• About us

    KARATARAKIS Hotels & Restaurants SA owns, leases and manages hotels, residencies, restaurants, and conference facilities. Active in the hospitality industry since 1976, the group provides complete accommodation, gastronomy, leisure and entertainment services.

  • Powered by people who care

cultural travel Crete


Adventure Trips  / Destination Guides  / Hotels  / Local Culture & Gastronomy  / Olive Green Hotel  / Sightseeing Crete
A Day in the Highlands: Exploring the Lassithi Plateau
Posted On May 22, 2025

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes Driving up into the Cretan highlands from Heraklion city, is like stepping into another world. One moment I was winding through olive groves and coastal towns, and the next, I found myself surrounded by the […]

Continue Reading
No Comment


Cretan Customs  / Handicrafts  / Hotels  / Local Culture & Gastronomy  / Olive Green Hotel
Echoes of Crete: Exploring the Tradition of the Cretan Lyra
Posted On March 25, 2025

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes As the sun dipped behind the olive-dotted hills and the tavernas filled with laughter and smoke, a musician in a tucked-away mountain village began to play. The sound was unmistakable—raw, proud, and beautifully melancholic. It […]

Continue Reading
No Comment


Cretan Customs  / Lato Boutique Hotel  / Local Culture & Gastronomy  / Sightseeing Heraklion  / Winter Vacation
My Annual Journey Through the Cultural and Art Festivals of Heraklion
Posted On October 9, 2024

A Year-Round Celebration in Heraklion, Crete As a dedicated cultural traveler, my annual pilgrimage to Heraklion, Crete always aligns with its rich festival calendar. The city, blending ancient traditions with modern creativity, offers a series of immersive events that breathe […]

Continue Reading
No Comment


Cretan Customs  / Olive Green Hotel
Rhythms of the Heart: The Enduring Dance Traditions of Crete
Posted On January 30, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 6-7 minutes Embark on a rhythmic journey to the heart of Crete, where the pulse of the island beats in unison with the steps of traditional dances. I was first introduced to Cretan dances—and intrigued enough to […]

Continue Reading
No Comment


Hotels  / Olive Green Hotel  / Sightseeing Crete
A 5-Day Tour of Lassithi, Crete: Journeying through Myths and Nature
Posted On September 14, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes Nestled in the eastern highlands of Crete, Lassithi is a region that pulses with myth, nature, and authentic Cretan charm. Just a one-hour drive from the city of Heraklion, it’s the kind of place where […]

Continue Reading
No Comment


Sightseeing Crete
A Taste of Western Crete: A Personal Journey
Posted On June 12, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes The prefecture of Chania is an adventure traveler’s dream, where untamed nature meets authentic Cretan culture. Its landscape is among the most diverse in Crete—stretching from the white-sand beaches of Elafonissi and Balos to the […]

Continue Reading
No Comment


Cretan Customs
Inside a Traditional Taverna: Dining, Drinking, and Dancing
Posted On August 8, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 8–10 minutes A Heraklion Culinary Journey Inspired by Legacy Gastro Suites My recent food excursion to Heraklion’s Legacy Gastro Suites left me hungry for more. So hungry, in fact, that I knew it was my mission to […]

Continue Reading
No Comment


Legacy Gastro Suites
 Legacy’s Cultural Inspirations
Posted On November 6, 2018

 Legacy’s Cultural Inspirations “The Cycles with their trails that rise and fall, Time’s Wheel that knows the height and depth of all…All these now haunt my mind and bid me tell the accidents and fortunes that befell / A princess […]

Continue Reading
1 Comment