Rethymno Walking & Gastronomy Tour, Crete

Explore the Old Town of Rethymnon, an open air museum of the towns’ multicultural past and discover the top gastronomy spots of Rethymno.

Get into Cretan mentality

We start at a beautiful "kafeneio” hidden in the heart of the city, in a small and peaceful square with a running fountain and orange trees. There, we will enjoy an authentic Cretan breakfast, which consists of a traditional Greek coffee or fresh juice and a handmade cheese pie (Greeks call it "sfakianopita") covered with handmade jam. As we all enjoy our Cretan breakfast in the calm atmosphere of this quiet café we will start discussing the main points of our visit, the historical sites, the traditions and customs, and how all these are connected to Cretan Gastronomy.

Honey, olive oil and raki tasting

The whole Cretan diet is based on these three ingredients. Distinguishing high and low quality, learning all the dos and don’ts about them, as well all the secrets of their production is the key to success! This is all we will do, along with a lot of tasting, in a comfortable and specially designed tasting room.

The “phyllo” workshop

A 17th century Venetian mansion houses “Yorgos Hatziparaschos” phyllo workshop, the oldest of its kind. He is famous for making phyllo by hand for more than 63 years now. The phyllo pastry is the base of the famous traditional Greek desserts kantaifi and baklava. While the ingredients are simple - flour, water and some salt - the proportions according to Mr. Hatziparaschos took years of testing. Sprinkled with the right balance of cinnamon and chopped walnuts, kantaifi is one of the favorite sweets of Greeks. There is no way to describe the taste of a masterfully made baklava or kantaifi, you just have to discover for yourself.

Cretan feast

A restaurant hidden in an Ottoman time inner garden will be our last stop. There, under the lemon trees, you will taste the Cretan cuisine in its modern form. Traditional dishes, cooked with fresh local ingredients and served in a stylish, modern way reflect the connection of the past and the present of Cretan life. Just a perfect occasion to discuss in depths about all that you discovered during the day.

Highlights

• Discover the impressive old town's narrow streets and the stone built Venetian old houses
• Dive into Rethymnon’s magnificent culture
• Enjoy a greek breakfast in a small and quiet "kafeneio"
• Explore the authentic flavors of Cretan gastronomy
• Visit a local's workshop of "baklava", "kantaifi" and other phyllo pastry
• Taste the famous honey, olive oil and raki of Crete
• Experience Cretan life through quality food, good wine and hearty discussions.