Tzermiado could be the first stop of your journey to the plateau; it is 49 km away from Agios Nikolaos. In this small town 850 m above sea level, the climate is wonderful and the view breathtaking. The settlement appears to have been established in the I 5th century.
The name probably comes from the surname of its first settlers, the Tzermiades family, possibly from the name Jeremiah. The village played an important role in the 1866 revolution, as in May 1 867 a great battle took place there, sport ween the revolutionary Chinstians and the Turks. However, excavations in the surrounding area have uncovered findings from the Neolithic, Middle and Post-Minoan and Roman eras. Specifically, Middle Minoan vessels were discovered inside the village, while Neolithic tombs were discovered in the cave at Skafdia. In Agia Anna, archaeologists found potshards from the post-Minoan, Roman and Hellenistic periods, as well as Roman coins.
On Kastello hill, east of the village, excavations brought to light Neolithic tombs and Minoan buildings. In fact, this hill is believed to be the acropolis of the pre-existing settlement. The most interesting finding, however, is the Trapeza Cave or Kronion, east of Tzermiado and 92 metres above the plain. This place must have been used as a graveyard in the pre-palatial period, and as a settlement in the Neolithic penod.
The cave is also important because of its natural decor of stalagmites and stalactites.The climb to Karf at I, 100 metres is also worthwhile; here you will see remains of a post-Minoan settlement and admire the extraordinary view of the plateau and the villages surrounding it, extending into the horizon, where the Cretan Sea meets the sky. On your return to the main village with its wonderful view, unsullied beauty, picturesque streets and hospitable highland inhabitants, have a rest and enjoy delicious food prepared with pure ingredients produced by the locals in their fields. Tzemniado is known throughout Crete, especially for its delicious potatoes.
Do not forget to order a potato dish so you can taste them. The area's other produce is no less delicious than the famous potatoes. One taste will show you why they are so undisputedly famous. In fact, after the potato harvest, the inhabitants of Tzermiado celebrate with a potato festival, with traditional music and dancing, and of course, potato dishes are offered to the guests in abundance.
Also bear in mind the important festival of Agios (Saint) loannis Mesokambitis on August 29-30, when the entire village and its surroundings participate in the celebrations, with songs, dancing and plenty of food and drink
Leaving beautiful Tzermiado behind you, you will pass through the Plateau's picturesque villages, built one after the other on the flat land of the plateau, among the high mountaintops.
Endless fields and scattered windmills with their white wings fluttering in the wind set the rhythm of this tranquil landscape. You will see animals grazing in the fields, and elderly black-clad and headscarved locals reaping their harvests with scythes, kneeling down to collect the fruits of their labours, watering their plants, riding their donkeys laden with the gifts of the land.
You will feel as if you have travelled back in time, and any children in your party will learn a practical lesson of life in the countryside, where technological achievements are used little to not at all. The pleasant route is enhanced by the climate, which is cool even in the summer months.