Crete is the perfect travel destination for food lovers.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHAT WE DO
Welcome to Taste the local Crete! I’m Sofia Lantzanaki and I’m originally from the island of Crete. I grew up in the region of Lasithi (eastern Crete) and I’ve been living for a long time in the region of Rethymno (western Crete).
My colleagues and I have created this travel platform for alternative self-drive excursions in Crete (Self-Guided Itineraries & Tailor-Made Local Experiences). The self-drive itineraries introduce you to the less-known locations of the Cretan land and bring you closer to the local community by visiting the people behind the finest Cretan products (small-scale organic farms, local cheese makers and winemakers, local food & wine experiences).
You can easily access all the info you need, in a ready-to-use digital plan, in just a click. My goal is to make you have memorable experiences, in a sustainable way. I believe that travelling is not just about visiting places. It is about exploring a different culture through tastes, senses and off-the-beaten track experiences. It is important to know that I only recommend places and locations that I myself have visited multiple times.
If you love to travel independently and away from crowds, to follow a sustainable, slow form of travelling and if you search for local experiences to explore the original Crete and the real Cretan food then, Taste the local Crete shows you the way.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Crete is an all-year-round destination. The island is the perfect travel destination for food lovers. Exploring Cretan gastronomy is a wonderful way to learn about the agricultural and farming activities on the island, the unique products of the Cretan land, the real life in Crete and the local culture around Cretan food.
Meet the people behind the finest Cretan products, visiting small-scale organic farms. Visit the locations where these products are cultivated, grown and mature to bring forth their special flavors and aromas. Taste the real Cretan cuisine visiting local restaurants in Rethymno and Lassithi following a farm-to-table philosophy. It is important to know that my suggestions do not have any advertising or commercial purpose.
Enjoy a sustainable approach through a slow form of travelling. Getting closer to the local community brings you closer to the original Crete beyond the well-known sites. Explore the incredible contrasts of the natural landscape in Crete and get the most of every season during your visit.
OUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
Taste the local Crete creates unique travel experiences based on your preferences and interests (Tailor-Made Local Experiences) and provides you with readily available self-guided itineraries to wander around at your own pace (Self-Guided Itineraries). All the suggestions included in the self-guided itineraries have been carefully selected to get you to allow you to explore the authentic side of Crete. All the information you need is just a click away. Wander around as a free spirit, at your own pace, following your mood.
Taste the Local Crete offers suggestions about:
- Customized gastronomic experiences to explore the real Cretan food.
- Local restaurants in Rethymno (western Crete) and Lassithi (eastern Crete) with a farm-to-table philosophy, through growing their own delicacies and collaboration with the local producers.
- Special Cretan delicacies to taste in recommended restaurants in Rethymno and Lassithi. No worries about what to order!
- Visiting traditional food workshops and local organic farms to meet the people behind the finest Cretan products.
- Wonderful road routes and easily accessible trekking paths.
- Traditional Cretan villages in great locations.
- Secluded beaches of incredible beauty.
Choose your self-guided itinerary and start exploring Crete at your own pace!
Why choose a Self-Guided Itinerary?
No need to be part of a large group tour following a strict and time-limited schedule. Do what you want, stop anytime you need or reschedule according to your preferences and interests.
Go for the less popular locations, frequented by locals. Enjoy the beauty and the diversities of the Cretan land, at your own pace.
Visit multiple locations for more days at a lower cost instead of single-day group tours.
Enjoy your privacy! Wander around in Crete as a free spirit.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are you travelling to Crete and don't know where to begin? Feeling lost while searching for things to do and local places to go in Crete? Taste the Local Crete provides travelers with ready-to-use Self-Guided Itineraries to experience the original Crete.
Use the digital Cretan guides to wander around in the regions of Rethymno (western Crete) and Lassithi (eastern Crete) at your own pace, all year round. Follow your own itinerary as a free spirit, away from crowds!
A Self-Guided Itinerary is a digital travel guide to use in order to explore at your own pace the island of Crete. No need to search for anything, you can have complete control of what you see in Crete. Follow your own itinerary as a free spirit.
Are you traveling solo to the island of Crete? Or planning to travel with a group of friends? Use a Self-Guided Itinerary to explore the island and make the most of each day, without the need to search, as a free spirit.
All recommendations included in Self-Guided Itineraries are constantly updated so you can make the most of every season in Crete. Use a Self-Guided travel plan all year round to explore the local side of the island.
All the information you need is just a click away! Choose the Self-Guided Itinerary, on the website of Taste the Local Crete, based on the region that you want to visit (Rethymno or Lassithi) and the duration of your trip (3-days Itinerary or 7-days Itinerary).
You will receive the digital Self-Guided Itineraries in your email inbox to have them with you and use them off line while exploring Crete.
Tailor-Made Local Experiences are food-oriented and include a customized itinerary that we create together through a 50-minute one-to-one zoom call. Exploring Cretan gastronomy is a wonderful way to learn about the agricultural/farming activities and the real life on the island of Crete, to taste Cretan products of premium quality and get in touch with the local food culture.
A Self-Guided Itinerary is digital travel plan to explore the local side of Crete at your own pace. No need to search for what to do, what to see in Crete trying to estimate driving times. A self-drive guide takes care of all this!
All you have to do is download the digital self-guided itineraries to have them with you and use them offline while exploring Crete, at your own pace.
Are you a first-time traveler searching for things to do in Crete away from mass tourism? Are you a digital nomad planning to stay in Crete for a long time and don't where to begin?
A Self-Guided travel plan is a wonderful way to experience the local side of Crete without all the hustle. All recommendations included in Self-Guided Itineraries are carefully selected and they are constantly updated following the change of seasons. Make the most of each season in Crete and have the digital Cretan guides with you to wander around as a free spirit.