Discover Authentic Crete: Heraklion to Margarites via Anogeia and Axos

(4 reviews)

Heraklion audio tour: Discover Authentic Crete: Heraklion to Margarites via Anogeia and Axos

This is a 54.4mi driving tour

It takes an average of 180 mins to complete.

Heraklion

Greece

$19.99

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About the Tour

Cretan culture remains largely unchanged in the grand Ida Mountains, where much of the nation’s history has taken shape. On this driving tour, I’ll point out local crafts like olive oil, raki-making and the region’s age-old cheese production methods in stone Mitata sheds. You’ll also pass through typically Cretan villages like Anogeia and Axos, where men still walk around in traditional costumes.

The tour starts just outside of Heraklion, in Gazi. You’ll drive through several olive fields, from which the fruit for the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and other local varieties come. You’ll make your way to the Melidoni Cave, where over three hunderd women and children lost their lives during the 1823 Ottoman Turkish occupation and, today, local residents come to pay tribute to their ancestors’ unwavering quest for independence.

I’ll point out a snail farm as you make your way into the mountains, where you’ll be treated to amazing views. You’ll also drive through Margarites, a village nestled at the foot of this mountain range, known for its rich tradition of ceramics production, where you can even make vases or amulets yourself. The tour ends in the quiet fishing village of Panormos, where you can enjoy its child-friendly beach, or have a drink on a terrace with a fantastic view of the sea.

Along the way you will have the opportunity to:

Enjoy beautiful views of Heraklion, the capital, and learn why this city is so special to locals
See immense wooden statues in the Wooden Sculptures Museum and get a sense of what you can create with olive wood
Experience a guided tour of the family-owned Gerarchakis Olive Oil Factory and see the liquid gold flow out of taps at the end
Visit the village of Veni where, from October to December, you can see raki being produced

By the end of this four hour driving route you’ll have a broader insight into Cretan traditions and customs and how they evolved over the centuries.
You can then easily return to the starting point of the route via the highway.

Tour Producer

Mr. Routaki

30 tours

Bio of AJ alias Mr. Routaki:
Since 1995 I have been coming to Crete. An island that has stolen my heart. The Samaria Gorge was my very first working area and in the following seasons many more regions followed in a wide variety of professions.
And always surrounded by friendly guests who had all kinds of questions. That is why the Routaki routes also provide the information desired by you as a guest of the island.

After completing my tourism education (M.T.R.O.) I found the right activities in this wonderful profession.
Guide, tour leader, resort host, underwater-cameraman, restaurant owner, Jeep safari guide or sailing (flotilla) leader. All these experiences I use nowadays when compiling my information and stories which I incorporate into my car routes and city walks.

Daily life on Crete interwoven with the stories of the many acquaintances I have been able to listen to over the past thirty years.
The first routes were created in 2006 using CDs (and even cassette tapes!!). Parts of routes from back then have now, with the help of the VoiceMap app, grown into a beautiful portfolio of day trips in the three languages I master; Dutch, English and German.

The Infotheek on my Routaki.com website will continue to grow and many more routes and walks will follow.

Some of my goals are to apply augmented reality and to show you the traditions of the olive harvest or wedding ceremonies even outside the usual periods.
I continue to immerse myself in the Cretan culture traditions and customs. I read about recent developments and combine this for you into a wonderful holiday day experience.

Through the many ‘interest media’ I am happy to keep you informed.

Preview Location

Location 32

The wood carving museum of George Koutantos

Park your car and listen to the following, before you are able to visit the wood museum of George Koutantos.

The woodcarving museum and workshop are located just outside the center on the road to Katriana. All the artworks are made by the sculptor George Koutantos himself. ... Park your car and listen to the following, before you are able to visit the wood museum of George Koutantos.

The woodcarving museum and workshop are located just outside the center on the road to Katriana. All the artworks are made by the sculptor George Koutantos himself. Born in Axos in 1981, George is a true local. He showed an interest in creating artworks from a young age and even experimented with black-and-white photography during his secondary education. At the age of nine, he discovered the possibilities of clay and began creating objects with it.

Soon, he began using other materials, experimenting with plaster, putty, and stone. However, he quickly realized that wood was his preferred medium due to its durability and resistance to damage compared to other materials. He was also inspired by his neighbor, who sold wood carvings to village visitors, piquing his interest in the commercial possibilities.

