We offer you for many years an extended Christmas and New Years program. Feel free to join in on all our activities, but off course this is not a “must”! We would prefer it if you could let us know upfront in which activities you would like to join.

The only problem is sometimes the flight tickets. It is often difficult to find a straight flight to Heraklion for a reasonable price. A good alternative is to fly trough Athens. There are daily departures! Check on our links to find a cheap flight ticket: Flights to Crete

Christmas on Crete”: activities and New Year’s Celebration

Christmas on Crete, Greece: we organise again this year lots of activities for a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s celebration on Crete! After the success of the last years we have developed a new Christmas and New Year’s program for you. You are not obliged to take part in all activities, but if you know already in which activities you would like to participate, we would be pleased if you could notify us upfront, to avoid disappointments. There might be some changes in our Christmas and New Year’s 2008 program, because we might schedule some activities a day later or earlier.

Christmas and New Years program 2010:

Program and accommodation for Christmas holidays on Crete, Greece: Christmas on Crete, activities included our New Years program for a winter holiday on Crete, Greece.

Christmas on Crete, Greece: we organize every year lots of nice activities for Christmas and New Year on Crete. Because of the success of the lasts years we have again organized this year different activities and excursions especially for you. You are free to join us in these activities and excursions, but if you know already at which excursions you would like to attend, it would please us to let us know upfront. There might be a slight change in the program; some excursions might be rescheduled to another day, for example due to weather changes…

14 December: traditional sheep cheese making in Anogia in the Cretan mountains!  Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock. We will take you hiking in the area of Anogia (14 kilometers). We visit several traditional raki breweries and a pigi (a stone house) where we will also make traditional Cretan sheep cheese. We will leave at 10.00 o’clock and we will return at 17.00 o’clock.

15 December: cooking lessons on Crete: breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.  Today, you are able to learn more about typical Greek cooking, we will teach you the basics of cooking with olive oil, Greek herbs and Greek dishes with vegetables and meat in our traditional stone oven. You are able to learn how to make tzatziki, kleftiko, stuffed tomatoes and paprika’s (gemista), Greek Christmas recipes, cooking with Greek wine, wine tasting. We will start our cooking workshop at 13.00 o’clock until 17.00 o’clock.

16 December: Olive harvesting while on holiday in Crete! Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock. We will take you to the olive fields to teach you how to harvest olives in a typical Cretan way! In the olive fields we will enjoy a BBQ. Later in the afternoon wee will visit an olive oil factory, so you can see how olive oil is made. Off course you will receive your own olive oil as a souvenir to take back home. 

17 December: a tour to South Crete. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.  We will taker you to the beautiful South of Crete and visit many old villages on our way! You don’t have to drive yourself, we are more then happy to take you there. On our way we will stop at old Cretan coffeehouses (kafenion). This tour is 220 kilometers. We will leave at 09.00 o’clock.

18 December:  Hiking tour to the turtle spot: a hiking tour through various Greek villages and nature, suitable for everybody! Breakfast from 08.30 o’clock until 11.30 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock. We will start at a Greek kafenion for a coffee and then start our hiking tour, if we are lucky, we might spot turtles during our hiking tour! We will hike through impressive nature during this river hiking tour. This hiking tour is suitable for everybody! We will leave at 09.00 o’clock.

19 December: a visit to the wine museum of Crete & olive oil factory. In the evening a Greek BBQ in the winter. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.  Today we will visit an olive oil and wine museum. We will leave around 10.00 o’clock. While visiting this museum you are able to learn more about the making of Cretan olive oil and wines. We will also visit an olive oil factory, where you are able to buy olive oil at good prices. We will show you around the wine area of Crete and visit various local villages. You are able to enjoy a good coffee at a traditional kafenion. This tour is about 100 kilometers.

You are very welcome to join us at our Greek BBQ night from 20.00 o’clock, we offer you various Greek dishes from our stone oven and grill!  

