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Apokoronas Unseen Routes - Nature - Culture - Religion

*Private Experience

Why choose this tour?

Value for money

Indulge in an exceptional cultural journey without breaking the bank, as you embark on a remarkable adventure.

A unique experience

Join us and tour around hidden churches, wonderful natural landscapes and learn everything about the religious tradition of Crete

Explore nature, culture & religion

Dive into a cultural adventure with our tour, learn everything about Crete's traditions and meet the locals.

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Hundreds of satisfied customers

Take this cooking tour! Great experience in every way. Great food, stories, and camaraderie. Food and alcohol included. Great experience for our adult son and his wife, my wife and me.
Mark J
Mark J
16 July 2023
Super schöner Kochabend Tolle Orga, sehr erfahrener und freundlicher Guide, ganz liebenswerte Menschen vor Ort und sehr leckeres Essen. On Top gab es Infos zu Land und Kultur. Absolut empfehlenswert!
Saskia Z
Saskia Z
16 July 2023
Maria’s fabulous 7 villages tour A thoroughly enjoyable full day tour, Maria was an exceptionally knowledgeable guide and she gave us a full authentic tour of the 7 villages, she answered all our questions with confidence and patience. We had great food with good company, we would highly recommend this tour with Attios Travel Agency.
Robert B
Robert B
15 July 2023
Great food and history tour Absolutely terrific tour from beginning to end. Our guide, Kostas, was well informed, personable, and helpful. The house we visited was situated in an unbelievably picturesque location. The cooks were delightful, and the food was delicious! Highly recommend this venture.
elenapU4896NC
elenapU4896NC
11 July 2023
Excellent Fantastic tour , very interesting and enjoyable. Yannis was an excellent guide and driver, very knowledgable about the Battle of Crete and also Crete in general. Visited all the relevant sites in this part of the island. Would thoroughly recommend
jpsadler123
jpsadler123
10 July 2023
A must for your trip in Crete You learn how to cook awesome recipies, you get to learn history and enjoy the tranquility of the countryside. A really great experience that was one of the highlights of our vacation in Crete
Florin P
Florin P
8 July 2023
It made our trip! We had the best time on this tour! We were a small group of 8 people from England, Australia and Malta and thankfully we got along so well! We were picked up in convenient locations and driven to a serene house in the hills where we cooked multiple dishes, fed goats and sheep, did wine tasting with some cheese, had a tour of the family relics and learnt the history of Crete sitting on a gorgeous balcony as it was getting darker. We then all sat together outside to enjoy our meal with some more wine and a yummy dessert. It was such good value, and a fantastic experience.
Reeen
Reeen
4 July 2023
Lovely. Wonderful. I just made the tzaziki sauce now that I am at home in US, its great! Please send recipe in email! Ok. Wonderful. Nice ride. Docent was amazing. Learned so much about Crete. Such a wonderful island. Such a healthy plant based cuisine. We fed goats, and sheep! I loved it all. So much history. We cooked an amazing plant based meal. Bravo!!!! This was the highlight of my trip.
Michelle J
Michelle J
1 July 2023
A sok választható kirándulás közül, ezt mindenképp érdemes megnézni. Érdekes, látványos dotto utazás a hegyek között. Aranyos autentikus települések, kedves emberek, narancs-, citrom és olajfák, hangos kabóca 'zene' mindenütt.
ergyd
ergyd
28 June 2023
Great way to meet and share a meal I love to cook & try the flavours of places I visit. As I'm travelling solo I thought this would be a great way to learn something about the food culture of the area and meet people at the same time. The hosts were so gracious and much thought went into giving the group a wonderful time, keeping things running smoothly. Andreas the driver was very knowledgable (on all subjects!) and attentive to the group - on full time translation duties, keeping everyone engaged. The group was a mix of adults, children, teens. Taking account of the mix of ages, food preferences etc the experience is more about preparing food rather than cooking as such. The food we prepared and ate together was fun to do and delicious to eat, all vegetarian, which reflects the predominant way of eating here, using mainly local seasonal, fruit and vegetables. There was also a touch of wine history & tasting, a brief history of Crete, rural cultural artefacts & feeding goats all included. I met some really nice people and had a wonderful time. Really appreciated all the effort and thought from the hosts and Andreas that went into making it all happen. A delightful way to spend an afternoon and evening. Thank you
Debra
Debra
28 June 2023

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Tour overview

Tour Highlights

  • Discover the religious heritage of Crete
  • Unique landscapes and hidden churches
  • Detailed descriptions and unknown stories
  • Explore the wonderful region of Apokoronas
  • Delicious gastronomy experiences in a local tavern
  • Learn everything about the religious tradition of Crete
  • Private tour ensures a more relaxing and personal experience.

Description

The province of Apokoronas stretches from the White Mountains’ foothills (Lefka Ori) to the northern coast of the island. Dynamic water routes form a region rich in vegetation of various kinds. Apokoronas has preserved the traditional character of its villages that constitute a living core of modern rural life. The whole history of its countryside and the history of Christian worship are reflected in its churches that will be the focus of our tour. You will encounter exceptional examples of art and architecture situated in unique natural beauty.

The first stop is at a small Byzantine church in the middle of nowhere, almost caped by trees and plants around. It is located in a landscape of exceptional beauty, surrounded by vineyards and a rare Cretan oak. The type of church is a typical example of pure Byzantine architecture and testifies to the radiation of the tradition of Constantinople, even in distant corners of the Empire.

Traces of early worship are found in another church in the village nearby, your next visit. Although the standing building dates back to the 15th century, the recent excavations inside indicate that the worship began in the 8th century. You will see the excavation inside the church and discuss its relations with Greece’s great monasteries and the monastic tradition that was formed in the area.

A symbol of the Cretan effort in their struggle against the Venetians is a glorious church at the foothills of the White Mountains. Its founder is himself the emperor of Nicaea, John Vatatzis, who hastened to prevent the island’s conqueror. The exceptional frescoes within dated in the 13th C. represent a high-quality example of painting.

The tour is completed in the exceptional beauty of a hidden church in one of the most charming villages of Apokoronas. Built in the 13th century, as the frescoes, work of a famous artist, testify the church is a modern pilgrimage demonstrating that faith in this place is a constant feeling. Let the traditional local cuisine that will be tasted at a local « kafeneion» (tapas taverna) amidst a unique square of a typical Cretan village, where is expressed the local daily life, be the last satisfaction to our senses in this tour.

Inclusions

Exclusions

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PICKUPS

In our small-group and group tours we are picking up our guests from selected meeting points in Chania area and accecible by our vehicles hotels. Please select your pick up point according to your hotel’s location and don’t hesitate to contact us for any further clarification