Discovering El Greco – Half Day

After meeting our guide and a short briefing on the excursion that will follow, we will drive along the northern coastline of Crete. Then, our off-road route starts as we head west to the village of Fodele the birthplace of Dominic Theotokopoulos also known as El Greco whose house is rumored to be located there. Once we arrive, we will visit the El Greco Museum where we will have the opportunity to admire exhibits of the painter’s works, learn more about his life and see the beautiful church of Panagia in the area.
After driving through a beautiful off-road route, we reach our next stop, the Monastery of Ag. Panteleimon. The monastery of Agios Panteleimon is located 25 km west of Heraklion and 3 km south of Fodele, in a wooded area full of orange and olive groves. The monastery was built with fortress architecture. Today part of the walls and the beautiful entrance of the monastery are preserved, making it a great place to take some photos. Our next stop is a traditional village of the area where we will have traditional handmade cheese pies and tsikoudia (a traditional handmade Cretan alcoholic beverage). Soon after, we find ourselves in an occult place that overlooks the entire city of Heraklion from where we will have the chance to admire the amazing panoramic view and take some photos. Immediately after, the road will lead us to Voulismeno aloni, a local climbing sight with interesting geological features, where you will learn about the myths, the stories that surround it and, if we are lucky, we might see some climbers in the area.
After our departure and drive along the river Almyros [where if the conditions of the wetland are favorable, we will meet many birds, depending on the season, as well as clusters of the indigenous Cretan palm (Phoenix theophrasti)] and the spring known as Eye. (The largest in water production in Crete). We will pass by the village of Rodia and then once our excursion concludes we return to the hotel.