Discover hidden gems in Crete Island with these unique tours. Experience authentic Crete away from the crowds. Unearth Crete’s secret wonders now!
Start your day by meeting your guide at the farm, where you will have a cup of coffee before taking a basic riding lesson to make sure you feel safe and comfortable while riding a horse. Then, hop on your horse to begin your ride out into the mountains.
After riding for about an hour, you’ll arrive at the top of the Finikia mountains, where you’ll stop for a break. Help yourself to a soft drink, or fruit, and take a moment to admire the amazing views and snap a picture or two. In the distance, you can spot the nearby mountain of Archanes, the place where the Greek God Zeus is said to be sleeping.
Then get back on your horses and make your way back to the starting point. After riding for about another hour, you’ll arrive at the stables and then sit down in our lovely garden for a delicious traditional Cretan lunch/dinner, including homemade wine with an amazing horse view!
After lunch, have a seat out in the garden of the farm, help yourself to some more wine, or enjoy a few more minutes with our horses. At about 12:30 PM, you will head back to your hotel or apartment.
Terra Creta is a working olive mill in the Kolymbari region west of Chania, and this one-hour tour walks you through production from harvest to bottling, ending with a guided tasting of three oils. The estate sits in the heart of Kolymbari’s groves, one of the recognised olive-growing areas of western Crete. Tickets start at €10, and the tour holds a 4.73 rating across 446 reviews.
The hour moves from grove to press to glass. Three parts make it up.
First is the facility itself, a modern mill where you see the equipment and the guide explains the sequence from harvesting through extraction to bottling, along with what actually separates extra virgin from the rest. Second is the storage and handling advice, which the staff give as practical guidance rather than sales patter. Third is the tasting: three different Terra Creta oils, served with finger foods and water, with bread for dipping.
The shop afterwards stocks the oils, balsamic vinegar and Greek olives in travel-safe packaging, and takes cards as well as cash.
The estate sits inland from the north coast, between Kolymbari and the olive villages behind it.
The €10 covers the tour and the tasting.
Included:
Not included:
We recommend this as the cheapest hour of real education available in Crete. Ten euros buys a guided walk through a working mill and a three-oil tasting, and 446 reviewers averaging 4.73 agree it delivers. A New Zealand visitor called it educational and good value in the same breath; an American couple said they learned exactly what they wanted to about the process.
What the reviews keep coming back to is the guides’ enthusiasm. An Estonian reviewer wrote that their guide was extremely passionate about olive oil and it was a joy to see. A Polish guest praised the way they talked about the place and the production, noting you rarely get to see a real factory. Americans who cook with olive oil said the tour changed how they use it.
The tasting is generous rather than token. One Polish reviewer described unlimited opportunity to try different oils with bread, and a Finnish guest mentioned plenty of oil and olives to take home.
Three things to know before you go, and the first one decides which month you should book.
The mill only runs from October to February. Outside those months the machinery stands still, so a summer visit is a tour of the facility and the process rather than a working press. That is not hidden, but it changes what you see.
Parts of the site may be closed in summer. The operator states that some areas inside and outside the mill may be inaccessible between April and September for building expansion and machinery upgrades.
The pace can feel quick. GetYourGuide’s own review summary says some travellers find the delivery rushed with little time for questions, and asks for slower explanation. At one hour with a full tasting, that is the trade-off.
Visit in autumn if you can, arrange your own transport, and ask your questions early.
The meeting point is Epar.Od. Rapaniana-Vouves, Kolymbari 730 06. You reach it by taxi in about 25 minutes from Chania or Kissamos; no hotel pick-up is provided.
The mill operates only from October to February, and some areas may be inaccessible between April and September because of building work. The shop takes cash and cards.
The tour takes one hour, covering the facility, the production process and a three-oil tasting.
The mill presses only from October to February. Outside that window you tour the facility rather than watching production.
The tasting covers three different olive oils served with finger foods, water and bread for dipping.
No transport is included. The estate is about 25 minutes by taxi from Chania or Kissamos.
Wheelchair access is provided, though some areas may be closed between April and September for building work.
The shop sells oils, balsamic vinegar and olives in travel-safe packaging, and accepts both cash and cards.
Check dates and prices for the Terra Creta olive oil experience tour.
