Art Courses on Crete

Greece Travel Secrets visits Visual Arts Crete who offer accommodation and run art courses on Crete at their home and studio in the village of Kastellos near Rethymnon.

Our guide Isidoros from www.GoCrete.net was waiting for us at Chania airport as promised. 'I think you will like where you're staying tonight,' he said as he drove us the hour or so east to the village of Kastello. 'They are a lovely English couple who teach art courses and also have nice accommodation.'

We drove in the dark into the hills south of Rethymnon, and it was midnight by the time we got there. Tim and Janice were waiting for us in the village taverna, The Castello Taverna, along with the amazing host, Vassilis Zoulakis. With his Ukrainian wife Katerina in the kitchen, Vassilis brought out a never-ending series of plates (and wine and raki) for us, eventually joining us at the table for conversation and jokes.

Vassilis Zoulakis

It was our first night back on Crete after a few years' absence, and it couldn't have been a better introduction. It didn't surprise us to learn later that the Castello has rave reviews on TripAdvisor, and has even been called 'The best taverna in Crete' by one enthusiastic diner. That's a big claim as we had so many great meals on Crete, but it was certainly one of the highlights of our 3-week trip there. 

Most of the food is sourced from the family's own farm, and by Vassilis foraging for mushrooms, wild greens, herbs and other goodies. When he's not doing that he's making his own wine and raki. We definitely have to go back one day and join one of his Foraging Walking Tours!

Welcome to the Rabbit House

Eventually we had to drag ourselves away and find our rooms for the night. 'You're staying in The Rabbit House.' Tim told us. We admit we were a bit dubious about what we might have let ourselves in for, but we needn't have worried. It was wonderful (and you can find it on Airbnb).

The rabbits had been kicked out and the old stone building now made for lovely self-catering accommodation. Wooden stairs led up to the bedroom, while downstairs was a kitchen area, a lounging area with a sofa, an old stove, a travel trunk and other artsy decorations. If you didn't know it you'd soon guess that the owners were artists, as their paintings, mosaics, sculptures, carvings and other creations are everywhere.

Life is Just a Bowl of Fresh Cherries in Kastellos

Next morning in the daylight we found another delightful feature that makes this such a great place to stay. Right outside the door is a stone patio courtyard with a table and chairs, all shaded by trees and totally private. Tim and Janice brought us coffee and breakfast and we were at last able to relax under the Cretan sun after the previous day's early start and late night. 

Art Courses on Crete

Later Tim and Janice gave us a tour of their art studio, and their fascinating home, and told us about the art courses they run there. You can book accommodation with them without having to do one of their courses, or you can do a course and, if they're full, they'll help you find accommodation locally. 

Janice in the Art Studio

Janice studied at the Glasgow School of Art, and Tim at the Camberwell School of Art. As well as being practising artists, they've also taught in Australia, Egypt, Spain and the UK.

Several years ago they came across what was then a run-down farmhouse with a Venetian tower in the quiet hill village of Kastello, and fell in love with the property and the place. Since then they've been renovating it.

Kastello is still a quiet farming village, and our guide Isidoros rounded off our visit there with a walking tour. He pointed out the Aghia Paraskevi monastery, which was first built way back in 1200, although for the last 300 years only the church has remained. 

A Student Working at Aghia Paraskevi

We were sad to be leaving after our whirlwind visit, although we cheered up when Isidoros told us: 'Before we go, I think we should have lunch at the Castello!'

We'd stayed in the unique Rabbit House and dined in one of the best restaurants on Crete, and we'd been on the island for less than 24 hours.

Tim at Work in the Art Studio

Our tour of Crete was arranged through www.GoCrete.net and we can't recommend them highly enough.

For details of art courses in Crete see Tim and Janice's website:
Visual Arts Crete

For more information on Foraging and the Castello Taverna see:
https://www.castellotaverna.com/

Some other Crete pages

  • Crete

    Crete (Kriti) is the largest Greek island and its main attractions include the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the Samarian Gorge, Chania and Rethymnon.

  • Zacharioudakis Winery

    Greece Travel Secrets visits the Zacharioudakis Winery near Ancient Gortina in southern Crete, and does a vineyard tour arranged by our guide from Go Crete.

  • Touring the Lyrarakis Winery on Crete

    Greece Travel Secrets tours the Lyrarakis Winery on Crete and learns about Crete grape varieties such as plyto, dafni, vidiano, vilana, mandilari and kotsifali.

  • The Icon Painter

    Icon painting is a centuries-old tradition in Crete and the rest of Greece, and Greece Travel Secrets meets a modern-day icon painter in Elounda on Crete.

  • The Herb Man of Kouses

    Greece Travel Secrets visits the Cretan Botano herbs and spices shop near Matala in southern Crete in search of the herb man of Kouses.

  • The Cretan Diet

    Studies have shown the Cretan Diet as one of the healthiest in the world, involving lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh fish, and moderate amounts of wine.

  • Stilianou Winery near Knossos

    The Stilianou Winery near Knossos on Crete uses only Cretan grape varieties, with every bottle numbered, and aims for quality rather than quantity.

  • The Snails House on Crete

    The Snails House in Plouti near Phaistos in southern Crete serves the Cretan delicacy of snails, cooked in several different ways.

