Selakano-Lassithi e4 trail

We start just outside the Selakano settlement at 880m, and we walk first through the village and orchards and before we pass the last houses we enter the amazing and unique pine forest which will accompany us for the next 3 km, i.e. about an hour’s hike up to about 1200m altitude.

Then we pass through an area dominated by privies and maples until the location of Asfentami at 1630m. with the characteristic mitato (small shepherd’s stone-built house) with the spring and the water that runs normally throughout the summer even in the month of October.

Always on clearly visible now Ε4 path we descend slightly to Lakko Ambelitsas, a small so to speak plateau hidden by the surrounding mountains and then begins the last part of the ascent to the Avarsami pass at 1805m. A bit tiring this leg but you are rewarded when you reach the saddle.
Very close to the saddle and before you reach the highest point, there is a path in a northerly direction that will take us to Spathi peak (2148m), the highest peak in the Lassithi mountains in 1 hour. Shortly after the saddle (as we proceed towards the Limnakaros plateau) there is a junction with the path heading south which leads us to the peak of Afentis Christos with the small church at the top, at 2142m, the 2nd highest peak in the Lassithi mountains

Here you can take a break and then there is a continuous descent always with the E4 path to Lasithi Plateau: Xirokambia, Potamos, Petrades and finally Agios Pneima.

The route as a whole is all on the E4, full of impressive mountain views, views in all directions, we walk in all kinds of terrain and conditions.

The path up to the point where the pine zone area stops and the cedars begin is relatively easy with good signage and several E4 signs on the pines. From here on there are red points on rocks which are not always clearly visible and you need to be careful not to lose the path. The terrain is particularly rocky and vigilance is required at least until we reach Asfentami mitato.

The trail from Selakano to the saddle will take us about 4 to 4.5 hours. There is plenty of water in the settlement of Selakano and also in Asfentami.