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If you are in northeastern Crete, deviate from the beaten track between Sitia and Vai Beach to visit the Toplou Monastery, where religion and culture intermingle with history and tradition. Toplou offers striking scenery, an impressive fortress, rare books and engravings, Byzantine icons, and the monastery’s own local wines, tsikoudia, and olive oil.
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Greek chef Vasilis K. Leonidou was judged the “Best Olive Oil Chef” in the world for 2017 by Flos Olei, the international olive oil guide from Italy. The guide also named the Kapsaliana Village Hotel restaurant where he is head chef 2017’s “Best Restaurant of the Year.” At the hotel in the olive groves near Rethymno, Crete, Leonidou discussed his goals.
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In olive oil producing countries such as Greece, tourists can wander through olive groves all year, observing the summer growth of olives, their autumn harvest, the winter landscapes, the new spring branches, leaves, and blossoms, and the cycle’s annual repetition. We can see people and nature working together to make Greek liquid gold in its homeland.
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This year, the TUI Care Foundation began working with Greeks to help support sustainable tourism in Crete by bringing together the island’s tourism and agriculture sectors. At the same time, the Association of Cretan Olive Municipalities continued its ongoing efforts to promote agrotourism activities focused on olive trees and olive oil in Crete.
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What is agrotourism? How does it overlap with food tourism? What good is it? We can explore these questions with examples from Greece, one of the European countries trying to expand tourism beyond the beaches and the summer. With its wealth of olive oil, wine, and fresh produce, the Greek countryside reveals the secrets of traditional healthy Greek cuisine.
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Too little time during your vacation in Crete? Can’t decide whether to visit an olive mill or a winery? Come to the village of Anoskeli in the foothills of the White Mountains, where you can do both at once, as well as sampling Anoskeli’s award-winning olive oil and wine in a tasting room overlooking the village’s olive groves and vineyards.
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Greek olive groves were hit with a once in a decade storm in some areas in early January 2017, including freezing rain, sleet, and snow on Cretan olive trees on January 8, the day before the long Christmas vacation was to end. Chania students got an extra day of vacation, even where roads were clear. That was unusual near sea level, but you can find beautiful snow in the mountains any winter, so why not visit Greece then, too? Every season is a beautiful season here.
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Come to south central Crete for a holiday among gorges and rivers, valleys and hillsides full of olive groves, and beaches bordered by cliffs, hills, or a palm forest, with striking views of islands and hills across bays in the Libyan Sea—plus restaurants featuring fresh, traditional Cretan food in the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet.
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Surrounded by olive groves in the foothills of the White Mountains, the Botanical Park and Gardens of Crete offers natural beauty, exercise, information, and healthy, tasty food. Overflowing with tropical and Mediterranean flowers, herbs, and fruits, the park surrounds an acclaimed restaurant featuring its own organically grown produce and olive oil.
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Trivago claims Chania, Crete is Greek tourists’ favorite domestic vacation spot this summer, while Trip Advisor ranks Crete as the 2nd most popular Greek island overall, with 1215 things to do here. Remember that this includes far more than the island’s scenic beaches and fascinating archaeological sites and museums. Don’t forget the olive groves!
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Terra Creta in Kolymvari, Crete, Greece offers a 4 hour seminar on olive oil quality and organoleptic evaluation (olive oil tasting) for visitors, chefs, and other related professionals. The seminar is led by international olive oil competition judge Eleftheria Germanaki and olive oil expert Emmanouil Karpadakis. Shorter tours and talks are also available.
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These types of tourism deserve the additional development expected in the future, but Greece already offers a rich array of choices to visitors interested in agrotourism (agritourism) and food tourism (culinary tourism). These alternative explorations allow tourists to experience the Greece that lies beyond the archaeological sites and beaches.
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An incomplete, introductory sample of noteworthy sites to visit
MUSEUMS
Vrana Olive Press Museum (Lesvos)
The Museum of Industrial Olive-Oil Production of Lesvos
Cyclades Olive Museum and Chelmis Olive Mill, Andros Island
The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil in Sparta, Peloponnese
Lychnostatis Open Air Museum (Cretan Folk Arts, Agriculture)
Eggares Olive Press Museum in Naxos, Greece
OLIVE MILLS
Anoskeli Olive Mill and Winery Tour and Tasting (Crete)
Terra Creta Guided Olive Mill Tour and Tasting Seminars (Crete)
Biolea Stone Mill Tours, Tastings, Menus, Cooking Lessons (Crete)
Vassilakis Estate Friendly Olive Tour, Wine and Olive Oil Tastings (Crete)
Konos Olive Oil: Makri Olives, Innovation and Agrotourism (Alexandroupoli))
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Travel & Cook with Diane Kochilas (Ikaria, Greece)
Olive Oil Bar Seminar by Aris and Pantelis (Athens)
Olive Oil Tasting at Aloades Estate (Thessaly, central Greece)
Ergon House (Foodie Hotel, Restaurant, Marketplace, Athens)
The Routes of the Olive Tree cultural itineraries (places to visit)
Greek Culinary History and Cooking Adventures (Crete)
Olive Oil Tasting Experience, Taverna Kosmas (Crete)
Toplou Monastery Wine and Olive Oil Tasting (Crete)
ARTICLES
Why Chania could be the best place for Cretan food
“A European region of Gastronomy for 2026, Crete’s cuisine is defined by simplicity.” This National Geographic travel article highlights well-respected traditional Cretan foods and eateries in the Chania area, many of them off the beaten path.
