Traditional Villages at Crete that Make an Impression

Discover all the traditional villages of Crete that make an impression to the keen traveller.

First, Archanes is a model village on the island. Well-preserved and with a distinct ambiance, it is one of the loveliest in Europe, with its vineyards, flower-filled gardens and old restored houses. Moreover, the folk art and archaeological museums, the sculpture workshop and the museum of Cretan history and tradition tell the story of the village.

Additionally, in upland Heraklion, Houdetsi stands out for its stately homes and grand feasts with the sound of the Cretan lyre.

On Crete everything is history

Also, in Zaros, at the foot of Mount Psiloritis (Ida), vegetable plots and estates speak of those lucky enough to live in a place blessed with plenty of water. Furthermore, in the Ano and Kato Asites, the monastery of Aghios Georgios Gorgolainis stands out with its age-old plane tree and cypress. Equally important, in Vamos, the impressive apokoroniotika houses stand out among olive groves and orange orchards.

You are in the Chania Prefecture, and Sfakia invite you to find out that people’s lives could be different. The proud Hora Sfakion, surrounded by the steep slopes of Lefka Ori (White Mountains), have never surrendered to any conqueror.

Anogia, also perched on Psiloritis in the Rethymno Prefecture, stands out for its colors and scents. In the same prefecture, pottery lovers head towards Margarites, a cool village at the north base of Psiloritis, blessed with a view over the fertile valley down below.

Finally, in southeast Crete, the semi-mountainous Pefki stands out 7 km north of Makrys Gialos. Life is serene in the narrow alleys. Its folk museum reminds you how everyday life without electricity once was – with looms, spinning machines, wine presses, earthenware jars and innumerable tools.