Heroes and legends in the highlands of Mt. Ida

When: April to October depending on weather conditions and snow accumulation, including national celebrations and Greek official holidays.
Languages: Heroes and legends in the highlands of Mt. Ida Czech, Dutch, English, French, Greek, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Finnish, Swedish, Turkish,
Duration: Eight to nine hours.
Meeting Point: Heraklion: Liberty Square; or, upon request, pick up and drop off at your hotel.
Dress Code: Casual; comfortable walking shoes; warmer clothes in early spring; sunblock.
Including: Transportation to and from Heraklion; full services of an officially qualified tourist guide; lunch in Anoyia; bottled water.
Food: Yes
Walking difficulty: Participants should be physically fit for an uphill (and back) walk of approximately 30 - 40 minutes.
Rest rooms/WC: Yes.

We will spend the day in and around Mt. Ida (or as the locals call it Psiloritis) reliving its history, exploring its natural environment, and becoming acquainted with the life-styles of the people who live there. We start at Tylissos with its excavated villas dating to the early Minoan Bronze Age. We then ascend to the plateau of Nida (1400 m) and hike the old trail to the Idaion Antron Cave, a site of ancient cult worship associated with the birth and rearing of Zeus. It is a place rarely visited, where myth come alive. Ida is dotted with the dwellings of local shepherds, the so-called mitata that constitute a unique element to Cretan architecture. We will then visit Anoyia, a village known for its hospitality and proud people whose heroic deeds and stubborn resistance to invaders throughout the centuries have become legendary. Here we will enjoy a delicious lunch of lamb-on-the-spit cooked local style.