Crete Is Getting 11 (!) Michelin Stars This Summer & We Have the Details
For serious food tourists, star chefs are coming to a luxury resort in northeastern Crete on selected dates in summer 2026: “Daios Cove brings Athens, Barcelona, Paris, Monte Carlo and Copenhagen to the Cretan table. Here’s who’s coming and when.”
Farm Life, Elevated: 21 Agritourism Retreats Across Greece
“From olive groves and mountain vineyards to island farms, these guesthouses invite you to experience a slower, more grounded Greece.” Some offer organized activities, while others are simply located in rural areas; the article offers links to websites for more information.
The best places to eat in 2026
Conde Nast Traveller lists Crete here, with some specific recommendations.
The Triumph of Greek Regional Cooking & Where to Find It in Athens
“As global rankings draw attention to Greece’s top food cultures, the capital emerges as the place to taste them all.”
A Homeric Journey Through The Flavors Of Messinia, Greece
“I’ve been exploring Greece for over 40 years, never the same place twice. In Messinia I found ancient landscapes, epic cuisine, and a land where olives, figs, and sea shape every flavor.”
From Land to Table: The Culinary Riches of Hania
An overview of some of the best traditional restaurants, tavernas, and bakeries in and around the city of Chania (or Hania) in Crete.
Eight intriguing ways to enjoy Greece out of season
“Here’s how to see the mainland and islands in autumn — from arty escapes to one-of-a-kind mountain retreats” and an olive harvest–and where to find some noteworthy cuisine.
Five Greek restaurants with their own farm
“The farm-to-table movement is no longer an alternative option, but the new foundation of a gastronomic era that redefines the identity of modern Greek cuisine.” This article introduces the philosophy behind this, as well as a few examples of restaurants in Greece that are part of the movement.
Opening of the Permanent Olive Oil Exhibition of Mediterrolio Members at Aloades Estate
When you are in Thessaly in central mainland Greece (about 3.5 hours’ drive northwest of Athens), you can visit Aloades Estate and the Permanent Olive Oil Exhibition of Mediterrolio Olive Oil Brands “to discover the diversity, quality, and cultural heritage of olive oil in the Mediterranean.”
Olive oil tourism is taking off in Greece. Here’s where to taste it.
“From tastings with olive oil sommeliers to celebrating harvest season at family-run mills, here’s how to experience oleotourism and immerse yourself in the world of Greece’s ‘liquid gold.’” The article mentions examples from Olympia, Messenia, Corfu, the Athens area, and Crete.
For very fine dining in Athens with great attention to artistic detail and fresh Greek products.
The Mediterranean Diet: Greece’s Untapped National Asset
Nutritionist, author, and Mediterranean diet expert Elena Paravantes discusses the history and content of the traditional Greek diet, what Greeks eat today, and the potential for featuring the Greek diet at the center of the tourism experience.
Greek Soil, Greek Soul: The Athens Restaurants Elevating Green Dining
An introduction to seven restaurants in Athens whose “chefs honor small producers and celebrate organic ingredients and the pure, sustainable bounty of Greece.”
Wintry Athens: Culture, Food, and Drinks
Costas Moraitis and Aglaia Kremezi discuss recent visits to some of their favorite restaurants and bars in Athens.
The Cretan vineyard: 5,500 years in a nine-minute read
“The time has come for Cretan winemakers to push the envelope further and show the world how much more they can achieve with their extraordinary heritage.”
Recommendations for snacks, drinks, and feasts that are available in various eateries in (and beyond) several neighborhoods in Athens.
Gastronomic tours: The delicious new trend for visitors to Athens
A consideration of some of the food tourism options in Athens.
Dispatches From Magna Grecia, a Modern Temple of Small-Batch Olive Oil
A very good article about an agrotourism /culinary tourism venture near Ancient Olympia that features their own multi award winning extra virgin olive oil, The Olive Temple.
Cretans Know a Thing or Two About Good Living
Introducing the new “Center of Excellence for Health and Wellness, established in Rethymno…to raise the awareness of the international and local community regarding the significant benefits of the Cretan diet for the improvement of health,” this article also includes many intriguing references to products and sites in Rethymno, Crete that will interest gastronomic tourists.
Oleotourism Begins to Sprout in Greece
This article about olive oil tourism in Greece provides three examples of businesses focused on this type of agrotourism and food tourism, which is becoming more popular and easier to find.
Chef Maria Loi’s Guide To Dining In Athens
Suggestions for restaurants culinary tourists–or anyone hungry–might enjoy in Athens.
