The village of Askifou, built on a small plateau formed by the mountains of Kastro and Fanari on the West and the mountain range of "Choreftes", offers a magical view to the visitor. The view is incomparable when the plateau is covered with snow in the winter, and when is green in the spring. It is located at an altitude of 750 m, and it is 50 km from the city of Hania and 20 km from the village of Vryses. Its population is approximately 500 people. The small villages that constitute the community of Askifou are Kares, Ammoudari, Goni and Petres. The most touristically organised of them is Ammoudari with restaurants, gas station, and some rooms for rent. The name Askifou is probably derived from the ancient word "Skifos", meaning cup, because the plateau looks like a big cup. Most of the times in winter the plateau is covered with snow. In a house in Ammoudari there is the only fir-tree in Crete.

The main occupation of the inhabitants is sheep and goat raising and there are many cheese dairies where the visitor can buy some excellent cheese like athotiros and myzithra. During November, in many houses they produce the famous raki, the alcoholic liquor from grapes. Askifou plateau receives many visitors, especially the last years, mainly passengers on their way to and from Hora Sfakion , or hikers climbing in the nearby mountains. In the plateau there is a Post Office with exchange. There are some rooms for rent and some taverns where the visitor can enjoy the famous Sfakian specialities like the Sfakian pies (cheese pies with honey) and the delicious "siglina" (pork meat smoked with aromatic herbs).

Built on a small plateau, under the mountains Kastro and Fanari, the Askifou can offer the visitor a magical scenery. Especially in wintertime when the plateau is covered with snow or in springtime when is green-clad. In Askifou there is the largest cypress forest in Crete. 50 km away from Hania and 750 meters above sea level, the area has a population of 500 people. The name Askifou comes from the ancient word Skifos (which means cup), as an old peasant told us, because the plateau looks like that. From Askifou the visitor can enjoy a walk to the White Mountains. The distance from Ammoudari to the plateau of Tauris where a shelter is placed, is 7 km, and the walk through the path takes about 1,5 hours. Continuing for another 1 km. is the plateau of Niatos (altitude 1200 m) above which are the imposing mountain peaks of the White Mountains, Kastro (2218 m) and on the right Fanari (2190 m), which can be reached with a four hours climbing.