In his early years, he even crafted musical instruments, especially the typical Cretan instrument, the Lyre. He continued to study and practice, driven by immense passion. He conducted his hobby in the basement of his parents' house. It was only after completing his military service in 2001 that George realized people were enthusiastic about what he created. This led to the opening of his own museum on March 14, 2010, after over 20 years of woodworking experience.

Visitors to the museum have the opportunity to explore the exhibits or attend a seminar. On the historical side, George shares stories of finding bullets from the 1823 revolution against the Ottoman Turks in some of the reused trees, including trees from the Arkadi Monastery.

Most of the woodcarvings are life-sized, with a few even larger. The piece called 'Eagle and the Snake' is a woodcarving over six meters in length. The combination 'My Parents and I' is three meters tall, and 'The Little Sailor' is not so little, measuring five meters in height.

George uses raw logs from trees that have lived for up to 500 years. All the logs used come from trees that have naturally died, often uprooted due to natural forces. He finds them, cuts them with a chainsaw, and transports them to his workshop with his own crane-equipped truck.

Due to the size of the logs, he cuts them outdoors and removes the bark to prevent worm infestation. Then, the actual woodcarving process begins, which can take several months, depending on the level of detail.

When you're ready, leave the museum and continue following the road. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Ηρώο Οπλαρχηγού Ηρακλή Κοκκινίδη
Heraklion
Snail Farm and Fun
View
Anogia
Axus
Wooden Sculptures Museum
Garazo
Mourtzana
Melidoni Cave
Paraschakis Olive Oil
Margarites
Ιερός Μονή Μεταμορφώσεως του Σωτήρος και Αγίου Γεδεών (Μετόχιο Ιεράς Μονής Καρακάλλου)
Gerarchakis Olive Oil Factory
Pyrgos
Panormos Beach

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Palea EO Rethimnou Irakliou, Malevizi 715 00, Greece
Total distance

87km
Final location
Epar.Od. Peramatos-Panormou, Panormos 740 57, Greece
Distance back to start location

35km

Directions to Starting Point

This route departs from Gazi, which is located west of Heraklion. If you come from the main road out of the direction of the airport, take the exit to Gazi, so that you arrive at the intersection where you turn left. You then drive under the main road and 200 m later you will see a monument on your right. This is the starting point of the route.

If you come from Rethymnon, take the Gazi exit and you will arrive at a T-junction, where you will see the monument straight in front of you. The route starts to the left.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Snail Farm, square of Anogeia, Woodcarving museum in Axos, Kazani of Jiannis, Melidoni cave. Olive oil factory of either the Parachakis or Gerarchakis familly , cozy streets and the monastery of Margarites, terraces in Panormos

Best time of day

The route can be completed throughout the year, if there is no snow on the roads and is designed to span a day.
The actual driving time is approximately 4 hours, but there are numerous opportunities to explore or enjoy pleasant breaks.
Please be aware that the conclusion of the tour is approximately 45 minutes from the starting point when using the New National Road.

Precautions

Bring your smartphone battery charger, maintain an average speed of 55-60 km or less in the mountainous regions, wear appropriate clothing for churches and monasteries, purchase the correct language version of the route (Dutch or English), ensure that the route is NOT set to the audio-book setting, if you have one, bring a smartphone holder, disable automatic screen turn-off (don't forget to put it back on afterwards).

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

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Questions and Reviews

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4 Ratings

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Discover Authentic Crete: Heraklion to Margarites via Anogeia and Axos

About the Tour

Tour Producer

Mr. Routaki

Preview Location

Location 32

The wood carving museum of George Koutantos

How VoiceMap Works

Major Landmarks

Ηρώο Οπλαρχηγού Ηρακλή Κοκκινίδη

Heraklion

Snail Farm and Fun

View

Anogia

Axus

Wooden Sculptures Museum

Garazo

Mourtzana

Melidoni Cave

Paraschakis Olive Oil

Margarites

Ιερός Μονή Μεταμορφώσεως του Σωτήρος και Αγίου Γεδεών (Μετόχιο Ιεράς Μονής Καρακάλλου)

Gerarchakis Olive Oil Factory

Pyrgos

Panormos Beach