Walking on a DREAM
Gourmet Traveller|February 2024
The best way to experience Crete’s oregano-scented villages is on foot, writes LIBBY TRAVERS.
Walking on a DREAM

The best taverna in Crete has been built on a rocky outcrop where the Aradena Gorge spills out to the Mediterranean. The arid cliffs stand sentinel over a glassy aquamarine bay. Each morning the sun chairs are laid out on Marmara’s pebble beach, slowly filling as hikers make their way out of the gorge; their swim to be chased by one of the best lunches on the island. There are only two ways into this gustatory paradise: by boat or by foot.

Crete is an island that rewards the hiker, with trails that zigzag all over. At 240 kilometres from east to west, it’s the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean, taking in fertile valleys and deep gorges along with a considerable mountain range in the middle that rises to 2400 metres.

Its size and geographical contrast allows for incredible biodiversity. Home to thousands of species of plants, some 10 per cent are only found in Crete. You sit to draw your breath and that breath is clouded with the perfume of the surrounding thyme and wild oregano. This biodiversity in turn rewards the curious diner.

On my first trip to Crete, I spent a month in the tiny seaside village of Loutro, on the raw and rugged southern coast. The tourist season had not yet begun and I had the town largely to myself. We – the hoteliers, restaurateurs, fishermen, cooks and I – were often held captive by the sea and the winds, sometimes for one day, sometimes for five (there are no roads to Loutro, only goat tracks and the sea). I learnt to walk for my supper.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2024 من Gourmet Traveller.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2024 من Gourmet Traveller.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من GOURMET TRAVELLER مشاهدة الكل
From personal experience
Gourmet Traveller

From personal experience

Former Hope St Radio chef ELLIE BOUHADANA invites you to gather your loved ones and enjoy an evening of good food and laughter with recipes from her new cookbook, Ellie's Table.

time-read
8 mins  |
September 2024
Kimberley Moulton
Gourmet Traveller

Kimberley Moulton

Kylie Kwong celebrates the individuals helping to grow a stronger community. This month, we applaud the international curator and Yorta Yorta woman who is shining a light on First Peoples.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
Tom Wallace
Gourmet Traveller

Tom Wallace

We share a drop with the head winemaker for Devil's Corner, Tamar Ridge and Pirie Sparkling, a master of cool-climate grapes.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2024
Best in class
Gourmet Traveller

Best in class

The top drops to keep an eye out for on wine lists (and why they're worth the splurge)

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
A taste of refuge
Gourmet Traveller

A taste of refuge

Fleeing war and persecution, Australia's new arrivals push our food culture forward. DANI VALENT explores the contributions of the country's refugee communities.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
BE OUR GUEST
Gourmet Traveller

BE OUR GUEST

Inspired by the sense of place conjured by Europe's Michelin-star restaurants, local restaurateurs are expanding their hospitality remit to include accommodation

time-read
6 mins  |
September 2024
Barcelona BUZZ
Gourmet Traveller

Barcelona BUZZ

A popular drawcard for digital nomads and expats alike, the Catalonian capital offers equal parts sophistication and fun. Here, DANI VALENT discovers the latest dining hotspots.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
HEATHCOTE BOUND
Gourmet Traveller

HEATHCOTE BOUND

MICHAEL HARDEN hits the road to explore regional Victoria's Heathcote, home to this year's Best Destination Dining and a host of other delights.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
The art of...relishing restaurants
Gourmet Traveller

The art of...relishing restaurants

Does working in hospitality make someone a better or worse diner

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
HEART AND SOUL
Gourmet Traveller

HEART AND SOUL

Not a vegetable but rather a flower bud that rises on a thistle, the artichoke is a complex delight. Its rewards are hard won; first you must get past the armour of petals and remove the hairy choke. Those who step up are rewarded with sweet and savoury creaminess and the elusive flavour of spring. Many of the recipes here begin with the same Provençal braise. Others call on the nuttiness of artichokes in their raw form. The results make pasta lighter and chicken brighter or can be fried to become a vessel for bold flavours all of which capture the levity of the season.

time-read
7 mins  |
September 2024