20 December: A excursion to Lassithi in the winter. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.  This tour will take us the mountains of Lassithi, the famous farmers area of Crete. We will visit nice villages on our way. This tour is aprox. 160 kilometers.

21 December: Cooking with olive oil workshop on Crete. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.  We organize these cooking workshops the whole year around! Today, you are able to learn more about typical Greek cooking, we will teach you the basics of cooking with olive oil, Greek herbs and Greek dishes with vegetables and meat in our traditional stone oven. We will start our cooking workshop at 13.00 o’clock.

22 December: Christmas market shopping in Heraklion, visit to raki factory on Crete. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.  We will leave at 17.00 o’clock to go Christmas shopping in Heraklion. During the evening we will visit a raki factory. At this raki factory, we will grill some meat and you can see how traditional raki is being made. Off course you are also able to taste raki yourself! While visiting the raki factory you can enjoy live Cretan music. We will be back at your accommodation around 24.00 o’clock.

23 December: Cycling in the winter on Crete. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock. We will organize a cycle tour in our area. During this tour we will BBQ in an impressive cave! 

24 December: Winter Cretan villages hiking tour: this hiking tour is approximately 15 kilometer and suitable for everybody. We will visit a traditional Cretan kafenion (coffeehouse) on our way. We will hike through impressive nature during this river hiking tour. Breakfast from 09.30 until 11.00 o’clock. Christmas diner at 20.00 o’clock. We will leave for our hiking tour at 09.00 o’clock.

25 December: Christmas day on Crete, Greece: from 09.30 o’clock you are able to enjoy our extended Christmas breakfast buffet. In the afternoon you are welcome to join us in our Christmas celebrations from 16.00 o’clock. Our Christmas diner offers you lots of different Greek Christmas dishes, delicious stone oven and grill dishes and we also offer various dishes for our vegetarian guests.

Our bar will be closed from 12.00 until 16.00 o’clock, because of our preparations for the Christmas diner. If you like, you might enjoy a long walk along the beach. If you follow the beach road, after 6 kilometers you will arrive at a bird spotting place. A lot of birds stay on Crete during the wintertime!

26 December: Christmas hiking: a hiking tour to Pano Gouves – Koxari – Skotino– Skotino gave– Gournes Pediados. A lovely day for a nice walk after your first day of Christmas celebrations! We will leave at 12.00 o’clock. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.

27 December: Christmas jeep safari on Crete: today we organize a off road jeep tour to the top of the Dikti mountain, if we are lucky there will be snow on 2000 meters! The weather can be lovely in Gournes, but it can be quit chilly in the mountains. We will show you Crete like you would never see it by yourself! There is lots of sightseeing during our jeep safari, a off road jeep safari full of adventure, culture and nature and we will drive through various traditional Greek villages. From 20.00 o’clock you can enjoy a delicious BBQ night! Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock. 

28 December: Greek cooking workshop on location. Breakfast from 08.30 o’clock until 11.30 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.  This afternoon we will be cooking typical Greek dishes in the mountains at a lovely little church. If you would like to prepare a dish that you have eaten during the week, please let us know, so we can show you how to prepare it! We will start at 13.0 o’clock.

Diving on Crete in the winter: for our guest who have diving experience, we organize a beautiful dive in the winter on Crete. If you have no previous diving experience, we organize a diving instruction afternoon!

29 December: Shopping at the gypsy market in Heraklion. We will leave at 10.00 o’clock. This is a big market in Alikarnassos in Heraklion. During the evening we will visit a raki factory. At this raki factory, we will grill some meat and you can see how traditional raki is being made. Off course you are also able to taste raki yourself! While visiting the raki factory you can enjoy live Cretan music. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock. 

30 December: South of Crete jeep tour. Breakfast from 07.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. We will leave at 08.00 o’clock for our jeep tour to the South of Crete. This tour takes you to the unknown Crete: impressive nature, old villages and archeological sites.