  • Sir Arthur Evans, archaeologist at Knossos on Crete

    Sir Arthur Evans is the archaeologist famous for the excavations he made at the royal palace of Knossos on Crete.

  • Samaria Gorge

    The Samaria Gorge is one the longest gorges in Europe and doing the hike is one of the best and most popular things to do on Crete.

  • Rethymnon in Western Crete

    Rethymnon is the third-largest city in Crete and has a Venetian fortress, Archaeological Museum, Old Town area and Venetian harbour,

  • Phaistos Minoan Palace on Crete

    Greece Travel Secrets page on Phaistos or Faistos, the site of one of the finest Minoan palaces on Crete and is where the mysterious Phaistos Disc was found.

  • Paleohora and the South-West Coast

    The area east from Paleohora along the south-west coast of Crete includes resorts like Agia Galini, gorges like the Imbros Gorge and quieter towns like Sfakia.

  • Our Hire Car in Crete

    The travel tale Our Hire Car in Crete describes what it’s like when you go driving in Greece and get off the beaten track, resulting in kindnesses.

  • Matala Beach

    Matala Beach on Crete is a guest blog for Greece Travel Secrets from the We Love Crete website, inviting you to Awaken Your Inner Hippy in Matala, Crete.

  • Margarites

    Margarites is known on Crete for its pottery, with ceramics shops and workshops lining the streets of this charming small town not far from Rethymnon.

  • Manousakis Wine Tasting

    We visit and tour the Manousakis Winery on Crete with a wine-tasting and a chance to buy their tsikoudia, sea salt, olive oil and other goodies.

  • Malia and its Minoan Palace on Crete

    Malia on the north coast of Crete is renowned for its nightlife and beaches but also has the Minoan Palace of Malia, one of Crete's many archaeological sites.

  • Maleme and the German War Cemetery on Crete

    Maleme near Chania is where the people who died during the battle of Crete are buried, in the German War Cemetery with the Commonwealth War Cemetery nearby.

  • Making Rakomelo on Crete

    Greece Travel Secrets visits Crete and learns about making rakomelo from Jorgos Kourmoulis in Agouseliana.

  • Lonely Planet Crete

    Lonely Planet Crete is an excellent and thorough guide of almost 300 pages to the largest of the Greek islands.

  • Knossos

    Visiting Knossos near Iraklion is one of the best things to do on Crete, and this page has a history of the site with visitor information.

  • Irakleio

    Crete's capital and largest city is Irakleio, also called Iraklion or Heraklion, a large and busy place with good restaurants, museums and historical buildings.

  • How to Make Petimezi

    How to make Petimezi, the sweet Cretan syrup made from wine must, is explained to Greece Travel Secrets.

  • Hiking the Samaria Gorge

    Hiking the Samaria Gorge on Crete, one of the best things to do on Crete, by Greece Travel Secrets.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Latest Posts

RSS

  1. Nobel Foundation Returns Mycenaean Gold Ring to Greece

    An ancient gold ring dating back to Mycenaean times was recently returned to Greece by Sweden’s Nobel Foundation, according to an announcement of the Greek Culture Ministry. The Mycenaean signet ring…

    Read More

  2. Greece’s Kastellorizo to Host 1st Rock Solid Trail Race in June

    Kastellorizo, one of Greece’s smallest islands located in the Dodecanese, is getting ready to host the 1st Rock Solid island trail race, scheduled to take place during June 11-12.

    Read More

  3. EU: Greece Among Winners of Natura 2000 Awards for Nature Protection

    Greece is among the six winners of the 2022 edition of the Natura 2000 Awards, an event that recognises conservation success stories across the EU and raises awareness on the Natura 2000 protected are…

    Read More

  4. Greece Takes First Step to Create Museum of Underwater Antiquities in Piraeus

    The Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) has handed over under a concession deal a 1934 silo on the port of Piraeus and the surrounding space to the Greek Culture Ministry so that it may be converted into a M…

    Read More

  5. Hydra Travel Writing Classic

    Peel Me a Lotus by Charmian Clift is a Hydra travel writing classic, describing her family’s life on this tiny Greek island near Athens in the 1950s.

    Read More

  6. The Churches of Thessaloniki

    The churches of Thessaloniki are remarkable and include UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, Byzantine masterpieces, and a church dating from the 5th century.

    Read More

  7. Blue Flag: Greece 2nd in the World for its Clean Beaches

    Greece’s beaches are among the world’s cleanest with the region of Halkidiki and the island of Rhodes in the lead this year, according to the 2022 Blue Flag quality award list for beaches, marinas and…

    Read More

  8. Lipsi Municipality Says No to Sunbeds on Island’s Beaches

    The Municipality of Lipsi is saying “no” to sunbeds on the island’s beaches and is encouraging travelers to enjoy eco-conscious summer holidays this year in order to live authentic experiences. “We ar…

    Read More

  9. Ioannina to Launch Food Council to Define its Gastronomic Identity

    The Municipality of Ioannina, the capital of the Region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, has launched action to associate the city’s gastronomy with the destination’s brand-name and identity. “Adding t…

    Read More

  10. Athens National Garden Refurbishment is Underway

    The Athens Municipality recently completed the first phase of a 4.2-million-euro refurbishment project aiming to upgrade the National Garden, one of the Greek capital’s landmark sites. The refurbished…

    Read More