Saint Goat!||

Agiofaraggo: The gorge of the saints!

Published in "Island Routes"
Crete has many gorges –more than 250 as a matter of fact. Some of these are very hard to access, some are too dry and…
Spinalonga Island, Elounda||

Cretan Μyths and Realities

Published in "Crete 360°"
You’ve seen them in card postals, you’ve read about them in countless travel articles, you’ve associated them with the island of Crete...but when you visit…
An exemplary modern museum||

Nikos Kazantzakis Museum

Published in "Presentations"
One of the few literature museums in the country is exclusively dedicated to the life and work of great Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis. Situated in…
||

'12 Monkeys' at the open air cinema of Archanes

Published in "What's on now"
||

'America, America' at the open air cinema of Archanes

Published in "What's on now"
|||

'Easter of the Dead' in Tylissos

Published in "Cretan Tales"
An ancient custom, found in numerous cultures and religions throughout the world and history, revives in the village of Tylissos in its Cretan edition. Those…
||

'Mulholland Drive' at the open air cinema of Archanes

Published in "What's on now"
||

'The great dictator' at the open air cinema of Archanes

Published in "What's on now"
||

6th International Symposium of Sculpture in Venerato

Published in "What's on now"
||

A night with Cretan music & traditional cuisine in Avdou

Published in "What's on now"
A Yiayia at Choumeriako village

A Yiayia at Choumeriako village

Published in "Humans of Crete"
Crowded but still beautiful!

Agia Pelagia

Published in "Beaches"
The open horizon of the village of Agios Thomas|Kavalaris overlooks the village|The carved tombs in 'Gria Mantra'|The inscription on the sanctuary of chthonic deities|St. Joasaph, the strangest temple we've seen!|One of the 15 churches of the settlement|Carved chambers used for religious ceremonies|||Agios Thomas in all its majesty!

Agios Thomas and the City of Stone

Published in "Villages"
There is a village, just half an hour away from the city of Heraklion, that hides a hole that leads to Hades, a sanctuary of…
In Aradaina you will find the highest bridge for bungee jumping in Greece. Jump if you dare!

Anopoli - Aradaina: nature, adrenaline and... sfakian pies!

Published in "Island Routes"
Starting from the touristic portside of Chora Sfakion you cannot imagine that in just a few kilometres away you will arrive at a landscape resembling…
After the abduction, the party starts!

Bride kidnapping in Melidoni

Published in "Snapshot"
||

Celebration of Nature and Humans

Published in "What's on now"
Romana Portela with its impressive arch|Panagia Koumpelina, recently renovated|The beautiful setting of Choumeriako||Anaglyph from the fountain of Agios Georgios|Outdoor recycled art, by the residents!|In the interior of Romana Portela||

Choumeriako, the village of the three hills and nineteen churches

Published in "Villages"
Chryssanthi and the "love of her life", Kostas

Chrissanthi Michelaki (Katalagari)

Published in "Humans of Crete"
The rugs of Aretousa (Archanes)|Aretousa weavers (Archanes)|Some of Aretousa's creations (Archanes)|The creations of Eleni Kouides (Argyroupoli)|The creations of Eleni Kouides (Argyroupoli)|The impressive workshop of Eleni Kouides (Argyroupoli)|The colorful yarns of kurelu (Pyrgos)!|The modern bags of Angeliki (Kurelu creations, Pyrgos)||Mitos weaving (Houdetsi)|Proud weaver next to her creations (Pyrgou Weaving Center)|Cretaions of the Pyrgou Weaving Center|Pyrgou Weaving Center|Houdetsi Weaving Center|Houdetsi Weaving Center|Houdetsi Weaving Center|Into the threads!|Houdetsi Weaving Center||

Cretazine presents: The revolution of the loom!

Published in "Cretan Tales"
From the time when Penelope longed for the return of Ulysses, furiously embroidering in her sewing room, to the times when our witty grandmothers made…
Yakinthia, concert outside the chapel|Casa dei Meizzo Festival, in a wonderful setting|Classical music and cicadas|In 'En Oiko' you will find all kinds of natural products|Some of the things you can find in 'En Oiko'||Georgiadis Park becomes a vibrant festival venue|Free wine and let the party begin!|You can fill your own bottle in Dafnes...as many times as you want!|There is no Yakinthia without Psarantonis|A new festival is born!

