Explore all slow food and travel experiences in Crete

Slow food is a sustainable travel model

Though the philosophy behind the slow food movement is not new, the introduction of this term in tourism is gaining more and more ground. It’s part of a whole slow travel life movement that invites us to experience places like locals do. It’s a different approach to travel that stimulates mindful experiences.

It prompts you to seek for local food, the finest regional products and meet the people behind the most distinct local products. It all starts with a daring decision to go for authentic local flavors and find the best local food spots. Taste is about good quality of regional ingredients.

“The slow travel movement invites us to experience places like locals do.”

 

The best way to taste exceptional local food is to search for restaurants that follow a farm-to-table philosophy. That means that they grow their own goods and collaborate with local producers. They are particularly careful with everything they serve: cheese, wine, vegetables, bread and special savory or sweet delicacies.

The slow food mentality has lots of benefits. By making the choice to eat local you practically support the local communities and economies. And that is at the core of a sustainable way to travel and live.

“It’s easier to strike up a conversation in small local restaurants and lodgings.”

Say “yes” to these 5 slow food and travel tips

• Be open when it comes to deciding where to travel. There are lots of travel options besides popular destinations. Choose to visit a less-known location, and even if you do visit a famous big city, try go beyond the most popular attractions in your exploration.

• To find good local food spots you have to ask local people. In order to recognize the authentic local tastes of a place you need to have lots of tasting experiences in that place. That’s the way to train your palette.

• Explore local food away from popular restaurants and visit local farms and traditional food workshops to meet the people behind the finest products. In that way, you will have a complete farm-to-table experience.

• Choose to stay in small locally owned accommodations in order to meet permanent residents that know the place well. You can get valuable information and relate intimately with them. It’s easier to strike up a conversation with local hosts and ask them some questions in small lodgings.

• Try travelling to a place off-season in order to help locals maintain their activities in tourism for longer periods. And that’s a crucial part of the transformation towards a sustainable economy. Plus, you will have the chance to enjoy the place to the full away from crowds.

“It’s real human contact that makes your travel memorable.”

Slow food brings you closer to the local communities

If you make choices on the grounds of local foods, you will certainly have valuable taste experiences. Eating local food brings you closer to the local communities and it’s exactly this real human contact that makes your travel memorable.

And above all, eating locally means supporting the local economies. You know exactly where you spend your money. And that’s a real boost to the income of the people. If you opt for low-season travelling, you help them maintain a stable income for longer periods. The slow-food movement reconnects consumers with local producers.

You learn more about the culinary culture of the people and the origin of products when visiting small local restaurants and small farms. That helps you better understand the core ingredients of the local cuisine. Your journey will offer the real flavors and aromas and you will feel more deeply connected to the place you visit.

Your trip becomes a memorable experience because you took the time to slowly activate your senses and wander around, at your own pace, in a mindful way. And why do we have the desire to travel if not to get to know other local communities different from ours?

Use a self-guided itinerary for unique slow-food experiences

For more authentic Cretan tastes and unique food experiences choose your preferable self-guided itinerary, created by Taste the local Crete. You will discover small local restaurants following a farm-to-table philosophy. And that means that the owners carefully select everything they offer in their restaurants, either by growing their own goods or by being in collaboration with local producers.

And use the Foodies Guides included in the self-guided itineraries for memorable gastronomic experiences in Rethymno and Lasithi prefectures.
Plunge into the essence of the authentic Cretan cuisine and learn how to cook the Cretan way from scratch. Check the Daily Cretan Cuisine eBook created by Taste the local Crete. Prepare 50+ veritable Cretan meals following a slow-food cooking model based on: simple cooking procedures, distinct flavors and a few ingredients.

 

“Travelling is not just about visiting a place, it is about living memorable experiences.”

 

The benefits of a self-guided travelling model

For unique food experiences based on a slow food model in travelling choose a self-guided itinerary to explore the area the way locals do. It’s a practical tool, in digital form, that includes carefully selected information for incredible locations, natural landscapes to admire, local food spots, organic farms to visit and traditional food workshops to find the finest local products.

A self-guided itinerary allows you to wander around privately and change your plans anytime, depending on your mood and current preferences. You can better manage your time: pause wherever you want, stay longer at places, spend time on something that may have caught your eye. No need to wait for a large group of people to gather together again and again.

The self-guided model is inextricably linked to a slow travel approach. No anxiety, no rush, flexible choices and independency. All the recommendations are based on sustainable practices that respect the natural beauty of the landscape and support the local communities and economies.

The island of Crete is a perfect slow food and travel destination

The island of Crete is a perfect destination for foodies and the Cretan cuisine is the 2nd best worldwide. Good food is an essential part of social life and of the genuine spirit of hospitality. Add Crete to your travel plans and use our local food guides for slow food experiences off-the-beaten track.

Slow food is at the core of the rich culinary culture of Crete. Simple cooking, eating according to seasonal produce, a few pure ingredients and distinct flavors. Learn to cook the Cretan way from scratch with the digital Cretan cookbook, created by Taste the local Crete. Taste the real flavors of Crete from the comfort of your home. Get your first free Cretan recipes here!

Make the most of your trip to Crete

Travelling is not just about visiting places, it is about having memorable experiences. Take your time to enjoy the place at your own pace.  Create a flexible plan to adapt to your current mood, instead of a strict list of things to do. You can better enjoy the beauty and flavors of a place when you are not in a rush.

Get a car and follow your own path as a free spirit. It’s the best way to wander around the incredible natural contrasts of the Cretan land. Explore the incomparable beauties of the island having the unique flavors of Cretan gastronomy as your compass.

The island of Crete gives you the feeling that you are exploring a whole continent. And it’s an all-year destination because of the mild Mediterranean climate. Choose travelling to Crete any season you want and pick your self-guided itinerary to make the most of each season.