For this excursion, you will be picked up from your hotel area by our airconditioned bus. The first
stop is at the Spili village. You will have a chance to see a 100% traditional village with its well know
lion-head fountains in the middle of the village. Walking along its cobbled streets you can explore
the tourist shops which are full of traditional Cretan products. The next stop is at Matala where you
will have 2,5 hour of free time to enjoy the golden sandy beach. Matala is not only known for its
beautiful beaches but also for its artificially carved caves that date all the way back to the Minoan
period. These same caves were later occupied by a hippy commune in the late 6 0’s and 7 0’s. Many
musicians have composed song about the beauty of Matala including Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens.
The next stop is at the amphitheatrically built village of Agia Galini. Here will have 1,5 hours to
explore the village. The small, traditional houses and the harbor make the perfect match for a
coffee οr lunch break. The bus will then take you back to your hotel ending this amazing excursion.
Take a trip to the Cretan Mountains as you ride a horse along the paths and hilltops of the mountains. Admire the panoramic view of Giouhtas mountain and Agios Silas village.
Start your day by meeting your guide at the farm. Take a basic training session to make sure you feel safe and comfortable while riding a horse. Then, hop on your horse to begin your ride out into the mountains.
Stretch your legs with a short break made during the trip with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape of the mountains. Refresh yourself with a glass of orange juice and take amazing pictures of the beautiful scenery. Feel the fresh Mediterranean breeze at the top of the mountain.
Beginners & advanced riders are welcome!
Take a tour to Richtis beach on the far side of Mirabello Bay and trek through the forest to the stunning Richtis waterfall. After pickup from your accommodation, enjoy the beautiful scenery on the 1-hour drive to the bay of Mirabello. Leave the asphalt and travel off road down to Richtis beach, hugging the mountainside.
Park at the bottom and enter Richtis gorge to start the 30-minute walk to reach the falls. Follow a trail through the forest, listening to the sounds of birds and running water. Stop to admire the incredible waterfalls, with time to climb up the stairs to the top of the falls, take photos, or swim in the cool waters.
When you are ready to leave, head back to the beach along the same trail. During the tour you’ll enjoy a traditional lunch at a local tavern, with wine and water included. At the end of your tour, you’ll be dropped off back at your hotel in the Elounda area.
Create lasting memories in Crete as you enjoy an olive oil tasting experience under the shade of olive trees. This entire experience will be enjoyed in the middle of a 2,000-year-old monumental olive grove.
Discover the history, culture, and Cretan civilization of olive oil throughout the centuries. During your walk around the peaceful olive groves such as the holy Gethsemane Garden, you will discover the beauty of the Cretan landscape as well as the myths, flavors, and aromas of olive oil.
The activity includes an olive oil tasting of 4 different olive oils at a tasting table in the shade of some olive trees. During the tasting you will be pairing food with more types of olive oil, and you will receive tips on how taste, preserve, choose, cook, and fry olive oil. You’ll also receive more information about harvesting and olive oil extraction.
Phoenix Dive Club was the first PADI dive centre founded in Crete and has been training divers on the south coast at Plakias for more than 25 years. It holds PADI 5 Star Gold Palm resort status, one of the highest rankings PADI awards a dive centre, and runs the full range of PADI courses from a first breath underwater through to professional qualifications.
The centre is built around teaching rather than day trips. Four things define it.
First is the course range. As a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm resort, Phoenix can offer every PADI course available, from first-time discovery dives through open water certification to specialities and professional levels. Second is the teaching style, which the centre describes as personalised, easygoing and professional rather than processed in batches. Third are the instructors, every one of whom began their diving career at this centre, which is unusual and says something about how it is run. Fourth is the specialisation: whether you want to learn about underwater plants and animals or to add technical skills, there is a course rather than a generic dive.
Twenty-five years of continuous operation on the same coast is the relevant number here, this is the established dive school of south Crete, not a seasonal operation.
The centre works the south coast of the Rethymno regional unit.
PADI courses available at a 5 Star Gold Palm resort include:
Course content follows PADI standards, taught by instructors who trained at the centre themselves.
We recommend Phoenix for the thing that matters most when you are learning to dive: the track record of whoever is teaching you. This was the first PADI centre established in Crete, it has run for over 25 years, and it holds 5 Star Gold Palm status. When you are about to breathe underwater for the first time, that history is worth more than a discount.