Crete of Festivals: Summer 2013

Published in "Crete 360°"
Every year the cultural map of Crete dramatically changes, a sign that the island is inhabited by many creative people. New and old events appear…
Houdetsi Festival, perhaps the best festival of Crete

Crete of Festivals: Summer 2014

Published in "Crete 360°"
Every year the cultural map of Crete dramatically changes, a sign that the island is inhabited by many creative people. New and old events appear…
Beautful architecture, beautiful nature...||||||||

Crete or Tuscany?

Published in "Crete 360°"
Discover Agios Fanourios – and Tuscanian landscapes - in Kitharida
Cycling in Hersonissos

Cycling in Hersonissos

Published in "Crete in action"
Nine bike routes to cycle your way around Hersonissos 
Imbros, the second most popular gorge of Crete

Discover the gorge of Imbros

Published in "Crete in action"
If you think the 16km long gorge of Samaria is too much for you, try the nearby gorge of Imbros, which offers an almost equally…
You've come a long way, but it's worth it!

Eligia (Ai Giannis)

Published in "Beaches"
Images of past times in the narrow lanes of the village||||

Ethia... the village where time stopped

Published in "Villages"
The steep cliffs of Asterousia mountains do not only end up to some of the most spectacular Cretan coasts but also ‘hide’ many scenic villages.…
The Plateau of Nida, a mystical landscape|Local livestock will keep you company all along the route|The Venetian creamery is hidden behind these trees|Yes, it is possible to ski!|The snowy summits of Psiloritis on the background||This mitato is situated within the archaeological site of Zominthos||A typical mitato...|In the horizon you can see the village of Anogia|A characteristic landscape of Psiloritis|Another mitato on the way to Nida

From Anogia to the Plateau of Nida, the den of Zeus

Published in "Island Routes"
A winter excursion in ancient landscapes, imbued with legends, history and ... snow
The fortress-like Monastery of Chrissoskalitissa|The forests of Chania...|Topolia gorge from above|House in the upper village of Topolia|Chestnuts anybody?|Welcome to the Wisdom of God!|The impressive interior of the cave|Somewhere inside this crack, lies hidden the icon of Wisdom of God|The imposing plane tree of Vlatos|Natural art on the plane tree of Vlatos|On the way to Milia Mountain Retreat|The houses of Milia, almost embedded into the natural environment|View of Milia from a mountain trail|The paved streets of Milia village|Mountain views as you enjoy a meal in Milia restaraunt|The abandonned park of peace, taken over by wild nature|The entrance to the Monastery of Chrissoskalitissa|View to the sea from the Monastery of Chrissoskalitissa|You have just arrived in the small paradise of Aspri Limni||||

From the Chestnut to the Date Trees of Chania (Milia – Chrissoskalitissa)

Published in "Island Routes"
We often brag about Crete as the island that has it all (ok, almost!) and we found the perfect route to prove this. Follow us…
A sample of traditional architecture|A dreamhouse|The building of the Folk Museum|The perfect place for a coffee or some greek "meze"|A historical corner|A view of the village

Gavalohori, Apokorona's secret

Published in "Villages"
The villages of the (ex) province of Apokoronas are little treasures that need to be discovered one by one: for their unique colors, nature and…
Romantic walks in Stroumpoulas|When you see Timios Stavros, you are almost there...!|The trail is relatively easy and suitable for all|Stroumpoulas vegetation|The view to the plateau will make you stop several times to admire it|The evening service on July 20th|The perfect setting for a selfie!|Shadow games at sunset|On the way back...|The summits of Mylopotamos are painted orange|The view of Stroumpoulas from Heraklion, as the sun sets...

Hiking on the Holy Mountain of Stroumpoulas

Published in "Island Routes"
The pyramidal mountain of Stroumpoulas -as it seems, when you look at it from Heraklion- offers one of the most beautiful nearby escapes for naturalistic,…
||

Houdetsi Festival

Published in "What's on now"
||

Houdetsi Festival

Published in "What's on now"
||

Houdetsi Festival

Published in "What's on now"
||

Houdetsi Festival

Published in "What's on now"
Christos Mparmpas & Μurat Aydemir in 'Patitiri' stage|At the garden of the Labyrinth|V. Vardakis and his group|Stelios Petrakis & Cretan Music Quartet|Manolakis, Yiannadakis, Fasoulaki: three talented Cretan musicians on stage!|A wonderful concert with Evgenios Voulgaris|'traffic jam' at the narrow lanes of Houdetsi|The closing concert with Vassilis Stavrakakis

