Archanes ★ 4.5
Famous for: Village square tavernas, Minoan Vathypetro and the surrounding vineyards
Archanes is the easiest food escape from Heraklion, a restored village fifteen kilometres south where Kritamon cooks on the main village square.
Food destinations within easy reach of Heraklion. worth the train, the rental car or the early start.
Worth the trip
Dafnes ★ 4.4
Famous for: Douloufakis winery, Liatiko and Vidiano tastings, and the July wine festival
Dafnes is where the Heraklion wine region announces itself, with the Douloufakis winery in the village and a free wine festival on the square each July.
Skalani ★ 4.2
Famous for: The Olive and Mint kitchen and the vineyards on the Knossos road
Skalani sits a fifteen-minute drive past Knossos from Heraklion, where Olive and Mint cooks new Cretan food on Ifigenias among the vineyards.
Peza and Melesses ★ 4.3
Famous for: Organic wineries, Kotsifali and Vidiano tastings, village kafeneia
The Peza appellation south of Heraklion is the island's densest run of wineries, with Domaine Paterianakis farming organically near the village of Melesses.
Krousonas ★ 4.1
Famous for: Village taverna cooking, garden harvesting and a folk museum
Krousonas sits in the Malevizi foothills half an hour west of Heraklion, where the Baxes taverna runs cooking lessons under its own grapevine.