World Olive Day: Expanding Olive Oil Tourism in Crete
This article combines news about a World Olive Day event with information about olive oil tourism in Crete–tourism linked to archaeology, history, the diet, museums, factories, tastings, trees, and more. While the event was not designed for tourists, the report provides an overview of the wealth of olive oil tourism choices on the island.
Turning to Olive Oil: Two Women Head Back to Cretan Groves
Two educated Greek women turned their back on professional careers to return to family olive groves and pursue the olive oil business and agrotourism in Crete. They welcome international visitors to learn from their experience.
An Expert’s Greek Food Experience
“Celebrity chef and writer Diane Kochilas introduces us to a tradition that involves much more than recipes.”
Greece Welcomes Visitors This Fall with Mild Weather and the Warm Spirit of Philotimo
“Fall is an ideal time to visit Greece to enjoy all the country has to offer,” since it’s less crowded, the temperature is perfect, and visitors can watch or join the olive harvest, explore olive and wine routes, taste olive oil and wine, hike, explore, and visit archaeological sites and museums.
GNTO submits [beautiful!] video in UN competition to promote Greece
The wonderful video linked in this article, with its poetic narration and beautifully varied cinematography, captures the elements of Greece that go beyond the incredible beaches and fascinating archaeological sites to the country’s varied year-round offerings, such as the olive and grape harvests and the continuing tradition of eating and dancing together.
Local flavours of the Greek cuisine
This provides a very brief overview of many local specialties that can be found in various parts of Greece; it can be used as an introduction, to help decide what to learn more about. Hyperlinks provide more information about different locations and products.
A brief overview of its title subject, with links to some agrotourism farms in various parts of Greece.
Nature | Touring | Agritourism (Crete)
This is the online, downloadable version of the beautifully illustrated agrotourism overview for Crete, which discusses forests, mountains, caves, waterfalls, wetlands, flora, fauna, canyons, hikes, ecological organizations and museums, monumental trees including ancient olive trees, and opportunities to participate in traditional cooking, harvesting, and agricultural production activities.
Taste Escape: Where to eat and drink in Santorini, Greece
Rather than focusing on Santorini’s incredible beaches and views, this article offers suggestions for those interested in the fine food and drink of the island–not only where to eat and drink, but also what to try. For many more details about all aspects of Santorini, see also Exploring Greece. (August 4, 2017)
Biolea: Stone Mill Destination, Organic Olive Oil Creation
Lovely scenery and an updated, hygienic version of a traditional stone mill and olive press make Biolea a popular agrotourism destination in Crete, Greece. (June 15, 2017)
The Ultimate Athens Foodie Guide
“A guide on how to explore some eating spots that are representative of Greek food in Athens,” especially central Athens, by “a Greek-American Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Food Writer who loves to cook, was raised on the Mediterranean Diet and lives the Med lifestyle.” (May 11, 2017)
An overview with brief descriptions and photos of 15 wineries and related museums on the island on Exploring Greece, an amazingly detailed website for tourists. (February 17, 2017)
Jefford on Monday: The call of Crete
“Andrew Jefford visits the high-altitude vineyards of Crete and finds an ancient wine culture in renaissance.” (March 14, 2016)
Olive-Picking: Not All Fun and Games
A hands-on account of the most don’t-miss experience in the Greek countryside. (November 20, 2016)
Ancient Mill Discovered on Lesvos
“The mill, discovered during the construction of a local road, was in use from the 2nd to the 6th centuries AD.” (September 12, 2016)
Culinary tourism can provide “ideas and inspiration for great taste and good health, along with a greater understanding of life in a place other than our home.” (June 21, 2016)
29 traditional local foods you must eat in Greece
Although the article doesn’t usually mention it, many of these are made with olive oil. (June 18, 2016)
Earth Science Picture of the Day: possibly the oldest olive tree in the world, in Vouves, Crete. (July 7, 2016)
For Children Visiting Crete, a Free Book on Olive Oil Culture
The Association of Cretan Olive Municipalities and the International Olive Council are offering free copies of two educational books about olive oil to the children of tourists who visit Crete, Greece. (May 26, 2016)
Agro-Culinary Attractions in Crete Span Ages
Visitors to scenic northwestern Crete can see a traditional stone mill, one of the world’s oldest olive trees, a modern olive oil factory, and a botanical park and restaurant. (August 11, 2015)
Restaurants Embrace Crete’s Celebrated Diet
The personal, local, small-scale touch of hard-working Cretan families offers hope that visitors to Crete can gradually be persuaded to enjoy a traditional Cretan diet. (February 25, 2015)
Mediterranean Lifestyle Alive and Well on Crete
Yes, there is junk food on Crete, but this is still one of the best places in the world to immerse oneself in the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. (March 18, 2015)
This article by Nancy Harmon Jenkins is the best culinary tourism article about Crete that I’ve ever read. (July 19, 2010)
By Susanna Hoffman, this is the most interesting food history article I’ve seen. (July 19, 2010)
A page from the Greek National Tourism Organization linking to much more about Greek cuisine and gastrotourism.
This is interesting because it begins with olive oil, half of the recommendations are for traditional Cretan foods, and it includes an explanation of each choice.
A brochure introducing the major ingredients in Greek cuisine.