifou

De Niatos plateau in de regionale eenheid van Chania is an isolated region accessible by car or on foot. With the Witte Bergen on one side and the forest of Asfendou on the other, this is a stunning part of the E4 trail to explore. The path is often poorly marked so a lot of care should be taken. If you are driving from Chania, the distance is just over 60 km. and will take you through the dorp Askifou en omhoog naar de bergen.

Going from the village to the plateau has the added difficulty of the steep incline but the beautiful landscape views are worth the hard work. Thyme and oak trees complete the scenery and of course, plenty of goats can be seen grazing. The plateau of Niatos is found at an altitude of 1200 m. The path continues to the peak of the Witte Bergen (Lefka Ori) towards the peak of Kastro (2,218 m).

Van Askifou je kunt ook naar het zuiden gaan in de richting van Imbros kloof en kom terecht in het dorp Komitades. Als alternatief is er de "Askifou ? Impros ? Kallikratis" route naar het oosten en de verlaten nederzetting van Asfendou en Kallikratis plateau.

In the village of Askifou, it is worth stopping by the War Museum van Georgios Hatzidakis, a personal collection of Tweede Wereldoorlog weapons, and other personal items.

The E4 route from Niatos to Askifou

Van de plateau van Niatos, the path leading to Askifou begins at the north-eastern corner of the mountain shelter (1). We pass through a small slope and immediately descend to a low flat area, where a rectangular shepherd?s hut is situated among oaks.

From the stone hut, following a north-easterly direction, we reach the chapel of Agio Pnevma (2). A path which meanders down between the thick trees of the steep slope begins from the chapel. Here, the view towards the plateau of Askifou, especially in the evening hours, is magnificent. At some point, the distinct path crosses a dirt road. Here we continue to descend the slope and will soon see the first houses of the settlement of Ammoudari (3).