Southern Glow

The route covers a total of 87 kilometers, lasting about 3 hours by car or motorcycle without stops. It is suitable and recommended year-round, aimed at visitors interested in culture, nature, hiking, outdoor activities, and, of course, gastronomic delights.

On this journey, Messara and the Asterousia Mountains reveal and propose sites and landscapes included in UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve. Here, between stone, air, and sea, the past with its history and the present with its people become one. From Agioi Deka and Pompia to the monasteries of Apezzana and Odigitria, and from the Minoan palace of Phaistos (a UNESCO monument) to ancient Gortyna, the hermitages and caves, and the untouched beaches of Agiofarango and Martsalo, the scenery shifts yet always surprises and, above all, rewards.

The products and flavors of the route are the best guides. Here you will taste rabbit stifado, omathiés with rice, fisherman's fish soup, and souchliá—all born of necessity and the fertile land: a feast of eggplants, zucchinis, beans, vlita (amaranth greens), purslane, and snails, all cooked with local sea salt. Do not miss stuffed zucchinis, zucchini blossoms, dolmadakia (stuffed vine leaves), and in winter, trahanas cooked with boiled meat—a dish reminiscent of Sparta’s melanas zomos.

Messara olive oil, golden and award-winning, is the foundation of local production and every dish. Graviera cheese paired with honey creates unique flavor, while rusks, sea salt, local meats, and vegetables complete an authentic gastronomic picture. Look for these products in the local shops. If you choose to stay, most villages—especially the coastal ones—offer accommodations and family tavernas to make your visit unforgettable.

Route Products

PDO products: Graviera of Crete, Xinomizithra of Crete, Pine-thyme honey of Crete, Olive oil of Messara.

PGI products: Cretan rusk, Heraklion wine.

Special products: Asterousia meats, wild greens and herbs, olive oil, vegetables, wine, tsikoudia, dairy products.

Route Delicacies

Askolimbri (wild cardoon): A wild thorny green growing in the Asterousia, gathered from November to March. Used in many recipes after being blanched in salted water, they are eaten with olive oil and lemon, or with avgolemono sauce, combined with broad beans, snails, eggs, or meat.

Omathiés with rice: A special dish traditionally prepared at Christmas, with roots going back to Byzantium. It consists of pork intestines stuffed with a rich filling of liver, spleen, rice, raisins, pistachios, walnuts, and spices, boiled in water. Once cooked, they are drained, lightly fried until golden, and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.