8-Day Luxury Culture and Gastronomy Tour in Crete Greece

OVERVIEW:

The cuisine of Crete, being a crossroad island, has been influenced, at different times, by both western and eastern Mediterranean cultures.

What many don’t know is that the famous for its health benefits Mediterranean Diet has its origin in the Cretan cuisine. The European voyagers and explorers in the 1950s who started to show an interest in the nutritional habits of other cultures have noticed the surprising longevity of the Cretans despite their poverty and the simplicity of their diet. This inspired them to further investigate the eating habits of all neighboring Mediterranean cultures until they formed a clear suggestion of what we today know as the Mediterranean Diet, one of the most healthy styles of eating worldwide.

During your stay and culinary adventure, you will not just learn the secrets of Cretan cooking but will experience with all your senses the journey from the heart to the stomach and from nature to the table.

We invite you to cook, learn, laugh, feel, and travel with us to return back to your country as a proud sharer of our food and cultural tradition.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS:

You can choose between 3 handpicked venues for your stay, all being seafront.

Azure Beach Villasis a complex of 52 semi-luxury seaside villas in a quiet small seafront village.

Avra Imperial Hotel is an impressive 5-star resort

Grand Bay Hotel is characterized by 4-star and yet simple luxury and it is adults-only

ITINERARY:

Day 1: Get to know us better and adjust to the Mediterranean climate

• Arrival, Airport Pick-Up, Check-in and Settling, Snack, Time to Rest,Introductions and Briefing, 19:30 Group Welcome Dinner

Day 2: Explore your new neighborhood

• Morning is free of activities in order to rest deeply and shift your body clock by sleeping late if needed. Early afternoon we will meet for a 2h Greek Language Lesson. This will include the Greek Alphabet, the basics of Greek pronunciation, and a few key phrases. The logical structure of the Greek language and its continuity from the ancient years up till today will be presented in examples. This deeper understanding of the language will hopefully make your trip more enjoyable and help you read the Greek signs with ease or connect with the locals by using a Greek greeting. Later we will hike along the coastline*  enjoying stunning views, beach time, sunset view, and late seaside dinner. The tavern that will accommodate us will introduce you to your first Cretan recipes, all made with pure ingredients from the owner’s garden.

*An alternative hiking route may be offered depending on the weather and other parameters.

Day 3: Discover the wonders of the Cretan landscape

• Early in the morning, we will depart to the southwestern mainland. We will cross mountains and drive along a gorge to reach an old Orthodox monastery that is built on a large rock 35 meters above sea level. Over a breathtaking view of the Libyan Sea, you will be introduced to the dogma of Orthodox Christianity in a spiritual, non-dogmatic way. The monastery has a “hidden school”. What is this and which situation created the need for hidden schools in Greece? Time to be introduced to the Greek modern history and better understand the present of the land via its turbulent past.
  After that, we will drive to the famous beach of Elafonissi, where you will enjoy the crystal clear waters and the pink sand from the thousands of shells being shattered over the years. Elafonissi is an island to which you can go on foot! A short but beautiful hike on the island is possible towards a secluded chapel overlooking the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea.
  Lunch at a picturesque family tavern.
  Return to the hotel to enjoy beach or pool time.

Day 4: Discover Chania, the most beautiful Greek town

• Today’s privately guided cultural tour uses food (and optionally wine) as a means of getting to know and having an experience of the local traditions, the authentic people, the history, and the modern lifestyle of Crete. You will be guided around Chania city and learn about the Cretan food culture over tasting:

• Alatsoelies (salted olives) and various sheep cheeses,
• the famous Cretan yogurt with local nuts and thyme honey,
• traditional sweets and pastries with Malotira beverage (the local mountain herb),
• and finally the famous Gyros (pie with pork meat) or alternatively a vegetarian version with mushrooms and local cheese.
  At the end of your food tasting tour, you will have the option of a 45min wine tasting experience or stroll around and meet us a bit later for light lunch in the city. Then enjoy free time to walk around and shop.  Later on, we will all meet at a central point and drive to an organized nearby beach for some afternoon leisure time. Early evening you will have the option to return back to your hotel or stay in the area to enjoy the nightlife flavor of this remarkable old city by joining a live music dinner at a picturesque tavern. This will be one of your fullest days!

Day 5: FREE DAY with options

• After a demanding day yesterday, today you can simply enjoy the swimming pool or the sand beach in front of your hotel. The fish tavern of your village is one of the best on the island! Many nearby easy walks are possible. You can walk by the sea to the next seaside village or head 1,2 km south towards the mainland where a traditional tavern with delicious Cretan recipes is waiting for you. Nearby bike tours will be suggested if you have rented a bicycle. Finally, a cooking class at a farm may be booked for this day. Please, find more information about this tour under the “available add-on activities to your trip” section.

