Travel guide Crete

The Cretans, who throughout their history have had to confront the occupiers of the island, are ready at any time to defend their land. Therefore, most of them have firearms which, fortunately, are only used to fire shots in the air during weddings or other important occasions in their lives.

Young Cretans nowadays drink almost only cold coffee: soluble coffee called "frappé" or "freddo", the great cold classic (an iced espresso, also available in cappuccino version). It's so much nicer to cool off in the summer with a good cold coffee at any time of the day.

The traditional Cretan costume dates from the 16th century. In the villages, the^elderly men still wear some of the attributes of this costume in their daily lives: the vraka, a kind of baggy pants, the sariki, a scarf around the head, and the stivanias, large black boots. Women wear the traditional dress only on holidays.

At the end of the 1960s, a community of beatniks seeking a life close to nature settled in the artificial caves of Matala. The small village became a meeting place for hippies until the late 1970s. In memory of this period, a popular music festival is held in June.

By the term "Byzantine icon", we mean in Greek the representation of saints or biblical scenes on a support made of wood or precious metal. The most beautiful ones still adorn the places of Orthodox worship, especially in Crete. The church of Agia Ekaterini in Heraklion, now a museum, offers a rare exhibition on Byzantine art from the East.

Siesta time is widely followed in Crete. Stores are usually closed between 2pm and 5pm and it is good practice, especially in summer, to respect this practice. When the sun is in full swing and after your lunch, it is important to take a break before returning to your activities, and even before your swim.

Almost a social institution, especially in small villages, the kafeneio is a hybrid between a café and a bar. It is the meeting point of men, where they spend long moments discussing politics or soccer with passion, around a few glasses of raki. It is the place par excellence where they play backgammon, in Greek tavli.

The wild goat, emblematic of Crete, is known in the local dialect as "kri-kri". In reality, it is a species of ibex, descended from the goat and returned to the wild since the Neolithic period. Today threatened, it can be seen in the natural park of the Samaria Gorge guarding its natural space!

The climatic conditions allowed, in the past, the Cretans to use the mills to grind the grains or to raise the water table as on the plateau of Lassithi. Most of these buildings having disappeared, we find a large number of miniature mills in souvenir shops, very popular with children!

Cretan music may have roots that are lost in tradition, but it is still very much alive in the hearts and daily lives of the Cretans. Having particularities not found in traditional Greek music, it owes its charm to the Cretan lyre and lute, as well as to its rhythmic articulation.

The island's singular topography has limited the development of tourist infrastructures on a large part of the island: this is how the natural environment has been able to preserve its richness. Particularly attractive in spring, Crete's natural beauty is sure to satisfy the passions of hiking enthusiasts: explore the spectacular, unaltered landscapes!

Crete has its own perfumes! Thyme, oregano, wild fennel, sage, omnipresent on the mountains, basil and geraniums overflow from the gardens and diffuse their essences, mixing with those of the spices. Towards the end of the summer, the most precious perfume has only one brand signature, that of the olive tree!