Tour Overview
It is said that once you visit Crete, you will be drawn back again and again, such is the charm and allure of this legendary island. From an archaeological point of view it is absolutely irresistible, covered with impressive sites that stretch back to the dawn of western civilization. The centrepiece is undoubtedly the magnificent Minoan Palace of Knossos, which barely a hundred years ago existed only in mythology. The discovery and excavation of the palace by Sir Arthur Evans and the interplay between legend and fact are among the most amazing tales of modern archaeology.
In addition to this and other extensive archaeological sites, we will discover a dazzling array of churches, monasteries and fortresses. At the village of Krista we find a lovely Byzantine church which contains some beautiful frescoes and we take a boat trip to the island of Spinalonga to visit the impregnable Venetian fortress. Among the olive groves of the Mesara Plain we tour the Greco-Roman city of Gortys, and explore the ancient Minoan city of Phaistos. South of Heraklion we visit the Dictean cave with its impressive rock formations and call at the monastery of Kera Kardiotissa. A visit to the excellent museum in Heraklion provides a comprehensive overview of Cretan history and archaeology and we conclude with visits to two further Minoan sites, the Palace of Mallia with its virtually complete ground plan and the large villa at Nirou Chani.
Day 1
We depart from London Gatwick on our direct flight to Heraklion in Crete. (Regional flight connections and/or overnight accommodation in London available on request.) On arrival we will be met by our local guide and proceed by coach to our comfortable hotel where the evening is free at leisure.
Day 2
Following breakfast, we travel to the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the monumental symbol of Minoan civilisation, due to its construction, use of luxury materials, architectural plan, advanced building techniques and impressive size. The first Palace dates to 1900 BC, was destroyed circa 1700 BC and was rebuilt and destroyed again by fire, this time definitively, in 1350 BC. Since the Roman period Knossos has been suggested as the source of the myth of the Labyrinth, an elaborate mazelike structure constructed for King Minos of Crete and designed by Daedalus to hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull and was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus.
The ruins at Knossos were discovered in 1878 by Minos Kalokairinos, a Cretan merchant and antiquarian. He conducted the first excavations, which brought to light part of the storage magazines in the west wing and a section of the west façade. After Kalokairinos, several people attempted to continue the excavations, but it was not until March 16, 1900 that archeologist Arthur Evans, an English gentleman of independent means, was able to purchase the entire site and conduct massive excavations. The excavation and restoration of Knossos, and the discovery of the culture he labelled Minoan, is inseparable from the individual Evans. Assisted by Dr. Duncan Mackenzie, who had already distinguished himself by his excavations on the island of Melos, and Mr. Fyfe, the British School at Athens architect, Evans employed a large staff of local labourers as excavators and within a few months had uncovered a substantial portion of what he named the Palace of Minos. Knossos was a complex collection of over 1000 interlocking rooms, some of which served as artisans' workrooms and food processing centres (e.g. wine presses). It served as a central storage point, and a religious and administrative centre. Among the many highlights are the celebrated dolphin fresco and running friezes in the Queen’s Suite and the remarkable ‘flushing’ lavatory.
Following our visit to the palace, we travel to Vathypetro, a nearby site where archaeologists have unearthed winemaking facilities and storerooms full of clay jars for storing wine. We continue to the town of Archanes, the centre of this wine-growing region, where we will enjoy a wine tasting at a local vineyard before returning to Heraklion.
Dinner is served at a local restaurant.
Day 3
This morning we travel east to the village of Kritsa, renowned for its weaving tradition and the site of one of the most lovely and noteworthy Byzantine churches on the island, Panagia Kera, containing some of the best-preserved medieval frescoes on Crete. We continue north up the coast of the Gulf of Mirambello, to the resort town of Elounda, where we embark on a short boat ride to the island of Spinalonga, where we visit one of the most important and finest fortresses in Crete. The island was fortified by the Venetians in 1579 to defend the approach to the gulf and the sheltered anchorages behind the peninsula. Like most of the island fortresses it was virtually impregnable and was only handed over to the Turks in 1715, fifty years after the rest of Crete surrendered. The island gained infamy in the first half of the 20th century as a leper colony, the last in Europe.
