Cretan hospitality has its own history and tradition and is known throughout the world. Besides, it is the main characteristic of all Cretans; opening their home to every foreigner, offering them what they have. Cretan hospitality owes its meaning to these roots. Cretans are as such distinguished for this characteristic; they are special people. And […]

Few traditional drinks or local products in general are more inextricably linked to their place of production, than tsikoudia is with Crete. Is it tsikoudia or raki, then? No matter how one may call it, the traditional drink of Crete has the same taste and encloses the whole tradition of our island. It is the […]

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 […]

The Minoan civilization is placed from the end of the Neolithic Age to the beginning of the Iron Age (3200 – 1000 BC). Its name is due to the explorer of Knossos, Sir Arthur Evans, who was inspired by the name of the king of the island, also known from mythology as Minos. The palaces […]

The White Mountains... The Cretan Madares... Perhaps the most sung of mountain range of Crete. Where to start? From its plateaus, the imposing gorges, the wild ravines, or the legendary caves? In the White Mountains, one can encounter the most interesting of gorges for the texplorers of gorges in Greece; the largest and most famous […]

It is even honored with a celebration in the village of Fournes each May. It is one of the most picturesque orange-villages of the Municipality of Platanias in the Valley of Keritis. Flower water is made from the distillation of aromatic plants and flowers through steam. In the case of Cretan flower water, it is […]

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 […]

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 […]

The inhabitants of Crete are known for their quirky personalities, much more so the inhabitants of the mountains. Most of them are breeders and love the White Mountains, or Madares, and consider them their home. Hospitality is in their blood. They love foreigners and are pleasant, cheerful and hospitable people. They keep to the local […]

The breeders of the White Mountains are in the koumi and the mitata with the animals and the herds both in winter and summer. Life in this wild landscape is lonely and harsh, despite the herds. Despite the passage of time, the traditional way of raising livestock has not been altered. For every shepherd, his […]

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 […]

  The quality of the Cretan olive oil, the "gold" of the Cretan land, as it has been characteristically named, is widely known throughout the world. It is a natural product that comes from the simple crushing of the olive, without extracts and enhancing additives. It is a product cultivated with care and passion. Cretan […]

Perhaps the best and most delicious honey in Greece is the thyme honey of Crete that is worth tasting! The fine thyme honey is collected from traditional hives in natural thyme habitats, mainly in the White Mountains. In the Cretan Madares, the wild Cretan thyme, a unique aromatic plant, is a permanent “resident”, with bees […]

Tropical and subtropical crops in Crete are a risk for every producer; however, they open new roads, especially if one connects these plants with tourism. The avocado holds the scepter of these crops, since it seems that it has found its home in Chania. However, interest in other crops is growing. Guava, mango, passion fruit […]

Six species of predator birds are found in Crete, according to the Hellenic Ornithological Society. Gypaetus (Gypaetus Barbatus) Common Name: Kokkalas It is the bird with the largest wingspan in Europe (270 cm) and body length ranging between 102 and 114 cm. Distinctive features of the adult include the off-white head and chest, square wings, […]

A walk in the plain of Chania – Platanias can convince anyone that Crete can produce everything and be self-sufficient. Citrus and avocados are some typical products of the plain, with the shift to this particular crop being almost universal. And yet... oranges are the ones that have marked the childhood years of every citizen […]

Cretan Dittany Cretan dittany (Origanum dictamnus) is an endemic plant found in Crete and is consumed as beverage. Its name comes from Mount Dikti (on the mountains of Lasithi), where it used to abound. Its leaves are furry and have a grey-green color. In Minoan Crete and Ancient Greece, it was one of the greatest […]

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 […]

Endemism in Crete reaches a percentage that varies from 10 to 50% of species, with the low percentage constantly increasing from year to year. What does endemism mean, however? It means that there are exclusively specific organisms in a certain area, which implies a greater responsibility for their maintenance. In absolute numbers, one can find […]

The geographical position of Crete in the Mediterranean is such that it can be described as strategic. Serving as a crossroads between three continents, besides its huge geopolitical importance that it holds, Crete’s position is also associated with the development of its climate and thus with its biodiversity (flora and fauna). A place of intense […]

The comestible weeds of Crete grow almost everywhere soil exists, without effort or human intervention. We can find evidence of their consumption during ancient times in almost every Greek historian’s and philosopher’s records. The studies that have been conducted during recent years and highlight the Cretan diet reveal that the Cretans’ good health stems heavily […]