The White Mountains, or Lefka Ori in Greek, occupy a good part of the centre of western Crete and are the main feature of the region. They are made of limestone and called White Mountains because they are covered in snow until late in the spring. Then in the summer, the sun reflected on the limestone summits makes them appear white as well. The highest summit is Pachnes (2453m) but there are over 30 summits that are higher than 2000m. The White Mountains also have about 50 gorges, the most famous being the gorge of Samaria.

Other characteristics of the white mountains are the high plateaux in the centre of the mountains. The best known is the plateau of Omalos which is a round plain surrounded by mountains, at an altitude of 1100m. The central and southern part of the White Mountains, lying at an altitude of 1800m and above, look almost like a moonscape. They are technically known as high desert and so are unique in the northern hemisphere. The White Mountains are so named because they are covered in deep snow until late spring. In the summer, the limestone rock glistens white in the sun.
On the South the mountains plunge steeply into the sea. It is the wildest and most beautiful area of Crete and one of the rare places in Europe where you can laze on a beach whilst looking at snow covered mountains. The area of the White Mountains is quite large and varied and offers walks of various levels of difficulty, all with great views. There are also good opportunities to observe rare birds of prey (various types of eagles, griffin vultures, bearded vultures) and sometimes kri-kris (Cretan wild goat)