We welcome you daily from 09:00.

Admission:
Visitors over 12 years old: €8
Children 6–12 years: €4
Children under 6: Free (with adult companion)

Last entrance to the garden: 2 hours before sunset
Local cuisine served in our restaurant until 18:00.
THE GARDEN AND THE RESTAURANT ARE CLOSED

Thank you very much.
We will be ready to welcome
you again by March 13 of 2025.
How to come
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Biodiversity of Crete

Crete is in and of itself a very unique place in a variety of ways. A very special one of them is its biodiversity.

Studies show that there are over 1.800 species of plants in Crete, even much more than England.

Crete is an island-example for the preservation of our natural inheritance and the protection of the natural wealth and resources of the country.

This wealth, however, is not only related with the number, but also with the endemic plant life of the island, that count over 150 and constitute about 10% of the species of flora.

Despite human intervention, Cretan flora shapes and adapts to withstand any hyperactivity.

For example, there are endemic plants with thorns (to prevent grazing) or awful tastes (to avoid being consumed).

Furthermore, although the so-called woodlands of Crete are few, they are some of the rarest habitats or accommodations in Europe, like the palm trees of Theofrastos.

Of the forest species, those that are most common on the island are pine and cypress, conifers with large adaptability in extreme environments, but also maple and abelitsia, one of the rarest trees in the world that is planted almost exclusively on the White Mountains in small batches.

The most notable species of flora of the island are its aromatic plants and herbs that are used as ingredients in cooking, in the making of beverages and as healing implements.

For example, thyme, sage, ironwort (malotira), dittany, are only some of the plants that one can find, and especially smell, on Crete.

More from our blog

Staka Cream Cheese

Between cheese and yogurt with a special taste, staka is a different dairy product in Cretan gastronomy. It contains quite a lot of calories and fat, but it makes up for it with a taste that transcends anything it accompanies. In its simplest versions, it accompanies fries or eggs, while it is used like fresh […]

Wine

The Cretan vineyard is an extremely important chapter in Greek wine production. The special climate conditions, the unique varieties one cannot encounter elsewhere and the millennia of tradition, allow Crete to claim the spot it deserves! Geographical Indications for the wines of Crete: PDO Siteia & Malvasia Siteias – Lasithi PDO Peza – Herakleion PDO […]

Spices of Crete

Spices offer special, unique aromas and enrich the taste of our food. Let us learn some of them. Afrina: The flower of salt from the rocks of Crete that has stored sea water, until the Greek sun evaporates it and the raw natural sea salt appears. Cretan Basil: It looks like anise and has an […]

Cheeses of Crete

When someone mentions the cheeses of Crete, they certainly add to the “picture” the mizithra, the gruyere and the athotyro. In Crete, cheese is consumed in every hour of the day, from morning until late at night, as an accompaniment or as a main meze, an appetizer or even as a dessert. It is never […]

Awaken your senses

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