Christmas and New Year on Crete Greece – Christmas holidays Crete Greece 2024: On this Christmas page you find more information about the period around Christmas and New Year on Crete. Celebrate Christmas on Crete; you don’t have to think about the menu and don’t have to do shopping’s. Every day breakfast and dinner is arranged for you. The complete program for Christmas at Zorbas Island is noncommittal.

It is difficult to forecast the weather: it can be really beautiful, but some days it can be a little bit less. We make sure each apartment has heating! In the day it can be nice and warm, but the evenings are often chilly. Make sure you bring all kinds of clothing with you for a great Christmas on Crete Greece.

Christmas on Crete Greece – Holiday program

Christmas holiday Program on Crete Greece: all our activities and excursions during Christmas & New Year: we organize this year a lot of nice activities for Christmas and New Year. After the success of the last years, we have expanded our program even more with new excursions and activities. All excursions and activities are free of obligation. If you like to participate in certain excursions, please let us know upfront. Some modifications to our program are subject to change; sometimes we need to move an activity to another day. If there is an excursion you wish to do and it is not on our program, just let us know in advance.

In general there is breakfast between 08.30 hours and 10.30 hours and dinner is served from 20.00 hours. Times can be adjusted in relation to our activities, but you will be notified in advance.

14th of December: Canyoning. Today we go hiking in a gorge with water and possibly a waterfall. A hike of around 8 km full of obstacles and beautiful winter nature.

15th of December: Unknown Crete. We leave at 10.00 hours to an olive oil & wine museum. During a visit to this museum you can learn about the history of the making of the olive oil and Cretan wines. We also visit an olive oil factory. We drive through the wine region of Crete, where you can meet the local people and we stop in many nice little villages. On the way back we stop at a Kafenion, a typical Cretan coffeehouse. At around 16.00 hours we are back at the accommodation.

16th of December: Mountain villages (easy) walk. A nice walk through villages and nature. The route brings us through olives fields, over small paths and through small mountain villages.

Seeing the real Crete

17th of December: Unknown Crete and visit to the Christmas market in Heraklion. During the day we have Unknown Crete on the program. We visit a bronze foundry, a raki distillery and a monastery in Christmas style. Around 17.00 hours we leave for Heraklion for a visit to a Christmas market. Heraklion is all in Christmas spheres; all shops are open and there is live music.

18th of December: Traditional crafts on Crete. Visit to an old crafts market. We show you the traditional Cretan crafts: pottery, wood carving, a goat- and sheep bell maker, raki distillery, taste olive oil and wine tasting. Learn more about the traditional Greek cuisine, Cretan herbs, beeswax candles factory, beekeeper and honey. You can also visit a Cretan farm with various animals and drink coffee at a little Greek square.

19th of December: Walking on Crete in winter, turtles on Crete. This is a hike of 16 kilometres. On the way we also visit a traditional Greek Kafenion. The unspoilt and beautiful nature in central Crete. The area is known for the many turtles that live in this region. This hiking tour is suitable for everybody. We walk alongside the river through the magnificent nature.

Christmas on Crete Greece – Gorge hikes in winter

20th of December: Canyon Hike. A hike through a canyon, with unspoilt nature, a river and a waterfall (10 kilometres, start 07.00 hours).

21st of December: Mountain walk. This hike starts in the Cretan village Kera. The hike descends through a gorge between red rocks. A beautiful area with special panoramic views (8-10 kilometres, start 08.00 hours).

21st of December: Greek Christmas Cooking. A cooking workshop in the olive fields filled with Greek Christmas dishes.

22nd of December: Fossil Gorge and visit to the Christmas market in Heraklion. A village walk including a visit to a local kafenion, a monastery and a church in the mountains. Afterwards we will hike through olive fields to a small gorge. At the end of this gorge you will see a sandstone wall with fossils. From this point we walk back to Zorbas Island (12 kilometres, start 10.00 hours). Around 19.00 hours we leave for Heraklion for a visit to a Christmas market. Heraklion is all in Christmas spheres; all shops are open and there is live music.

23rd of December: Vulture Gorge and visit to a spa. This hiking trail brings us through a rocky canyon with lots of vultures and other birds. We walk back along the seaside to Zorbas Island (16 kilometres, start 09.30 hours). Around 19.00 hours we leave for a visit to a spa. Treat yourself with a massage and enjoy the heated pools.

High up in the mountains is the snow….. 

24th of December: Skotino Walk. We start our hike in the village of Skotino, to the Skotino cave and walking through the country side. This hike goes through nature and Cretan villages, along gorges and via hiking trails back to Zorbas Island (14 kilometres, starts 10.00 hours).