Day 6: Beekeeping experience and honey tasting - Scenic trip to famous Southern Crete

• We will be starting our day with a drive to a beekeeper’s place for a breathtaking introduction to the world of bees and some honey tasting. Next, we will drive to the wildest and most impressive part of Crete, a part where tradition is alive and time refuses to run fast. To reach this part of Crete we will have to cross the White Mountains, which is an excellent opportunity to visit some beautiful mountain villages on the way and enjoy great landscape views and a traditional pastry shop using rosewater in its recipes! Paleochora, our final destination, is a small seaside town facing the Libyan Sea and Africa. The exotic beach where you will spend a few hours is our personal favorite amongst all the beaches on the island!
  At sunset, you will enjoy a seafront dinner and the aroma of the town’s nightlife. Late evening return to your hotel.

Day 7: Day dedicated to olive oil including an olive oil tasting

• We will start today's adventure by visiting the oldest olive tree in Crete, and an olive oil museum. Then you will get a guided tour around a traditional olive oil press where you will learn about traditional olive oil production and why the Cretan olive oil is of unique quality. You will get the chance to taste different gourmet olive oils and buy a small special bottle that can safely be transferred back home in your luggage. Beach time after the tour on a small picturesque beach with a small family-owned tavern where we will have our farewell lunch. Return to the hotel to rest and prepare for tomorrow’s departure.

Day 8: Departure

• Check out at 11:00 latest, airport drop-off.

AVAILABLE ADD-ON ACTIVITIES TO YOUR TRIP (booked on-site):

1. Afternoon leisure time on the famous “sunset” beach of Falassarna followed by farewell dinner gazing at the best sunset of Crete. Possible only on day 7. Can be decided for and booked last minute. This is a private tour. A minimum of 3 people should book the tour in order for it to run.
   Time in the car: 1h
   Total duration: About 5h
   Price: EUR 75 per person including private transfers and dinner (alcoholic drinks not included)
2. A 1,5h pottery workshop to learn from our ceramist about the history of the Cretan ceramic art, view his work and watch him transform clay into beautiful artifacts. Then try creating your own ceramic artifact under the artist’s expert guidance.
   Possible only on day 4. Should be booked latest on arrival day. This is a private tour with limited availability. A minimum of 2 people should book the tour in order for it to run.
   Duration of hands-on workshop per person: About 1h
   Total duration: About 1,5h
   Price: EUR 70 per person including bottled water or soft drinks
3. An authentic Cretan cuisine cooking class at a farm!
   Eleni and her mother Chrisoula are ready to help you prepare some fabulously tasty dishes made with hearty Cretan ingredients such as extra-virgin olive oil, fresh vegetables, local meats, delectable cheeses, aromatic herbs, and a splash of wine. They will also reveal interesting information about the herbs of the island, including the therapeutic properties of olive oil and tips about the products they use. After preparing the main dish and while you wait for it to cook, head out on a guided tour of the farm and their traditional house. You’ll discover their enchanting vegetable garden, see all the produce in season, and take in the scents of the aromatic and therapeutic herbs. You can also admire the free-range chicken and sheep before heading to the olive groves where you can learn about olive oil production. Lastly, you will head to their wine cellar for an entertaining wine tasting session to try a variety of bouquets. Don’t hesitate to try the local spirit called Tsikoudia before passing by the wine press and ending the tour at the citrus orchard. Finally, you will all sit down to try the different plates that you have prepared together, along with good local wine, also sampling some traditional sweets at the end.
   This is a small-group activity, meaning that a small number of people outside of our group may be participating as well. Possible only on day 5. Should be booked latest on arrival day.
   This is a small-group tour with limited availability. Tour is dependent on weather, it may be canceled last moment.
   Time in the car: 1h
   Total duration: About 6h
   Price: EUR 75 per person including transfers and dinner (basic alcoholic drinks included)

SUMMARY of ACTIVITIES:

CULINARY EXPERIENCES

• 7 main meals (lunch or supper) in handpicked family taverns or gourmet restaurants
• an olive oil tour and tasting
• a wine tasting tour
• a honey tasting tour at a beekeeper’s place
• a city food tour
• an authentic cooking class on a family farm (optional at an extra cost)
• a traditional pastry shop visit

EXPERIENCE CONTEMPORARY ART

• a live music dinner (optional)
• a hands-on pottery class (optional at an extra cost)

CONTACT WITH the LAND and NATURE

• at least 5 times fun by the sea at Crete’s best beaches
• at least 4 scenic guided tours through the mainland or along the coastline of Crete
• an easy guided hike along the coastline
• a short optional hike on an islet

HISTORY and CULTURE

• a guided visit to an Orthodox monastery
• a guided visit to a small olive oil museum
• a 2h Greek language lesson