Bucket list experience:
Crete, Greek Islands, Greece
Cretan food is fresh, tasty and delicious
Seasonal, local, and traditional, Cretan food is phenomenally fresh and tasty. With its balmy climate and diverse landscape, the island produces a vast range of amazing produce, from olive oil, honey, wine, and cheese, to more atypical crops such as avocadoes, bananas, and mangoes.
Grilled, roast, or stewed meat is much loved by locals, particularly goat and lamb, which is often free-range. There’s less of a fishing industry than on smaller islands.
Cretans are generous hosts. Portions are generally huge, and you’ll be offered shots of raki (local grappa) wherever you go.
Raki, the local spirit of choice (see above), goes well with nubbly graviera cheese, wrinkly olives, and apaki (smoked pork).
A summer staple, dakos is the Cretan version of Greek salad: grated tomato, crumbled feta, olives and capers heaped onto a crunchy barley rusk and doused In plenty of olive oil. Stamnagathi (wilted bitter greens), fried snails, kaltsounia (turnovers stuffed with cheese or spinach), and sfakiani pitta (cheese-filled dough drizzled in honey) are also Cretan delicacies.
Also see our round-up of traditional Greek foods you must try in Greece.
Want more recommendations in this destination?
Destination Guide >Crete, Greek Islands, Greece
With a terrace overlooking the sea, a wood-fired oven, and meat and cheese from the owner’s own flock of goats and sheep, this lovely taverna on Marmara beach is as authentically Cretan as it gets. Order braised lamb tsigaristo, boureki (baked, layered vegetables with feta), dakos, and loukoumades (honey-drenched donuts) for dessert.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Crete, Greek Islands, Greece
A modern classic on the quieter end of Elounda, with a wealth of facilities and warm Cretan staff. The atmosphere is calm and cossetting, making it hard to venture out and explore the island.
Official star rating:
Crete, Greek Islands, Greece
A historic palazzo hidden in the colourful backstreets of Chania’s old town, this family-owned hotel has plenty of personality. The views from the roof terrace are a knock-out, and breakfast in the photogenic courtyard is a treat.
Official star rating:
Crete, Greek Islands, Greece
A funky, sustainably minded haven, this 205-key beach resort brings a dash of sophistication to an over-developed corner of Crete.
Official star rating:
Crete, Greek Islands, Greece
Once an olive mill owned by the nearby Arkadi monastery, this 200-year-old stone hamlet has been sensitively converted into a secluded hillside hideaway, where nature and traditional heritage take centre stage.
Official star rating:
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Greek Islands, Greece
Greece’s largest island has something for everyone: ramblers and epicureans, history buffs and beach bums. From jaw-dropping gorges to ravishing beaches, Crete is so much more than world-famous Knossos.
