Hey, I’m Anna from The Cornish Life; a Cornwall-based blogger, travel lover, and self-professed foodie, and I recently visited Crete with Jet2 to experience the best of this island’s culinary delights…

As you might expect, being the largest of the Greek islands, Crete has a thriving foodie scene to explore across its cities, towns and countryside (if you know where to look!).

There is something about Mediterranean food that’s so comforting, yet also really fresh, and our visit to Crete was the best example of this!

Below are five of my top experiences (and restaurants) not to miss on your next visit to Crete…

1. Honey and horses in Fourni Valley

Imagine riding horseback through Cretan olive groves and cobbled village streets as the sun sets behind the mountains, stopping on your way to visit a local beekeeper and try his incredible Greek honey. I can’t think of a better way to experience truly authentic Crete, and this is some of the best honey you will ever taste!

2. Indulge in modern Cretan gastronomy at Peskesi

Located in the lively heart of Heraklion, Peskesi brings a modern twist to the traditional dishes of Crete, with a sustainable ‘farm to table’ focus and a high-end dining experience for a special night out in the city.

This is one of Crete’s top-rated restaurants and is not to be missed (and I strongly recommend their smoked sausage dish – we couldn’t get enough of it!).

3. Enjoy a tipple on a winery tour (at Agelakis Winery)

Crete is an emerging wine region that is fascinating to learn about, with wine production here dating back thousands of years to the Minoan period.

We visited the award-winning, PGI certified Agelakis Winery in Thrapsano village for a wine tasting experience and loved hearing the story of their ‘Cornelia’ wine which is named after their great grandmother.

4. Enjoy traditional dishes in the best local taverns

You just cannot beat a delicious Greek homestyle meal using traditional recipes from the families of local taverns. We absolutely loved our visits to:

• Platanos Tavern in the Fourni Valley
  Just next door to Fourni Horses (mentioned above), Maria from Platanos tavern cooked us the most amazing dinner with traditional dishes, as a grand welcome on our first night in Crete!
  
  

• Likastos Tavern in Archanes
  I’ll be forever dreaming of the incredible tomato fritters and donut balls from this meal… and Archanes is a beautiful town to explore too.
  
  

• Stou Sterou in Hersonissos
  In the bustling town square, Stou Sterou served us an amazing medley of home-cooked Cretan food, including the tastiest octopus dish ever!

5. Try something totally unique with an olive oil tasting experience

This was probably one of the most memorable travel experiences ever! At the Kokolakis Family olive mill in Limnes, we were led out in the warm October sunshine to our own private outdoor picnic to try a variety of olive oils expertly paired with Michalis – an olive oil sommelier and chef from Cretan Ark.

Before this tasting, I truly had no idea how much different oils could alter and complement the flavours of your food, and he made us the most amazing dishes to go with this.

Have a read of what else we got up to on this amazing trip to Crete, in my ‘12 Unique Things To Do in Crete, Heraklion’ blog post.

Will you be adding this Greek island to your bucket list.