Tour Highlights
- Hiking Omalos Plateau
- Admire the Cretan landscape and the rustic views
- Explore the Manousakis Winery
- Enjoy an authentic Cretan meal
Helpful Notes
- Duration: +/- 7 hours – Suggested start time: 9:00 am
- Tour Size: The tour can be offered only privately for a maximum of 8 participants.
- Practicalities: Tour requires a fair amount of walking, comfortable shoes & a hat are recommended.
- Tour Includes: Round Trip Vehicle Transport, English speaking guide, tastings, lunch, all fees & taxes.
- Tour Does Not Include: Personal expenses and gratuities for guide and driver (non-compulsory).
Overview
An hour’s drive from Chania town through the countryside and up the White Mountains will take us to the plateau of Omalos, the starting point of the impressive 16km long Samaria Gorge. You can enter the gorge and hike just a small portion with your guide, then head back following the same path (your walk can be as long as you wish, but please note that the first part of the walk and the return up is not an easy one, as it is steep downhill and slippery). Or you can choose to leisurely explore the plateau, enjoy the spectacular views, take pictures and have a mountain tea at the local kiosk.
Continuing our exploration through the foothills of the White Mountains and a verdant landscape with orange and olive groves, we will visit the quaint Manousakis winery. Established by Ted Manousakis, a Washington DC businessman who returned to his native village in the outskirts of Chania, the Manousakis Winery took great care in developing a line of wines that quickly brought international attention to Crete. Acclaim like a 93/100 rating by wine guru Robert Parker followed as Manousakis emphasized quality along every step of the way of the development of his winery, a pioneer that set the example for the local wine scene. His daughter Alexandra arrived in 2007 with a wind of inspiration and innovation to pick up the baton that her father was passing, trading Manhattan for a Cretan village, and the winery is now run by her and her husband. You will navigate around the premises and then enjoy a 5 wines tasting paired with a delicious Cretan meal.
