Enjoy an evening in Cretan style at Anopolis (a small typical village) – where traditional local dishes for dinner will be served and unlimited free wine will be offered. Throughout the evening there is an entertainment program with local music and Cretan dances performed by dancers in their traditional costumes. Everyone is invited to join in some dances if so desired.

Omalos - Samaria

  Unless you have only a very short time on Crete, in which case it's doubtful if you can make this excursion, the trip down the Samaria Gorge is an experience that you positively shouldn't miss, for it is one you'll never be able to duplicate elsewhere. The well - paved road starts from Chania and passes through the orange groves of the villages of Aghia Alikianou, and Fournes. Several Byzantine churches are found in this area, whose 14th century frescoes are representative of the best period of the Cretan School of painting. A trip from Fournes to Meskla, a prosperous village amidst greenery, is worth the visit for its Church of Christ the Savior, graced with some of the finest l5th century frescoes. The road continues through the village of Lakoi and then climbs to the Plateau of Omalos, 1100 meters high, surrounded by the awesome peaks of Lefka Ori (The White Mountains). After traversing the plateau, you reach Xyloscalon "the wooden staircase" and the entrance to the Gorge. In a small pavillion refreshments are available. The Gorge of Samaria, one of the largest and most impressive in Europe, runs for eighteen Kilometres, and its steep cliffs tower from 300 to 600 meters above you. Parts of the gorge are forty meters wide, but at the narrowest point your outstretched arms can almost touch both walls. Even if you can't afford the minimum of six hours needed to pass through the entire gorge on foot, perhaps you can find time for a shorter trek of a few kilometres, enough for a glimpse of this majestic landscape.

Monastery of Arkadi

  A fine little side trip begins just five kilometres before coming into Rethymnon, where a small asphalt road branches off to the left from the Heraklion road. It leads through cultivated hills and then winds its way along a chasm until it reaches the Monastery of Arcadi - a historical monument of the Turkish occupation of Crete and an important historical landmark for all Greeks. During the centuries of foreign domination this Monastery, along with many others, served as a bastion for Greek traditions and spiritual life, not to mention its active role as a base for resistance. Arcadi was a centre of revolution against the foreign conquerors, and in 1866 it became the symbol of the Cretans' struggle for liberty. The Turks besieged it, driving the thousand women and children who had taken refuge there into the powder magazine, which was blown up. Despite this tragic catastrophe, the monastery remains deeply impressive even from an architectural point of view. Especially the gothic - arched cells for the monks and the church, with its beautiful l6th century facade. Truly magnificent as well is the hilltop setting, with an unique view of the formidable west face of Mountain Ida. The Monastery maintains a small museum which is charming and worth a quick visit. A pavilion adjacent to the Monastery has good food and refreshments.

Aghios Nikolaos - Elounda - Spinalonga - Kritsa

  Harbour town of Aghios Nikolaos, which features good food and fine swimming. It has lately developed into the principal tourist centre of the island. Twelve kilometres north of Aghios Nikolaos lies Elounda, with its tiny but colcurful little harbour. Local taverns welcome you for dinner with their maritimedishes. From the fishing village of Elounda you get on the board to sail to the "ghost island" Spinalonga, a former leper-colony. The island's history as a sanctuary dates back to antiquity, but its fame rests mostly from its tragic period as a leper colony. It's easily accessible by small boat, and its Venetian fortifications are quite imposing. An excursion to Kritsa, one of Crete’s most picturesque villages, is especially nice in the late afternoon. The old houses seem to beckon you reach for your camera, and the l3th century Church of Our Lady (Panagia Kera) is fortunate in having its Byzantine frescoes perfectly pre served. The film "Christ Re-crucified", based on Kazantzakis' novel, was made here.

Plateau of Lassithi

  Twenty-three Kilometres east of Heraklion on the main road to Aghios Nikolaos a junction to the right leads up to the Plateau of Lassithi on Mount Dikti. The landscape is pleasant, passing through the valley of Langada, with its several churches from the l2th to the l6th centuries, featuring good Byzantine frescoes. Especially noteworthy is the church of Panagia Gouverniotissa a ten minute uphill walk from Potamies. The frescoes of this church are especially reputed, but be sure to ask for the key from the village cafe before you begin the ascent. The high plateau of Lassithi is one of the particularly rewarding excursions which Crete offers the motorist. The lush cultivation, the 10,000 windmills under full sail in summer months, and the ring of the mountain peaks on all sides lend this unusual spot a crystalline remoteness which is not easily forgotten. A walk up to the Diktian cave above the village of Psychro is an exciting experience to this itinerary, for it was here, according to legend, that the infant Zeus was raised out of reach of his cannibalistic father, Kronos (Saturn). Also worth a stop is the Monastery of Kroustalenia, nestled in the shade of enormous trees. The return trip to Herraklion can be made by way of Malia.

Gortys - Phaestos - Aghia Triada - Matala

  This is interesting visit, coupling a trinity of superb archaeological sites with some of the most compelling landscapes that Crete affords. The highlight is the majestic Palace of Phaestos, 64 kilometres from Heraklion. This was the "second city" of the Minoan civilization. But quite apart from its considerable archaeological importance, Phaestos offers still more. Sitting grandly astride a hilltop, above the lovely Messara plain which unfolds itself down to the sea, no city has a site which can rival it. A shift of focus, and you're facing the sacred mountain of Ida, Crete's highest peak, snow-capped throughout most of the year. Just a few kilometres away, tucked in a coop, pine covered slope, lies the charming Royal Villa of Aghia Triada with its tranquil vantage point over the Libyan Sea. But on the way to Phaestos the well-preserved Greco-Roman city of Gortys should not be missed. Its temples and its fine Preatorium are set amidst olive groves, and the early Christian Basilica of St. Titos is one of the finest structures of its kind. Also of interest is the Roman Odeon, ringed with 6th century B.C. stones on which some of the earliest written laws in history are engraved. From Phaestos to the port of Matala, about 10 kilometres away. Matala's sheltered sandy cove has become a popular place of young travellers in summer, and the swimming is excellent. Take the time to see the extraordinary caves carved into the cliffs.

Knossos Palace and Museum

  Just five kilometres from Heraklion is situated the Knossos Museum. At Knossos, centre of the great Minoan Civilization, visit the Royal Palace of King Minos, the Labyrinth associated with Ariadne and the Minotaur (sacred bull), and the abundant evidence of how its people lived and worked. Perhaps the single greatest attraction on the island, Knossos is the logical first step on your visit to Crete. Plan on at least a couple of hours to wander through the extensive ruins, for these hallowed stones are the legacy of Europe's first civilization. Return to Heraklion, also visit the Archaeological Museum, second only to Athens in importance throughout Greece. Here are treasures from Knossos, Phaestos, Zakros and other sites in Crete, a most remarkable collection ranging from Neolithic to Roman times.