Crete at its best

Map of Crete

The Cretan Diet is famous, and some say miraculous! It is the original Mediterranean diet  Culture, history and geography have helped create a combination of foods and lifestyle which provides a unique diet that is highly nutritious, prolonging life and helping to prevent many of the modern diseases that shorten the lives of millions of people every year in the West.

Heraklion
Day 1: Heraklion (Crete) Arrival at Heraklion.  Transfer by bus to our hotel. Check in at the hotel. Dinner & Overnight
Knossos Palace

Crete – Trapsano Village – Pottery
Day 2: Heraklion- MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania) Breakfast.  Today we will visit Heraklion, the capital city of Crete. The town of Heraklion is the largest urban centre of Crete, the capital of the region of Crete and the economic centre of the island. Since the Minoan period the town of Heraklion became the host of varied cultures and civilizations whose indelible marks are visible in the form of fountains, castles, walls, palaces and other monuments.

Later we will visit the spectacular Palace of Knossos. Knossos Palace which is the most visited place of Crete and the birtplace of minoan civilization. It contains the largest of the Minoan palaces that has been partially restored. Excavated in the early 20th century by the great English archaiologist Arthur Evans.   The ruins and rebuilt parts belong to the last and largest Minoan Palace, the labyrinth of Knossos. Built 3700 years ago, is over 1000 pieces. This palace was even a health system and was decorated with impressive murals. The throne of King Minos is still intact.

Visit to Thrapsano Village, the pottery village of Crete.

Transfer to MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania) & Overnight there.

MAICH & Omalos Pond
Day 3: MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania) Breakfast.  Visit of the Botanical gardens in MAICH.

Video Presentation of the ponds in OMALOS.

Presentationof the actions done to preserve the ponds.

Visit of the Green Houses

Lunch in MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania)

Visit Omalos in the afternoon with a person from MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania).

Overnight at MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania)

Elafonissi Cooperative (Tomatoes) & World’s Oldest Tree
Day 4: MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania) – Elafonissi

Breakfast.

Visit to the Agricultural Cooperative of Elafonissi created in 2002.  It invloves about 20 producers, tomato production under a greenhouse. Visit their premises & the greenhouse crops.  Discuss about Water resources management in the Island of Crete.

Lunch in a tavern in a village in Elafonissi.  Visit the oldest Olive Tree in the world and in the afternoon return to MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania).

Overnight in MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania).

Chania Botanical Garden
Day 5: TEI (Public Technological Educational Institution) – MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania)

Breakfast

In the morning a half day tour of the TEI (Public Technological Educational Institution).

In the afternoon visit the Botanical Garden in Chania with a person from MAICH to speak about the flora.

Overnight in MAICH (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania).

Retymnon & Lake Kournas

Orange Groves
Day 6: Rethymnon

Breakfast.

Visit Rethymnon.

The Prefecture of Rethymno is the heart of the island of Crete and one of the most beautiful places in Greece. It is built between the modern day capital of the island, Heraklion, and the ancient capital of Chania.  Rethymnon is the third largest city of the island and is a fascinating combination of old and new: In the old quarter, evidence of Rethymnon’s Venetian and Ottoman past is all around one.  The visitor may spend many happy hours meandering through the narrow maze of streets that seem a world apart from the hustle and bustle of modern-day life.  On the other hand, the new town provides resident and visitor alike with all the amenities and facilities one could wish for in the 21st century.
Rethymno and its villages are live postcards, which are pervaded by the aroma of Cretan cuisine and the sound of the Cretan lyre.

Travel towards the natural Lake Kournas in Georgioupolis.  Discussion about irrigation.

Visit the orange & citrus groves as well as the vegetable crops in this irrigated zone.

NAGREF, Archanes Village & Cretan Dietary Regimen
Day 7: NAGREF ( Institute of olive tree, subtropical plants and viticulture) – Heraklion Breakfast.

Half day with NAGREF ( Institute of olive tree, subtropical plants and viticulture)  in Heraklion.

Travel towards Archanes.

Visit a Cooperative of Olive & wine.

Visit a traditional olive mill.

Lunch in a restaurant.

Vist of the local cooking school

Meeting with a teacher to talk about the Cretan dietary regimen.

Overnight next to the Beach

Departure
Day 8: Heraklion  Breakfast

In the morning relaxation on the beach.

Lunch in a restaurant.

In the afternoon transfer to the airport in Heraklion for departure.