What is a Self-Guided Itinerary
Travelling is not just about visiting places, it is about having memorable experiences. A self-guided itinerary provides you with all the info you need to start exploring, at your own pace.
All the content included in the self-guided itinerary is perfectly organized in digital form to have it with you each day and it’s just a click away. If you are looking for an off-the-beaten track experience, then that’s the kind of plan you need to wander around independently.
“Travelling is not just about visiting places, it is about having memorable experiences.”
What is included in a Self-Guided Itinerary
Local restaurants- to enjoy the real Cretan cuisine, local food spots- to find the finest Cretan products, local farms- to get to know the people behind the best Cretan products and incredible locations away from crowds- to enjoy the Cretan landscape.
Taste the local Crete brings you closer to the local communities. Everything you need to know to start exploring Crete the way locals do is included in the plan and it’s linked on seasonal features so that you get the most out of every season when visiting Crete. Check all tour itineraries created by Taste the local Crete to experience the island the way locals do.
“Enjoy your privacy, save your energy and wander around as a free spirit.”
The benefits of a Self-Guided Itinerary
Is there anything more convenient than being able to do whatever you want whenever you want? To change your plans depending to your mood and make your own choices? You don’t have to stick to a strict and time-limited program with a large group of people, in crowded places. A Self-Guided Itinerary offers you that freedom.
Enjoy your privacy, save your energy and wander around as a free spirit. Hop onto a car and start exploring at your own pace. No need to wait for others to make decisions about your daily trips or wasting time while waiting for groups of tourists to gather so the bus starts. You’ll be able to visit multiple locations and be more flexible with your time if you organize your travelling individually.
Go for the less-known locations that are frequented by locals and be open to the experience of Crete, following an off-the-beaten track itinerary. In overcrowded places you miss the real beauty of the location being in such a rush together with hundreds or thousands of people. Also, you can get quickly overwhelmed and tired in overloaded locations by the high-speed tourist rat-race.
“Travelling is not just about visiting places, it is about having memorable experiences.”
Choose a slow travel model
A self-guided itinerary is fully aligned with the philosophy of slow travel. It takes you to the most preserved locations and prompts you to discover the real character of Crete. Travelling is not just about visiting places, it is about having memorable experiences.
A low-season trip to Crete let you allows you to enjoy even the most popular locations to the full. Crete is an all-year-round destination, which means that you can get the most out of every season. It’s hard to protect the natural beauty of popular locations because of the large number of visitors during high-season. Travelling has now actively embraced the effort to protect the natural environment at all costs.
The slow-travel philosophy gives local communities the chance to maintain their touristic activity and have a valuable income throughout year. This way, slow travel opens up a truly sustainable model of getting to know places, while supporting the local communities and economies at the same time.
Instead of rushing to well-known locations widely advertized in so many travel brochures, try to have mindful experiences and go where others don’t. It all starts with the decision to dare to live differently. You can spend more time in one place or decide to explore further something whatever may catch your eye. And different choices bring forth different travel experiences.
“Supporting the local producers is at the core of the slow food model.”
Slow food in travel
Following a slow-type of travel, slow food is the new model in travel. It’s connected to a farm-to-table philosophy that lots of restaurants have now embraced in their menus. It’s necessary to really know exactly what we are eating. A need to learn about the actual origin of the products we taste.
There is no better way to taste the real Cretan cuisine than visiting restaurants that grow their own products and serve the finest Cretan products in collaboration with local producers. And that’s where you’ll start exploring the culinary tradition of Crete to the full. Use the Local Food Guides created by Taste the local Crete and find the best food spots to eat like a local.
Supporting the local producers lies at the core of the slow food model. In order to appreciate what we eat we want to get connected to the people behind the products. And visiting local farms and traditional food workshops gives you the chance to live unique farm-to-table experiences. Tasting good food is no longer confined to restaurants.
“Be open to visit small local family restaurants and secluded places out of the box.”
Choose your self-guided itinerary
This is the kind of travel that brings you closer to the local community. If you decide to go off-the-beaten track you will get the chance to have lots of pleasant surprises, especially while meeting the locals. Be open to visit small local family restaurants and secluded places out of the box.
Check all Self-Guided Itineraries provided by Taste the local Crete for slow travel and slow food experiences in Rethymno and Lasithi (2 of the 4 prefectures of Crete). You can carry them with you in digital form and use them, at your own pace, while travelling around Crete.
Your trip to Crete doesn’t end the day of your departure. Take the flavors and the aromas of Crete with you. Keep tasting the local Cretan cuisine from the comfort of your home.
Learn how to cook the Cretan way using the Daily Cretan Cuisine eBook and adopt a slow food philosophy on a daily basis. Simple cooking, few ingredients and distinct authentic flavors show you the way!
