Farm-to-Glass: Soap, Olive Farm, Family Winery with tastings

Ah, the soap workshop… that little shrine of fragrance and firelight where the old ways still stretch their legs. When guests step inside, they find themselves in a place where nothing is rushed and nothing is done “because the machine says so.” Here, soap is crafted the way our grandmothers taught us — with good oil, patient hands, and a touch of stubborn Cretan pride that refuses to cut corners.

They watch the whole ritual unfold: olive oil warming gently, herbs crushed the way they always were, and mixtures stirred with the slow, steady rhythm of someone who trusts tradition more than trends. And of course, they smell everything — thyme, sage, rosemary — the honest scents of the island. It’s a small experience, yes, but it has that quiet magic that lingers. Guests leave with clean hands, clearer minds, and the faint suspicion that maybe the old ways had it right all along.

The olive mill is one of those places where time seems to lean on the doorway, watching the machines hum while the old stories whisper in the corners. Guests step into a world where the sacred Cretan olive still rules the land, and nothing is done without respect for the tree that fed our ancestors. They see the whole journey — from the freshly picked fruit to the golden oil running warm and proud from the press, exactly as it has for centuries, just with cleaner floors and fewer donkeys.

They hear the crunch of the olives, feel the warmth of the extraction room, and taste oil so fresh it still thinks it’s an olive. No marketing fluff, no fancy tricks — just honest craftsmanship, tradition stubbornly preserved, and that unmistakable aroma that tells you you’re standing somewhere real. It’s a simple visit, yes, but it reminds people why Cretans call olive oil “liquid life.”

*** AFTERNOON BOOKING OPTION ONLY ***

The winery you’ll visit has that quiet dignity of a place that never rushed to impress anyone — it simply lets the land speak. Here, the vineyards stretch over slopes that have seen sun, wind, and stubborn farmers for generations, and each bottle carries a bit of that temperament. Guests step into a cellar where the cool air smells of oak, fermenting grapes, and a kind of patience the modern world forgot.

You’ll taste 3–4 indigenous varieties — the proud characters of Crete. Vidiano with its soft perfume, Liatiko with its earthy soul, Kotsifali that always stands its ground, and maybe Mandilari, the dark, brooding one that takes its time to open up. Nothing pretentious, nothing polished for show. Just honest wines, poured by people who still believe good things are grown, not manufactured. It’s a modest little revelation, the kind that stays with you long after the last sip.

*** AVAILABLE ON MORNING BOOKING OPTION ***

This small winery–distillery has the charm of a family craft passed down without shortcuts. Guests walk through a humble cellar where barrels breathe quietly and local grape varieties show their true character without pretending to be anything fancy.

Then comes the raki corner, with copper stills that look like they’ve seen every harvest since forever. Here, grape pomace turns into that honest, fiery spirit Cretans rely on for celebrations, welcomes, and the occasional truth-telling. Simple, real, and rooted in tradition — exactly the kind of place where you feel the old ways still hold the floor.