Detailed closeup of part of the trunk of the ancient olive tree in Vouves, Crete

This year, the TUI Care Foundation began working with Greeks to help support sustainable tourism in Crete by bringing together the island’s tourism and agriculture sectors. At the same time, the Association of Cretan Olive Municipalities continued its ongoing efforts to promote agrotourism activities focused on olive trees and olive oil in Crete.

A table with olive oil, salad, glassware, and dishes (viewed from the side)

Greek chef Vasilis K. Leonidou was judged the “Best Olive Oil Chef” in the world for 2017 by Flos Olei, the international olive oil guide from Italy. The guide also named the Kapsaliana Village Hotel restaurant where he is head chef 2017’s “Best Restaurant of the Year.” At the hotel in the olive groves near Rethymno, Crete, Leonidou discussed his goals.

yellow wood sorrel flowers leading up to two olive trees against a brilliant blue sky

When I first came to Crete, the seasons surprised me. Rather than being adorned with red, orange, and yellow deciduous trees, fall turned the green of a Pennsylvania spring, and winter filled with more blossoms than a Rocky Mountain summer. Autumn rains revived leaves and grasses, and when skies cleared, the winter sun welcomed ever so many wildflowers.

11 blue olive oil tasting glasses, an apple on a plate at the left, bottle of water back right

Terra Creta in Kolymvari, Crete, Greece offers a 4 hour seminar on olive oil quality and organoleptic evaluation (olive oil tasting) for visitors, chefs, and other related professionals. The seminar is led by international olive oil competition judge Eleftheria Germanaki and olive oil expert Emmanouil Karpadakis. Shorter tours and talks are also available.

snowy, icy olive branch

Greek olive groves were hit with a once in a decade storm in some areas in early January 2017, including freezing rain, sleet, and snow on Cretan olive trees on January 8, the day before the long Christmas vacation was to end. Chania students got an extra day of vacation, even where roads were clear. That was unusual near sea level, but you can find beautiful snow in the mountains any winter, so why not visit Greece then, too? Every season is a beautiful season here.

An incomplete, introductory sample of noteworthy sites to visit

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