Crete vacation, hiking, caving & eating

country:	Greece
location:	Crete
trip type:	Introductory to strenuous walking holidays
departures:	2009 dates to be confirmed
price:	From €1550 (6 days) excluding flights, based on 2 people travelling

Greece holidays

Adventure holidays

Crete holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

If you love to be on the move, this is the adventure for you.

Crete has three major mountain ranges, 3,000 caves, dozens of secluded gorges and hundreds of miles of coastline to explore. Thousands of people flock to Crete to hike her mountains and gorges each year. Our team will take you to their sanctuaries, by land and sea, to enjoy Crete’s wild natural beauty and eat incredible organic meals along the way. We'll travel in a circle through west-central Crete, visiting ancient sites, staying in lovely villas or apartments run by local farmers, while hiking, caving, swimming, boating, gardening and eating along the way.

Highlights:

Tours of Historic Sites: Minoan Palace of Knossos, Archanes, Axos, Preveli Monastery
Organic Gardening, Botany, Cooking and Winemaking
Hiking through Samaria Gorge
Boating and Swimming on the South Coast
Caving on Mount Psiloritis

This program includes:

Greeting/transportation to/from Heraklion Airport
6 nights' accommodation in lovely, traditional properties on or near organic farms
Meals, scheduled demonstrations, tours (and wine...in moderation)
Expert guide fees
Transportation and admission fees to all scheduled excursions
Course printed materials: relevant maps, books and recipes

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Arrive at the Airport in Heraklion, Crete, Evening Meze. We'll make arrangements to pick you up at Heraklion Airport and take you to the village. Then, you can check into your lodging and rest for a while. In the evening, we’ll dine at a great taverna in the village to find out what’s in season and what’s cooking. We'll enjoy a wonderful selection of traditional meze with our local hosts.
Day 2:	Journey to Knossos, the Grand Palace of King Minos. Before we can move forward, we’ll move back in time to ancient Crete. Knossos was constructed in about 1900 BC and represents the centre of our world’s first culturally advanced civilisation. The Minoans were skilled farmers, merchants, exporters and artists, among many more traits that set them apart from neighbouring ancient civilisations. Their respect for nature and love of food, wine and the arts is depicted in intricate and whimsical designs on frescoes, walkways and amphorae. Our journey continues to the ancient/modern city of Heraklion and the magnificent archaeological museum that houses artefacts from dozens of ancient sites on the island. Later, we’ll visit to the Museum of Natural History at the University of Crete, to discover the many species of flora and fauna on the island and gain some insight into how Crete’s intricate ecosystem works.
Day 3:	The Peaceful Villages in the Foothills. We'll meet several sustainable organic farmers in the area. We'll discover how local products are made such as olive oil and raki (grape must firewater), and how farmers have developed innovative organic gardening techniques throughout the centuries. Climate and healthy soil contribute to the marvelous concentrated flavour of fruits and vegetables in Crete. Anything that is ready to produce or gather from the garden will be featured in our afternoon meze. In the evening, we’ll head for the hills and visit a small-scale producer of superb organic olive oil and wine. Later, we’ll relax in a tiny village perched in the hills above the sea where Mrs. Tassoula will demonstrate her culinary specialties. We’ll sample local varieties of olives and olive oil and find out how the Greeks cook with what Homer called “liquid gold.”
Day 4-5:	Hiking and Exploring the Region. Crete has many beautiful gorges and caves to explore and enjoy flora and fauna. Depending on the season and level of interest, we have many gorges to choose from for our day-long adventure. There are many other discoveries to be made along the way -- ancient sites, churches, quiet villages and fine cuisine, of course. Some caves have been sanctuaries for over 5,000 years, so there's much to discover and explore with our expert guides.
Day 6:	Departure Check out of rooms by noon. Travel arranged to Heraklion Airport by noon-- Kalo Taxidi!

how this holiday makes a difference

This is a great way to have an incredible vacation and pat yourself on the back for supporting local communities. If you want to help preserve Crete’s disappearing cultural heritage and natural beauty – her sprawling olive groves, vineyards and gorgeous remote coves, then supporting local business that are working toward this goal is the way to do it.

Since the Minoan era, Crete has been known for its ideal climate and agricultural products. Tourism has helped struggling farmers in the short-run, but at a great cost to the natural habitat, resources and traditional trades.We work directly with local people who are committed to preserving traditional trades and promoting sustainable development and organic agriculture.

Together we strive to protect what's left of Crete's natural beauty and resources to share with generations to come. The value of agro tourism and ecotourism is to experience a foreign land's wild nature and unique, unfamiliar customs, sights, sounds and scents. To embrace a place for what it is.

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