Crete - Psiloritis massif

Crete, the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, is located about 100 km south of the Peloponnese. Crete was the center of Europe's first advanced civilization, the Minoans, from 3000 to 1400 BC. The Minoan civilization was overrun by the Mycenaean civilization from mainland Greece. Crete was later ruled by Rome, then successively by the Byzantine Empire, the Byzantine Empire again, the Venetian Republic, and the Ottoman Empire. In 1898 Crete, whose people had for some time wanted to join the Greek state, achieved independence from the Ottomans, formally becoming the Cretan State. Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.

The highest peak in the massif is Psiloritis, at 2,456 metres. It is surrounded by four other peaks over 2,200 metres high: Agathias (2,424 metres), Stolistra (2,325 metres), Voulomenou (2,267 metres) and Koussakas (2,209 metres).