Highlights of Crete

Welcome to Crete! Greece’s largest island delights with clear waters, charming villages and a tangible history. Your island adventure begins with an 6pm welcome meeting where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. After the group meeting, perhaps head out for dinner with the group, and get your bearings around the capital with a leader-led orientation walk of Heraklion.

This morning head out of the city to the renowned archaeological site of Knossos, considered to be Europe’s oldest city. Explore the ruins with your leader and soak in hundreds and thousands of years of history within its walls. Continue your Crete discovery with one of its most celebrated commodities during a visit to a nearby winery for a wine tasting. Take your time discovering the grape varietals grown in Crete, sampling a range of small-batch vintages. Then it’s time to check out some quiet corners of Crete – continue to the tiny coastal town of Chora Sfakion (sometimes referred to as Sfakia) and the historic village of Anopolis for some short stops, then carry on to Aradaina, teetering on the edge of a gorge, and learn about the history of this dramatic area. Your final stop for the day is the delightful village of Agios Ioannis, nestled into the foothills of the White Mountains. Your well-earned dinner this evening will be a lively affair – feast on local specialties accompanied by a wonderful live performance of traditional music, a perfect introduction to village life in Crete. Spend the night in a traditional guesthouse

Bid farewell to Agios Ioannis and drive back to Chora Sfakion where you’ll board our private boat along Crete's stunning south coast to the village of Sougia. This is Crete at its very best – an undiscovered sweep of beach overlooked by brooding mountains. It’s almost too pretty to believe, but believe it, you’re here! Upon arrival in Sougia the afternoon is yours to spend at leisure, and it’s certainly not hard to find something amazing to do. You may like to explore one of the coastal trails, take a swim in the warm waters, or just lay back on the beach and let life tick along around you with a drink in hand.