How and why Houdetsi Festival becomes the greatest music event of Crete

Published in "Presentations"
The 6th Houdetsi Festival confirmed once and for all what we sensed all the previous years of its existence: without doubt, it is the most…
Kallia Spyridaki (Archanes)

Kallia Spyridaki (Archanes)

Published in "Humans of Crete"
The route towards the Monastery of Koudoumas

Kapetaniana - Ai Giannis

Published in "Island Routes"
Ascetic landscapes, naked mountains, hiking trails, ancient customs, hidden gulfs...the mountain chain of Asterousia and its wild beauty is not for every taste. It requires…
Clouds traveling over the plateau of Omalos|||Kato Simi, set on a green valley|The temple of Agios Georgios in Ano Simi|Mrs. Vassiliki at the coffee shop 'Karavos'  told us many stories...|The temple of Panagia Galaktoktismeni & Nistikoktismeni||The mystical landscape of Omalos|On the way to the plateau, through the pine tree forest

Kato Simi - Omalos Viannou

Published in "Island Routes"
Discover one of the most beautiful mountainous landscape of Crete, perhaps the most important pine tree forest of the island and a village full of…
Σημείο αναφοράς του χωριού, ο πανάρχαιος πλάτανος||

Krassi

Published in "Villages"
There are some over-commercialized villages in Crete that will fill you up with expectations and finally they will disappoint you. There are some others that…
The colors of Eastern Crete|||Flowers everywhere!|The strange rocks of the gorge are captivating!|Aspros Potamos|The village of Pefki 'hanging' from the cliffs!|Makrigialos from above|The colorful marina of makrigialos

Makrigialos - Pefki - Kapsa Monastery

Published in "Island Routes"
Eastern Crete has a different color, scent and light, even different people. Sometimes it feels as if you are in another island. At this corner…
Manolis Mavrokostas, a cook in Anogeia

Manolis Mavrokostas, a cook in Anogeia

Published in "Humans of Crete"
Πύργοί & μεσαιωνικά ερείπια||

Maroulas

Published in "Villages"
Maroulas is not adequately advertised but it is a real time machine that takes you back to the Middle Ages, Renaissance and the Ottoman Empire,…
History, religion, nature||

Melidoni cave – Arkadi – Patsiano Gorge

Published in "Island Routes"
The mainland of Rethymno prefecture hides many secrets waiting to be revealed. Before you rush to its southern coast with the beautiful beaches, consider visiting…
The temple of Panagia and Mt Psiloritis in the background|||||

Meronas, the balcony of Amari

Published in "Villages"
At the verdant valley of Amari history and nature amalgamate a unique scenery with picturesque villages and nostalgic images from the past. 
Mrs Eleni, Sfendili village

Mrs Eleni, Sfendili village

Published in "Humans of Crete"
||

Music of Asia Minor

Published in "What's on now"
Because summer loves action!|A trip to Lefka Ori by Petassos travel|Revealing the secrets of cretan gastronomy|Sailing the cretan sea on a budget!|Cycling at the southern mountain range of Europe!|Looking for "fairies" at Selakano forest|Meet locals, learn about the cretan culture!|Asterousia mountains, a wild scenery for cycling|Where wild cretan nature meets history!|Cretan flavors and colors by Cretan Paths

No more boring holidays!

Published in "Crete 360°"
This summer in Crete will be different: four alternative tourism companies take care of everything and you only need to enjoy!
The neoclassic building of Ploumi!|With good company work gets done...|Christina came to stay...||Kallia is a musician and Christoforos a computer engineer. Together they work miracles!|Giorgos from Archanes project and young Konstantina|One thing is for sure, this shop will never run our of music!|What's on the menu today?|How can we do an interview without food?

