Traditional Olive Grove and Dragon Fruit Farm Tour

This tour walks a family olive farm at Prassas, in the hills behind Heraklion, where the same family have grown olives for more than five decades across five generations and now also cultivate dragon fruit. The visit covers cultivation, harvesting and oil extraction, then a tasting of the farm’s own oil with bread, and coffee or a herbal tea. Alex Alexakis IKE runs it over 1 hour 30 minutes from €9, with a 4.75 rating across 200 reviews.

What this farm tour actually does

The visit is a walk through a working grove with the person who works it. Three parts make it up.

First you wander among the olive trees while the farmer explains cultivation, the harvest and how the oil is extracted, the tools are there to handle rather than look at. Second comes the dragon fruit, an unusual crop for Crete and the reason this farm stands apart from the dozens of olive tours on the island. Third is the tasting: the farm’s own olive oil, dipped with local bread, alongside an espresso, a Greek coffee, a dragon fruit drink or a Cretan herb-infused tea, whichever you prefer.

The farm sits high enough that the view runs down to the sea.

Places this tour visits

The farm lies inland from the city, in the hills at Prassas.

• Heraklion, the farm is a short drive from the city, so it fits neatly among the things to do around Heraklion for a morning that is not another archaeological site.

What’s included and what isn’t

The €9 covers the tour, a drink and the tasting.

Included:

• Farm tour, approximately 1 to 2 hours
• Espresso, Greek coffee, a dragon fruit drink or Cretan herb tea, your choice
• Olive oil tasting with local bread

Not included:

• Any farm products you choose to buy

Why we recommend this experience

We recommend this one for what it is rather than what it claims: nine euros to spend ninety minutes with a farmer on his own land. There is no coach, no group of forty, no gift shop built for cruise passengers. Reviewers describe meeting a family business, and that is exactly what the review record reads like.

The host is the product here. Alex is named directly in review after review, by visitors from the United States, Lithuania, France, Germany and Hungary, described as full of knowledge and kindness, a helpful and kind host, welcoming. An American family with three children aged 14 to 21 rated the whole visit around him. A French reviewer wrote about meeting a beautiful family-run business as much as learning about olives.

The dragon fruit is a genuine curiosity. Very little of it grows in Crete, and seeing it alongside olives on the same ground is the kind of detail that makes a farm visit memorable rather than generic.

The tasting is repeatedly described as generous, oils and jams, delicious, with products available to buy afterwards and no pressure attached.

Two honest notes, because this review record contains no complaints at all.

GetYourGuide’s own review summary reports the one soft criticism: some travellers say the farm visit feels short and want deeper insight into cultivation and processing. At €9 for 90 minutes that is a fair expectation to set, this is an introduction, not an agronomy course.

The site is a working farm at Prassas, and you make your own way there. No transfer is included and there is no public transport worth relying on, so a car or a taxi is needed.

CreteLocals insider tips

Drive yourself, come hungry enough to taste properly, and leave room in the suitcase.

1. Bring a car or book a taxi, since the farm sits at Prassas in the hills and no transfer is included.
2. Ask about the generational change, because reviewers who did got the most interesting part of the visit.
3. Try the dragon fruit drink rather than the coffee, given it is the crop you came to see and it is one of the included options.
4. Taste the oil with bread and no salt, which is how the differences between pressings actually show.
5. Bring cash and space in your bag, as the farm sells its own products and reviewers consistently buy some.
6. Go in the morning, when the light over the grove and down to the sea is at its best.

What to know before you go

The meeting point is the farm itself, at Evangelismou 135, Prassas 715 00. The visit runs about 1 hour 30 minutes, though the operator quotes 1 to 2 hours depending on the group.

Nothing beyond the tour, the drink and the tasting is included. Farm products are available to buy but are never part of the ticket.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the olive grove and dragon fruit farm tour?

The visit runs about 1 hour 30 minutes, with the operator quoting 1 to 2 hours depending on the group.

What is included in the price?

The €9 covers the farm tour, one drink of your choice and an olive oil tasting with local bread.

Why is there dragon fruit on a Cretan olive farm?

The family have added dragon fruit alongside their olive trees, an unusual crop for Crete and the reason the farm differs from a standard olive tour.

Is transport included?

No transport is included. The farm is at Prassas in the hills behind Heraklion and you make your own way.

Is it suitable for families?

Families rate it highly. One American family with children aged 14 to 21 rated the visit five stars, and the pace suits mixed ages.

Can you buy the farm’s products?

Products are available to buy but are not included, and reviewers consistently mention leaving with oil or jam.

Check dates and prices for the olive grove and dragon fruit farm tour.