EXCURSIONS

KNOSSOS MUSEUM & HERAKLION

Imagine going to Paris without looking at the Eiffel tower. The same counts for coming to Crete and not visiting Knossos. This is where European civilization began, an era ruled by powerful King Minos, a place full of myths and legends, (think Theseus, the Minotaur and the Labyrinth). The layout of the palace was so complicated; the courtiers needed a plan to move through it. Flourishing between 3,000BC and 1400BC, it strangely disappeared, only to be discovered again by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans at the turn of the century. Now partly reconstructed, blood red columns and gigantic double-headed axes are a vivid reminder of this forgotten and disappeared race. 

Free time will allow you to explore the streets of the Cretan capital, Heraklion, whether it is shopping in the vast array of shops, browsing through the vegetable market, or sightseeing at the Venetian harbour with its many fishing boats, you'll enjoy yourselves. Finally, we will visit the town archaeological museum. Here the most extensive collection of Minoan treasures is exhibited, revealing the legends and mysteries of this area. 

Saturday will let you experience the hustle and bustle of the immense outdoors 'gypsy market' down by the portside. It's a chance to stroll among the vast array of stalls, fruits and vegetables, clothes and shoes and all kind of other no-knock; the list is endless, and tries to bargain with the locals noisily promoting their goods.