The plateau is located at an altitude of 1360m and is the highest in Crete. It was created by karst erosion and solidification of hollow sections.
To the east of Psiloritis, a large rift demarcated and submerged the area, resulting in more water accumulating and accelerating the dissolution of the Tripoli rocks and the platy limestones.
Today’s landscape is the result of both geological processes and human activity. A typical example is the cave of the Ideon Antron which was uncovered because of the rift and was used as a refuge and place of worship for centuries.
An activity that is still practised to date on the Nida plateau is stockbreeding. Mitata, the simple dry-stone buildings of the shepherds are witnesses of the pastoral culture, perfectly harmonised with the landscape.