Ploumi: a cooperative cafe & grocery store ‘blooms’ in Archanes

Published in "Cretan Tales"
In spring flowers bloom and with them blooms love, dreams and ideas. "Ploumi" blooms, the bushy endemic plant of Crete that our grandmothers and grandfathers…
||

Psarogiorgis – Haig Yazdjian

Published in "What's on now"
Counting the alcohol proof of the 'water that burns'||||||||

Raki Party

Published in "Cretan Tales"
November in Crete means rainy evenings accompanied by distilled grape juice, grilled meat, roasted potatoes and good friends gathering together to perform the ritual of …
|||||

Searching for cyclamens at Rouva’s forest - 2nd Zaros Trail Race

Published in "Crete in action"
I remember it as if it was yesterday. It was April of 1999, and first-grade students of Biology Department of University of Crete had to…
||

Snail-night at Ini (Arkadia 2012)

Published in "What's on now"
Socrates, the veteran wrestler (Anogeia)

Socrates, the veteran wrestler (Anogeia)

Published in "Humans of Crete"
Haunted ruins hidden under a curtain of ivies||||||||

Springtime at the gorge of the mills

Published in "Island Routes"
Or, how to discover a small paradise, hidden just a few kilometers outside the town of Rethymnon
Stelios of "Dounias" (Drakona, Keramia)

Stelios of "Dounias" (Drakona, Keramia)

Published in "Humans of Crete"
||

Swinging Full Moon in the archaeological site of Tylissos

Published in "What's on now"
Tertsa, a multi-culti hippies village

Tertsa

Published in "Beaches"
Tertsa, rocks!||

Tertsa

Published in "Beaches"
Building your own house: priceless!||

The Archanes Project: Houses made from straw balls and clay

Published in "Cretan Tales"
Natural building was once the only way to construct a house in Crete. Then, modernization came together with cement, which became the ‘queen’ of building…
The exhibition of the Art Gallery of Viannos|||Painting by Konstantinos Perakis

The Art Gallery of Viannos: A modern Gallery in the most unexpected place

Published in "Presentations"
Sometimes the vision of one man alone is all it takes for realizing ‘utopias’...and that’s exactly how the Gallery of Viannos came to be. 
The girlfriends of Ano Elounda

The girlfriends of Ano Elounda

Published in "Snapshot"
The 'Little Cafe' in Kallikratis welcomes you!|The herbal goodies of 'Little Cafe'|A herbal sanctuary in the middle of nowhere|The Cretan Far West welcomes you|Cretan mountain tea (aka malotira) in Kallikratis|Mr. Yiannis in action!|Red hot chilli peppers anyone?|Passing the knowledge to the new generation|A few of the things you will find in Kouses|Cretan cuisine & Cretan herbs in Tsakalakis' cafe|Welcome to Nivritos|For the cold winter days & nights...|Yes, you may also order a coffee (Nivritos)

The herbal ‘sanctuaries’ of Crete

Published in "Crete 360°"
In Crete you can easily find tasty food, great wine and good company. Finding good herbs to drink as an infusion or buy, however, can…
Little villagers in action!

The kids of Zoniana dance 'a capella'

Published in "Cretan Tales"
A cute, surrealistic dance...the things you may see at a 'Shepherd and Cheese Festival'!
Recording the sound of wime|||||

The sound of wine

Published in "Cretan Tales"
Stella Vassilaki guides us in a journey of flavors and sounds, where the sweetest harmonies emerge from a rare orchestration of scents and musical instruments.
A walk to the highest summit of Crete. For a holy purpose!

The walk to the summit of Psiloritis

Published in "Island Routes"
Put all your worries in your backpack and start climbing to the top. When you arrive, take a deep breath, and with all the strenght…
||

Tribute to Brazilian songs in Vathypetro

Published in "What's on now"
Light and perspective games in the olive press  of the Monastery|Preserved stone made pavements in the village||The church of Karydi Monastery||The beautiful narrow lanes of Vamos|Old ruins  at the 13th century temple of Theotokos|12 arches and the sky as a ceiling|The olive press of the Karydi Monastery

Vamos: history, nobility, hospitality

Published in "Villages"
The tourist industry in Crete has a dark history, as it is often responsible for the destructive 'modernization' of many traditional villages. Vamos, however, is…
The medieval village of Voila flourished during the15th-19th century|||The Ottoman Gate of the tower|Almost intact, the interior of the house|And in the horizon, wind generators...|The chapel of Agios Georgios|The fresco over the tomb|

Voila, the Medieval habitat of Cretan lords

Published in "Crete 360°"
When you cross the rural settlements of otherworldly Ziros Plateau, it is hard to imagine that once upon a time here lived Venetian lords and…
Into the time machine!

Ziros Plateau - Into the time machine

Published in "Island Routes"
Lassithi is one of the less travelled and yet most beautiful regions of Crete (perhaps exactly because it is less travelled!) and the Plateau of…