Crete with Christina Xenos

Day 1

​​Welcome to Crete! Ancient ruins, master artisans and vineyards first planted in the Bronze Age—we are quite literally in the cradle of modern civilization, and the site of Europe’s first urban settlement. We’ll dive right in this morning, exploring the walled old town of Heraklion. We’ll wander through covered markets and into tiny shops and bakeries to sample fresh almira cookies and tangy goat cheese, exploring Cretan kafeneon (coffeehouse) culture.

The afternoon is ours to rest and relax, or to continue exploring Heraklion—the world-famous collection of Minoan antiquities at the Heraklion Archeological Museum is highly recommended. We’ll reconvene for a farm-to-table welcome dinner at Peskesi, set in a design-forward mansion and specializing in traditional Cretan dishes with an emphasis on the pure, balanced Cretan diet. Over slow-cooked goat in yogurt, smoked pork chop with smoldering herbs and eggplant stew, we’ll raise our glasses to a whole week of discovery and joy. στην υγειά μας!

Day 2

The theme for the day is bounty, and we’re up early to experience some of the finest olives, herbs and wines Crete has to offer. Olive trees have been cultivated on Crete for over 12,000 years, and this morning we’ll sample some of the island’s finest liquid gold, as Homer called it, at a family-run estate nestled in the hillside near the ruins of Knossos.

Next, we’ll take a stroll through the nearby village of Archanes, whose narrow alleyways offer a photogenic mishmash of Minoan ruins, Byzantine churches and neoclassical facades. Our destination? An herbal apothecary where we’ll learn the medicinal properties of Cretan herbs and sample a few local remedies. We’ll have all eyes on Christina here, who regularly forages for herbs and wildflowers on Crete and has promised to share a few of her secret recipes with us. 

Organic herbs in hand, we’ll make our way to Iraklio wine country for a visit to a women-run winery whose excellent natural wines incorporate Cretan varietals like spicy, pungent kotsifali, a dry red known as the “soul of Crete.” Lunch at the winery will include a tasting of hyper-local sheep’s and goat’s milk cheeses, many of which are virtually impossible to find off-island.

Day 3

This morning we head to Chania, a buzzing coastal township and our home base for the next four nights. Along the way, we’ll head west along the coastline to Rethymnon for a behind-the-scenes tour of its well-preserved old town—think Venetian arched doorways, Roman staircases and ancient loggias. Breathtaking architecture aside, we’re here to visit the workshop of one of Greece’s last traditional phyllo masters, whose tiny bakery has been hand-making the layered dough for more than 50 years. We’ll watch in awe as he billows and stretches each papery layer by hand until it’s the size of a large kitchen table.

Appetites whetted, we’ll head to the 17th-century courtyard of nearby Avli restaurant and roll up our sleeves for a hands-on Cretan cooking experience with Christina—and then sit down to lunch filled with our exquisite creations. We’ll continue on through Apokoronas province and stop at the home studio of a renowned ceramicist whose 150-year-old dwelling is anointed with cobalt- and emerald-colored basins, platters and candelabras of his own design.

The evening in Chania is ours to explore, from the seaside tavernas to the glorious views from our hotel’s rooftop garden. 

Day 4

Relax, restore, explore—today is ours to slow down and enjoy. A spa treatment at the hotel, a few hours on a secluded beach, or exploring the back alleys of Chania’s old town, the choice is yours.

We’ll meet up in the evening for a stroll along Chania’s magnificent harbor—its pastel-colored houses aglow in the setting sun—and sit down for an unforgettable dinner at Salis. Savor the riches of the sea with dishes like octopus carpaccio, fried flying squid and whole sea bream in smoked olive oil, alongside Crete’s most extensive selection of local wines (Salis’ list earned a Wine Spectator‘s Award of Excellence in 2020).  

Day 5

There’s another liquid gold on Crete—honey!—and we’ll start off our day at an apiary visiting the bee gardens and tasting a range of honeys fragrant with wild herbs and wildflowers; Christina is a fan of the local thyme-accented honey, renowned for its resinous, savory notes.

It’s a short hike to Milia, a traditional village of 15th-century stone houses that’s been converted into an eco-retreat. We’ll explore the gardens and then roll up our sleeves again: we’re here to help make hard-crust paximadi spelt bread and Crete’s famous cheese pies, fresh with herbs, greens, and local goat and sheep cheeses, followed by a lavish lunch of Cretan delicacies (zucchini fritters, smoked pork, pan-fried snails).

We’ll close out this remarkable day with a dip in the turquoise waters of Falassarna and a beachside aperitif.

Day 6

Today we head to Manousakis winery for an immersive tour of their hand-to-vine-to-table practice, as we marvel at the centuries-old vineyard and sample the fiery varietals that have grown here for millennia.

It’s a magical, and delicious, prelude to our farewell dinner prepared by Christina and a local chef: a traditional Cretan barbecue, unique to the island and historically prepared by shepherds. As night falls, our Cretan adventure culminates in a full-on bacchanalia of music, laughter, dancing and, of course, a delicious feast celebrating our time together in Crete. Opa!

Day 7

It’s time to say goodbye to Christina, and to this incredible group of humans, and transfer to the airport in Chania. With all we’ve tasted, experienced and learned, Crete now feels like home away from home, and we’ll never forget the lessons of this storied civilization. Adío! for now.