Botanical

CRETE – ‘wonderful, dramatic’ Crete – has been famous for centuries for its flowers, many of which are unique (endemic) to the island. The Minoan people who built the great palaces such as that at Knossos admired flowers, and plants (accurately portrayed) appear in their frescoes and on their artefacts.

While it is a relatively small island, Crete’s native flora is remarkably rich. There are about 1,800 different species of flowering plants recorded, and of these around 180, one-tenth, are unique and found nowhere else in the world – such plants are called endemics. So Crete is a marvellous island for plant-hunting. (For comparison, Britain and Ireland combined have about 1400 native flowering plants.)

Among the endemics are the white peony Paeonia clusii, Cretan ebony (in fact a relative of clover) Ebenus creticus, the so-called “wall-lettuce” (it has no good English name) Petromarula pinnata that you will see even in Hania, a cyclamen, two tulips Tulipa cretica and the enigmatic Tulipa saxatilis (or T. bakeri supposed to be confined to Omalos), a close relative of the date-palm Phoenix theophrasti, and several orchids. Indeed Crete is an orchid enthusiast’s paradise; 14 different genera occur on the island.

The Cretans still harvest and use their wild plants. In the island’s markets, sacks full of grape hyacinth bulbs are on sale. In fact the tassel hyacinth (Muscari comosum) has been a delicacy since antiquity and its Greek name means edible bulb. In places such as Omalos Plain you will see small groups of women and men, all bending down and evidently digging up local plants. They are collecting spiny chicory (Cichorium spinosum), a vegetable delicacy that is blanched and served in olive oil with lemon juice.

Wildflowers of Crete

An invitation to join a private tour party for a week wandering among flowers and ancient sites.

Proposed programme for a one-week (8 nights) private visit to Crete of one of expert licensed...

Duration: 25th March- 2nd April 2023
Lang: English

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Archanes Wildflower Tour

The valley of Archanes stretches along the foothills of Mt. Youchtas. It is renowned for its vast vineyards and olive groves, which produce products of exceptional quality, including a variety of...

Duration: A half day tour
Lang: English

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Other Experiences

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Congress

Our long experience in the field of tourism and the demands of the visitors, combined with our professionalism and reliability, allows us to be involved in the field of organization and conduct of Conventions, Conferences and Seminars.

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Accessible Tours

“Tourist Guides of Crete” www.travel-crete.gr, is certified as one of the members of Pantou.org

Many of our tourist guides have successfully completed the course “T-GUIDE-Guiding people with learning difficulties” and were certified by FEG-the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations and ENAT-the European Network for Accessible Tourism, as well as the FEG seminar “Tourism for All”.

Due to our professional experience as tourist guides all these years, we know that we are all different, but we can have common interests.

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Village experiences

Visiting in land Crete can be a real challenge! In the villages of Crete one has the opportunity to experience the Real Crete, the heartbeat of the island.

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Cultural

One can never experience the true heart and soul of Crete, without tasting its raki and dance to the sounds of Lyra – Crete’ s emblematic musical instrument- along with its beautiful and friendly inhabitants.

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Sports activities

Either you need to perfect your tennis serve, or choose among a wide variety of marine activities such as sailing, yachting. Crete is your place of choice.