Evening at leisure.
Day 4
After breaskfast we visit the large Minoan villa at Niron Chani. Forty rooms have been excavated on the ground level along with courtyards and evidence of stairways leading to an upper floor the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. Then we are going to visit the Minoan Palace of Mallia. Excavations here have revealed Neolithic habitation including the first palace erected circa 1900 BC about the same time as the Old Palaces at Knossos and Phaistos.
This is going to be a relaxing day and the afternoon/evening will be free to relax at the hotel.
Day 5
Following breakfast, we depart Heraklion and travel through the fertile Mesara Plain, filled with olive groves, to the Greco-Roman city of Gortys, where the earliest code of law in Europe was inscribed. The site was settled from Minoan times but rose to prominence under the Dorians. The most extensive remains are the Praetorium or Governor’s Palace, a vast pile originally built in the second century AD and occupied as a monastery right up to the time of the Venetian conquest, although the most important relic is the Odeon (covered theatre) which houses the law code. This is a series of engraved stones some 9m long and 3m high which dates from around 500BC and provides a fascinating insight into a period about which relatively little is known.
Later, we will explore the ancient city of Phaistos, (also spelled as Festos) the second most important Minoan site in Crete, where the curious Phaistos Disk (now in the museum in Heraklion) was discovered in 1903. Of note is the Grand Stairway, a superbly engineered flight of 12 shallow stone steps, some of which are carved from the solid rock. Each step is slightly convex to improve the visual impact, an innovation which precedes similar subtleties at the Parthenon in Athens by twelve centuries.
We return to the hotel by a particularly scenic route, via the charming small village of Zaros, famous for its spring waters.
Evening at leisure.
Day 6
Enjoy your breakfast. Today we start with a visit to the monastery of Kera Kardiotissa. The buildings date from the 12th century and the plain white exterior is in marked contrast to the spectacular frescoes within, which only came to light in the 1960s when they were discovered beneath accumulated layers of paint.hen we will continue to the Dictean Cave with its impressive stalactites and stalagmites, which is the legendary birthplace of Zeus. Hiking is involved so we propose that you wear flat shoes and be comfortably dressed.
From here we cross a barren wall of mountains and descend into a breathtakingly beautiful valley 2,800 feet above sea level. On the Lassithi Plateau, windmills pump water to irrigate fields of potatoes and fruit and nut orchards.
In Seli we will stop for our lunch at a traditional restaurant with Cretan traditional tastes and a breathtaking view to the plateau.
Evening at leisure.
Day 7
Lastly we travel to Amnissos, mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey as one of the places Odysseus stopped on his way home.
Then we will visit the Historical Museum which presents a comprehensive view of Cretan history from early Christian times to the present day. It was founded in 1953 by the Society of Cretan Historical Studies, which had been established two years earlier. The museum is housed in a two-storey neoclassical building, which was constructed in 1903 on the site of an earlier mansion belonging to the Kalokerinos family. The second building, designed by K. Tsandirakis, was clearly influenced by morphological features of the earlier one, and was later listed as a historical monument. The new museum extension to the west constituted an attempt to combine traditional and modern architecture.
There will be some free time for shopping and sightseeing before we visit the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion and its world-class collection of Bronze Age relics.
In the evening we will enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 8
Following breakfast today, we will check out of the hotel and transfer to Heraklion airport for our direct flight back to London Gatwick, where the group will disperse or make onward connections.
• 7 nights accommodation on bed and breakfast basis in a 4-star hotel in Heraklion
• 2 dinner and 1 lunch in local restaurants
• Return flights from London Gatwick to Heraklion. Regional flight connections and/or
overnight accommodation in London available at a reasonable supplement
• Comfortable coaching in Crete
• Visits to the archaeological sites at Knossos, Vathypetro, Gortys, Phaistos, Mallia and Nirou
Chani; the church of Panagia Kera; the fortress on Spinalonga and the Dictean Cave;
the Museum of Archaeology and a wine tasting
• Services of a Brightwater Holidays tour manager and a local guide
• Single room supplement £210.00
• Insurance £35.00 (66 years & above £70.00)
• Regional flight connections and/or overnight accommodation in London available on request
London Gatwick