Crete's Autumn Flowers

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, being 258 kilometres long and 56 kilometres wide. To its south, across the Libyan Sea, lie the shores of North Africa; to the north, the islands of the Cyclades and Dodecanese. Crete itself is dominated by a central spine of limestone mountains which rise to a maximum elevation of 2,450 metres. From these heights, clear mountain streams empty into the Aegean Sea to the north, whilst south of the mountains the streams have cut deep gorges on their way to the Libyan Sea. This geographical position and variety of terrain have blessed Crete with a wonderful diversity of flowers and plants; not only an exceptional collection of characteristic Mediterranean flora but, additionally, around 140 endemic species, making it one of the most exciting places to see wild flowers in Europe. Some of these species originate from Asia Minor, reminders of the period some five million years ago when the island was part of what is now Turkey, whilst others have their origins in North Africa. In addition to the plants, Crete offers us numerous Minoan remains and some exciting birds, both of which we will be able to enjoy during this autumn break.

Our holiday has been planned to coincide with the best of the island’s autumn display of flowers. Crete is, of course, noted for its fine array of spring flowers. It is less well known, however, that following the hot, dry summer, early autumn rains encourage many bulbs such as crocuses, colchicums, narcissi and scillas to spring to life. In addition, the autumn fruits and colours, together with pleasant weather, make Crete a lovely place to visit at this time of the year.

We will be based in the relatively unspoilt western side of Crete, in the town of Chania. Our comfortable hotel lies on the quiet edge of this old Venetian port which boasts many fine restaurants for us to investigate. At this time of year most holiday-makers will have gone home, so we will be able to wander through the attractive town and see it at its best. There is a fine Venetian harbour and a maze of narrow streets where there were once no fewer than 97 Venetian palaces! Even before the arrival of the Venetians this city, formerly known as Cydonia, had long been an important centre, occupied first by the Minoans, then later by the Romans, and many of the Byzantine fortifications have been incorporated into other buildings. There are Minoan remains carefully preserved alongside minarets and churches, and a wonderfully colourful covered market full of herbs, spices, dried fruits, olive oil and honey. Later in the week, we will take time to explore the back streets of Chania and visit the market before making an excursion to the Akrotiri Peninsula and the Monastery of Agia Triada.

For much of the week, however, we will enjoy gentle walks in the countryside in search of the island’s flora. One of our first destinations will be the Imbros Gorge which lies on the long-distance E4 footpath which, amazingly, runs from the Alps to the Cretan coast. The gorge has steep, dramatic walls covered in interesting plants, many of which are endemic. It is the second largest gorge in Crete and was one of the routes used to evacuate Commonwealth troops during the Battle of Crete. We will look for Narcissus serotinus, Crocus boryi, Origanum dictamnus and many others during an 8-kilometre walk which is regarded as one of the finest in Crete.

An excursion into the White Mountains will take us to the upland plain of Omalos. Situated at the top of the Samaria Gorge it is surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery. This fascinating landscape is full of exciting plants including the endemic Colchicum creticum, Acer sempervirens and Crataegus azarolus. Another scenic walk from the village of Megala Horafia will lead to the ancient town of Aptera, which contains both Hellenistic and Roman remains and was once a major centre of trade. This is an area full of natural and ancient history interest, where we can look for Cyclamen graecum and Colchicum pusillum among the flora and also visit the Turkish fort which offers breathtaking views over Souda Bay.

On our last day we will visit the ancient village of Polyrenia. This is one of the most beautiful parts of Crete and the village is a delightfully chaotic mix of ancient and modern buildings clustered together. After lunch at the local taverna we can look for Cyclamen, Scilla autumnalis and colourful sternbergias before visiting the ancient olive presses, Roman cisterns, ‘cave houses’ and raki ‘stills’ of Polyrenia, which ensure a fascinating conclusion to our autumn holiday on Crete.