Greek Gods, Windmills & Olive Oil

The Lasithi Plateau sits 900 meters above sea level and covers over 100 square kilometers. The construction of long irrigation channels by the Venetians to facilitate growing crops led to the region being known as the ‘Garden of the Gods’. These days, the landscape is dotted mostly with apple and pear orchards. The plateau is also decorated with old water and flour windmills, built by 19th century settlers from mainland Greece. At one time, there were over 10,000 of these beautiful stone mills with their white sails on the plateau; now many lie in ruins, but are gradually being restored.
Park in the lay-by here for an incredible view across the plateau and the old windmills. Cross the road to the mills, where you can look inside a couple of them and see the grain grinding mechanisms.

The road from the windmills is such a lovely drive and is part of the scenic circular route around the plateau that connects Lasithi’s 18 villages. But the reason for stopping here is to visit Dikteon Andro Cave.
I love Greek mythology. It has the power to transform the mundane into the magical. Not that this cave is mundane; it has beautiful, cleverly lit, chambers decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, but the fact that it is known as the ‘Bethlehem of the Ancient World’ does make it more exciting and mysterious.
The myth says that Rhea escaped here from her child-eating husband Kronos, and gave birth to her son Zeus, who, fed with honey by Almathea (a goat), grew up to become the most important god in the Pantheon.
From the car park, there are two paths up to the ticket booth and cave entrance. I suggest you take the paved one on the left. It is a longer path but much less strenuous than the steep, and very rocky one, on the right. Both take 20-30 minutes and offer fantastic views of the plateau. There is also the option of a donkey ride up to the cave, but I don’t recommend this as there is no guarantee that the animals are well-treated.
Inside the cave, the walkways to the 5 different chambers are well-lit and easy to follow and, when you’ve finished exploring, there’s a kiosk outside where you can buy a drink or a snack.

Named after the famous book by Nikos Kazantzakis, which was my bedtime companion when I first travelled around Crete (and which I recommend you read), Zorba’s is a typical village restaurant on the Lasithi Plateau. The menu is traditional taverna food – grilled meats, salads, stuffed vegetables, and plenty of tzatziki - the prices are good, and there’s a lovely garden to eat in. And there’s even a windmill!

We’ve all heard how good the Mediterranean diet is, but the Cretan diet is apparently the best! And here’s your chance to learn the secrets behind it.
The inspiration behind the Cretan Olive Oil Farm began in the 1990s, when the owners co-wrote a best-selling cookery book extolling the health benefits of the Cretan cuisine - "Kreta kock Buch". Packed with local tips and recipes from women from the surrounding villages, the success of the book prompted numerous requests for details on how to source the ingredients – and so began the farm. Today the farm produces bottled olives, olive oil, honeys, and sun-dried tomatoes, and offers tastings of local wines and cheeses.
Take an e-tour of the farm which guides you through 10 different stations where you can learn about traditional cheese and olive oil making, honey and carob production, and Cretan wines and raki (more about this later) as well as the 60+ varieties of culinary and medicinal herbs that grow in their garden. The tour lasts around an hour and includes tasting their range of home-made products: the tastings are always the best bit!
The farm can be visited daily, and no advance reservations are required.
Note, the farm is closed on Sundays.

The Kalypso is a mid-range hotel in a great position on Elounda’s harbor with easy parking across the road. The rooms are all spacious suites and, if you can, I recommend booking one with a balcony and glorious sea view.
If you fancy a stroll before dinner, turning right out of the hotel and past the marina will bring you to a lovely sandy beach.

When it comes to eating, I’m a grazer. I like to try lots of small plates, and so a Cretan mezze dinner is my idea of heaven. There are plenty of restaurants that offer tzatziki and other starters, but Marilena’s offers a whole mezze feast. Within this are some of my favorite dishes including hortopitakia - a savory pie filled with feta and ‘horta’ (wild greens foraged on Lasithi Plateau), and loukaniko, a local sausage. Don’t be tempted to snack before dinner, as this will be a blow-out meal!

Walk back to the hotel.