Accommodation-Cuisine

Accomodation
 
The mild Mediterranean climate and the sunny weather all year long are a privilege for those who want to have delightful holidays in Crete. The area of Psiloritis, due to its particular geomorphology, offers a variety of activities for the visitor all year long. The mountainous dorps are ideal winter destinations. Anogia and Aksos villages as well as Krousonas and the mountainous villages of Malevizi, Gerakari and Meronas are dressed in white every winter.
The coastal dorps of Panormo and Bali of the Municipality of Geropotamos, with the clean beaches accommodate many holiday-makers every summer. The up country has adopted the model of a mild tourism development, with respect to the protection of the natural and cultural environment. The agro touristic units that have been built around Psiloritis as well as the accommodation places offer first class hosting and unique tastes in the spirit of the Cretan generous offering.
The area of Psiloritis is an ideal destination for the visitors that want to discover on their own the natural beauty of the island and the cultural identity of its residents. Nature is full of changes, the gorges and the abrupt mountain tops located at north give their place at south to the rich wetlands, fountains and rivers, mild fructiferous valleys and plateaus. The visitor can combine sight-seeing with visiting the archeological sites that surround the mountain, the historic monasteries and the small byzantine churches. There is a plethora of interesting buildings, the treasures of our folk legacy that the visitor will come across. The visitors will also come across wind mills not only from the side of Mylopotamos but also from the side of Pano Riza, rock bridges, shepherds’ shelters (mitata) and towards the mountain top, castles, picturesque villages with rock build houses located at the glacis of the mountain. Every attempt for touring the area of Psiloritis is a multiple exposure of natural beauty images, historic remembrance and culture of the residents. The area offers the visitor with alternative activities such as mountaineering, climbing, speleology, nature loving excursions and wild nature observation. The coasts are very close to the area and are ideal for swimming, relaxation and sea sports.
The visitor can take the provincial road network that is easily accessible or the European E4 hiking trail that leads to exceptional nature loving routes. The top of Psiloritis with easy access from several points of the mountain is the favorite destination of many hiking missions and visits. There are hiking shelters at the site of “Toumpotos Prinos” north of Kouroutes in Amari, at Samari village in the Municipality of Zaros and the area “Trigiodo” in Anogia that accept visitors after arrangements with the respective Hiking associations as well as Agios Giannis shelter in Rouvas. The shelter north of Livadia at Mylopotamos is under construction.


Gastronomy

Cretan hospitality remains a living breathing part of the locals that instinctively follow the orders of Zeus. The treat, also known as "raeti" according to tradition, is a way of life, which is an indication of the decency and the friendship towards the visitor that plays a central part in the Cretan household, at the coffee shop, at celebrations and in every kind of social celebration.
The people of Psiloritis enjoy the variety of tastes that are the result of their fertile land. They create rich dishes with simple goods, a variety of colors and aromas. The olive oil is the base of the Cretan diet that can be served either cooked or raw with seasonal vegetables and wild herbs from the gardens. They are accompanied by dairy as well as small or big animals of domestic production. A special place on the table has the wheat bread, the barley rusks, the snails (chochlios), the olives, the legumes, the fish and the herbs. The meal is always accompanied by good quality homemade wine or strong raki that is produced in the traditional raki boilers. Seasonal fruits are consumed every day. The pure thyme honey is essential for the creation of desserts in combination with raisins, nuts, almonds, sesame, orange juice, petimezi (very sweet syrup made of stum) and soft cheese called "anthotiro" or "mizithra".
During the past few years, the Cretan diet, according to international diet researches has become an example of health and long life.

 Further information concerning restaurants you can find here.