The
Asterousia Mountains are a range in southern
Crete separating the
Messara Plain from the
Libyan Sea. Evidence of
ancient Cretan cultures have been found in excavations performed within sites contained in this range; moreover, one of the most significant
Minoan sites on Crete has been excavated at nearby
Phaistos to the north; apparently, the Phaistos palace was designed to permit views over the expansive
Messara Plain and the Asterousi Mountains. A further historical name for this range is reported by
Encyclopædia Britannica as the
Kofinos Range, named after the highest peak of Asteroussia, Kofinas (1231m).