Olive Grove Walk
This olive grove walk from Limnes to Vrises on Crete also takes you through orchards and gives close-up views of some of the island’s windmills.
Views You'll See on this Lasithi Plateau Drive
Visitors often see windmills from a distance while driving through Crete, but this walk lets you see them right up close. Following tracks and quiet roads, it links three of eastern Crete’s unspoilt villages while meandering through olive groves and orchards of lemon trees, apple trees and pomegranates.
This easy walk covers a distance of roughly 8 km (5 miles) and should take about 2 hours.
Windmills on Crete's Lasithi Plateau
Driving west-east on the old road between Néapoli and Ayíos Nikólaos, pass the first few buildings as you arrive in Límnes and park just after a bridge on the right of the road at a sharp bend. Cross the bridge and walk along the path between white stone walls, past windmills and vines.
Pomegranate Trees
Pomegranate Trees
After only 50 meters (165 feet) you reach a large taverna, where you turn left and immediately right. The fertile nature of Crete is shown by the pomegranate trees on one side of the path, the olives and figs on the other. Further on are patches of sweetcorn and cabbages, and lime and lemon trees.
Olive Groves
Olive Groves
At the next junction, turn left and immediately right again. The path now has olive groves on either side and passes, on the right, a red-roofed church surrounded by flowers and with a huge rhododendron and sweet-smelling jasmine.
Into Houmeriákos
The path goes slightly uphill as it brings you into the village of Houmeriákos, where you turn right passing a shrine and a memorial on your right.
Our Pick of the Crete Guides
Through the Village
In the village’s small platía there are a few cafés and shops. Take the road that goes uphill on the left side of the platía, passing the church and an old fountain in a wall on your left.
A Goat on Crete's Lasithi Plateau
Look Back at Limnes
Turn right at the first t-junction, then the path swings left and climbs uphill. Pause on the corner for a view back to Límnes to the right, with the rest of the village of Houmeriákos to the left, its houses seeming to be tumbling down the hillside.
White Chapel
From here carry on uphill, ignoring the track to the right. The main track then swings right and carries on uphill, leaving the village behind until you meet a tarmac road. Turn right. The road swings right past more olive trees and heads towards a white chapel on a small hill.
The chapel is locked but climb up to it for lovely views of the land around. Far to the left is Néapoli, to the right in the distance the village of Nikithianós, and to the right of that is Límnes where the walk started. Up the hill to the immediate left is Vríses, your destination.
Vrises
Continue on up this quiet road, with hardly any traffic, until you reach a rough t-junction. If you take the left fork it leads up the long way round to the main Lasíthi-Néapoli road, and you can turn right into upper Vríses. If you turn right, however, it is an easy walk into lower Vríses, with its narrow streets and whitewashed houses with their vine-covered terraces.
If you want to find a café or a shop you will need to pick your way up one of the sets of steps that leads up to the main part of the village, where you can have a break if you wish. After that, simply retrace your steps back to Límnes where there are several tavernas.
To download a PDF of this walk to print out and take with you, click here:
Olive Grove Walk
Other Crete pages
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.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Central Crete including hotels in Matala, Ayia Galini, and Zaros.
Keramos Studios in Zaros on Crete is an inexpensive two-star hotel/guesthouse with one of the best breakfasts on the island using food from the family’s farm.
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 most famous Cretan writers and artists include the painter El Greco and the author of Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Crete Botanical Gardens near Chania and finds a wonderland of colourful plants, trees, and flowers filling a lovely valley.
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.
Sir Arthur Evans is the archaeologist famous for the excavations he made at the royal palace of Knossos on Crete.
The Battle of Crete during World War 2 inspired several books and took place with an airborne invasion over Maleme on the north coast of the island.
This tour around central Crete lists some of the area’s highlights such as the traditional village of Arolithos, Minoan remains at Tilisos, and Agioi Deka.
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.
Greece Travel Secrets discovers Sitia, the main town in eastern Crete, with its relaxing waterfront, inexpensive hotels, good food, and nearby ancient sites.
Cretan music is part of the island’s soul and visitors will hear live music wherever they go, with several distinctive Cretan musical instruments and songs.
Rethymnon is the third-largest city in Crete and has a Venetian fortress, Archaeological Museum, Old Town area and Venetian harbour,
This Amari Valley drive in southern Crete starts and ends in Ayia Galini, takes four to five hours and cover 100 kilometres or 62 miles.
Crete festivals and events include Carnival Easter, Whitsun, Christmas, many other religious feast days and public holidays.
Western Crete in five days allows time to visit Chania and Rethymnon, enjoy the beaches, hike the Samaria Gorge and see the monasteries at Arkadi and Preveli.
The Byzantine Church of Panagía Kerá near Kritsa and not far from Ayios Nikolaos is one of the most famous in Crete, and close by is the site of Ancient Lato.
Greece Travel Secrets eats at Vegera in Zaros and finds a cheap but wonderful feast of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes cooked daily with fresh local food.
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.
Greece Travel Secrets goes hiking in southwest Crete with Ramblers Walking Holidays based in Paleohora and hiking the E4 footpath and to Anidri and Azogires.
Is someone from Crete a Greek or a Cretan? They are both, of course, but most will tell you that they are Cretan first and Greek second.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Irakleio, the capital of Crete, including nearby beach resort hotels and accommodation in the city centre.
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.
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