The south coast location is a genuine advantage. Plakias faces the Libyan Sea with sheltered bays and clear water, and it is far quieter than the diving on the north coast, which means smaller groups in the water and better visibility on most days.
The instructor detail is the one we would point at specifically. Every instructor at the centre started their diving career there, which means they were trained to the same standard they now teach. In an industry where seasonal instructors move between centres each summer, that continuity is rare.
Two things to note.
The centre’s strength is courses rather than one-off boat trips. If you want a single fun dive between beach days, ask what is running; if you want to come away certified, this is the kind of place built for it.
Contact the centre directly for current course dates, prices and availability, schedules on the south coast are seasonal and worth confirming before you travel.
Contact them before you travel, plan the days you need, and pick the season carefully.
Phoenix Dive Club is based at Plakias on the south coast of the Rethymno regional unit and operates as a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm resort.
Contact the centre directly for course schedules, prices and availability: isabellapapadaki@yahoo.gr, +30 693 233 6525.
Phoenix was the first PADI dive centre founded in Crete and has been training divers for over 25 years.
It is one of the highest rankings PADI awards a dive centre, and it allows the centre to offer every PADI course available.
Yes. The centre runs discovery dives for people with no experience, alongside full certification courses.
Phoenix Dive Club is based at Plakias, on the south coast of the Rethymno regional unit facing the Libyan Sea.
Every instructor began their diving career at this centre, and all teaching follows PADI standards.
Contact the centre directly by email or phone for current course dates, prices and availability.
This fishing trip takes you out from Kalyves with a working local fisherman for 3 hours along the Chania coastline, to spots that do not appear on any map. Two departures run: a sunrise trip at 08:00 with a traditional Cretan breakfast aboard, or a sunset trip at 17:30 with wine and homemade delicacies. Both include swim stops at hidden coves along the way.
The trip follows the fisherman’s own working knowledge of the coast. Four things fill the 3 hours.
First is the departure from Kalyves, on the Apokoronas coast east of Chania, and the run out to the fishing grounds. Second is the fishing itself, learning techniques that have been used on this coast for generations and casting your own lines in clear Mediterranean water. Third are the swim stops, at coves along the shoreline that are reachable only from the water. Fourth is the food and drink: a traditional Cretan breakfast on the morning trip, or wine and homemade delicacies as the light goes on the evening one.
The coastal views between stops are part of the trip rather than the gap between the parts you paid for.
The boat works the Apokoronas coast east of Chania.
The trip covers the boat, the fishing and the food.
Included:
Places are limited, so book ahead in season.
We recommend this trip because it is one of the few things on this coast run by the person who actually does it for a living. Most boat trips from Chania are tourism products with a boat attached. This is a fisherman taking a small number of people to the places he fishes, which is a different proposition and produces a different kind of afternoon.
The choice of departure is the practical strength. A sunrise trip with breakfast aboard and a sunset trip with wine are genuinely different experiences on the same water, and having both means the trip fits around the rest of your day rather than replacing it.
Three hours is the right length. Long enough to reach real fishing spots and swim properly, short enough that it is not the whole day, and short enough for children and less confident sea travellers.
The listing carries a strong TripAdvisor standing across a solid number of reviews, which for a one-boat operation is the signal worth reading.
Two things to check.
Confirm which departure you have booked, since the morning and evening trips carry different food and a five-and-a-half-hour difference in start time.
Contact the operator directly about numbers, as a small boat limits places and the trip is described as having limited spots.
Pick your departure deliberately, bring a towel, and book directly.
The boat departs from Kalyves, on the coast east of Chania. Two departures run: 08:00 with a traditional breakfast, and 17:30 with wine and homemade delicacies. Each trip lasts about 3 hours.
Bring swimwear, a towel, a hat and sunscreen.
Contact the operator directly: fishingtripskalives@gmail.com, +30 690 756 6222.
Each trip lasts about 3 hours, on either the morning or the evening departure.
The sunrise trip leaves at 08:00 with a traditional Cretan breakfast aboard, and the sunset trip at 17:30 with wine and homemade delicacies.
Yes, breakfast on the morning trip, and wine with homemade delicacies on the evening one.
Swim stops at hidden coves are part of both departures, at places reachable only from the water.
The boat departs from Kalyves, on the Apokoronas coast about 20 kilometres east of Chania.
No experience is needed. The fisherman teaches the techniques used on this coast and you cast your own lines.
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