31 December: New Years Eve party on Crete! Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. You are very welcome at our New Years party from 18.00 o’clock. Our New Year’s diner starts at 19.30 o’clock. Today, our bar will be closed from 12.00 o’clock until 18.00 o’clock, because off the preparations for the New Years party. New Years party on Crete: a party night not to be missed on Crete, at 24.00 o’clock lots of fireworks and a New Years bonfire.

If you would like to make an excursion during the day time, we are more then happy to give you more information!

1 January: Happy New Year! Breakfast from 10.00 o’clock until 11.30 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.  You are welcome to join us for a New Years drink from 14.00 o’clock. From 20.00 o’clock we will serve you several dishes from our stone oven. At 13.00 o’clock we will celebrate the New Year with a dive in the sea on the beach at Gournes Crete.

2 January: Winter hiking kalderini tour: this hiking tour is approximately 14 kilometer and suitable for everybody. We will visit a traditional Cretan kafenion (coffeehouse) on our way. We will hike through impressive nature during this river hiking tour. We will follow the old donkey trails called “kalderini’s”. During our tour we will also visit an old chuch from 1500 and deserted villages. Breakfast from 08.30 o’clock until 11.30 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock

3 January: Two days winter jeep safari on Crete: 450 kilometers over the most beautiful roads and olive fields, lots of sight seeing, adventure and Greek culture, mountains and beaches. During this two-day jeep safari we will drive through South, Central and East Crete. We will stay one night in Mirthos and will return at Monday evening. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock. 

4 January: Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.0 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock. 

5 January: a visit to the wine museum of Crete & olive oil factory. In the evening a Greek BBQ in the winter. Breakfast from 08.00 o’clock until 11.00 o’ clock. Diner at 20.00 o’clock.  Today we will visit an olive oil and wine museum. We will leave around 10.00 o’clock. While visiting this museum you are able to learn more about the making of Cretan olive oil and wines. We will also visit an olive oil factory, where you are able to buy olive oil at good prices. We will show you around the wine area of Crete and visit various local villages. You are able to enjoy a good coffee at a traditional kafenion. This tour is about 100 kilometers.

We are able to offer you lots of other excursions, for example: horse riding on Crete, fishing on Crete, and boat tours on Crete….We can provide you with route maps of you would like to rent a car during your holiday on Crete, or rent a scooter or motorbike. We offer you lots of possibilities for an unforgettable holiday on Crete, Greece.

There may occur some changes in dates in our program, this is mostly to do with arrivals of our guests. You can always experience all our activities, although some might be organised on another day...

Our accommodation is personal and cosy in a Greek environment. All our apartments have hot water and heating. We are also able to offer you international television in your apartment. Except for that you are also able to make use of our WIFI internet connection. If you do not have a laptop then you off course welcome to use our internet computer in the bar. 

We are also able to offer you possibilities for a longer stay during the winter on Crete, a longer stay on Crete during the winter on Crete is more price worthy then you might imagine. We can offer you several different winter programs on Crete Greece, from October until May! For any more questions or comment, please do not hesitate to contact us! 

 The weather is hard to predict: it can be beautiful sunny weather, but there are also days that is not so sunny. We make sure that there is a heating in every apartment. In the daytime it can be quiet warm, but the nights can often be chilly. So take all kinds of clothes with you for a fantastic Christmas on Crete. We are looking forward to it.

apartments for rent in Crete Greece Zorbas Beach Gournes Crete offers 10 apartments surrounded by beautiful gardens, a swimming pool, terrace and a pool bar. The Zorbas Beach apartments are suitable for one to six persons; we also offer you the possibility to stay at Zorbas Beach with a group of families or friends. Each apartment has one or two verandas and a cosy interior. It is possible to book accommodation including breakfast or half-board. We are a small team, so we can offer you personal service! All our guests can use all our services: transfer to and from the airport (Heraklion), all excursions and activities, swimming pool, bar at the reception. Gournes, Crete, Greece.

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