You can also assist the chef of Zorbas with the preparations for the Christmas Dinner.

In the evening we will visit a mountain village. You can visit the Holy Mass. A visit to the local kafenions is a great experience.

25th of December: Christmas on Crete Greece. We start the day with a delicious Christmas breakfast from 09.00 until 11.00 hours. At 11.00 hours our team starts with the preparations for our Christmas Dinner. Our bar & tavern will be closed for a few hours. If you like, you can join a beach walk of approximately 6 kilometres in the area (start 11.00 o’clock). You will be back in time to change for our Christmas dinner. You are very welcome from 16.00 hours in the tavern for a Christmas aperitif, after which we will have our Christmas dinner (around 17.00 hours). The dinner consists of lots of different delicious Greek oven dishes and grill specialities, but also different Greek specialities, also suitable for vegetarians. After the dinner we will have a nice evening with music.

Christmas on Crete Greece – Nature and culture

26th of December: Lassithi village tour in the mountains. A hike along the villages of Lassithi, the famous plateau in the Dikti mountains. Especially during the winter, this is a special walk. We will hike between the mountains along Cretan villages (10-12 kilometres, start 10.00 hours).

27th of December: Mironas & Archanes and visit to a spa. A tour through Central Crete, a combination of hiking and sightseeing in 1 day. We will make a village walk through narrow streets and will visit a bell maker. A hiking tour of maximum 8-10 kilometres through the Jugta area (start 09.30 hours). Around 19.00 hours we leave for a visit to a spa. Treat yourself with a massage and enjoy the heated pools.

28th of December: Canyon hike. A hike through a canyon with a river and waterfalls in an area where you hardly see any other people.

Hiking and cooking

29th of December: Canyon hike and visit to the New Years market in Heraklion. A hike through a canyon of about 8 km, an adventurous canyon with water (start 07.00 hours)! A village walk including a visit to a local kafenion, a monastery and a church in the mountains. Afterwards we will hike through olive fields to a small gorge. At the end of this gorge you will see a sandstone wall with fossils. From this point we walk back to Zorbas Island (12 kilometres, start 10.00 hours). Around 19.00 hours we leave for Heraklion for a visit to a New Years market. Heraklion is all  decorated, all shops are open and there is live music.

30th of December: Outdoor cooking. At 10.00 hours we will leave for our outdoor cooking workshop in the olive field. We show you how to make traditional Greek dishes. Do you have a request for a special Greek recipe? Please let us know, then we can show you how to make it. During the cooking you can taste different wines and of course olive oil.

In case you don’t want to cook, but want to enjoy what the cooks made, then it’s possible to go for a walk in this area (start 10.00 hours). After the walk you can enjoy the delicious dishes. Of course you also have different wines and olive oil.

31st of December: River hike. A beautiful nature’s hike of 10-12 kilometres along a riverbed. This hike is suitable for all ages! (start 10.00 hours).

New Year’s Eve on Crete: Our team will start at 12.00 hours with the preparations for New Year’s Eve, our bar & tavern will be closed from 12.00 to 18.00 hours. At 19.30 hours we start our party night with a special dinner. At 24.00 hours we will open the champagne and enjoy fireworks outside. Then the party will start! With nice music until the early hours, it will remain restless for quite a while at Zorbas….

Christmas on Crete Greece – New Year’s dive in the sea

1st of January: Today your breakfast will be from 10.00 hours until 12.00 hours. We organise a New Year’s dive in the sea and a New Year’s drink at 15.00 hours.

2nd of January: Unknown Crete. We leave at 10.00 hours to an olive oil & wine museum. During a visit to this museum you can learn about the history of the making of the olive oil and Cretan wines. We also visit an olive oil factory, where you can see the process. We drive through the wine region of Crete, where you can meet the local people and we stop in many nice little villages. On the way back we stop at a Kafenion, a typical Cretan coffeehouse. At around 16.00 hours we are back at the accommodation.

3rd of January: Fossil Gorge. A village walk including a visit to a local kafenion, a monastery and a church in the mountains. Afterwards we will hike through olive fields to a small gorge. At the end of this gorge you will see a sandstone wall with fossils. From this point we walk back to Zorbas Island (12 kilometres, start 10.00 hours).

4th of January: Vulture Gorge. This hiking trail brings us through a rocky canyon with lots of vultures and other birds. We walk back along the seaside to Zorbas Island (16 kilometres, start 09.30 hours).

Please let us know which excursions you would like to participate in on your reservation. Except our Christmas and New Year’s program it is also possible to choose from our other winter excursions.

Weekly winter excursions on Crete in the winter: Every Wednesday we will hike through another area of Crete. We also have multiple-day hikes on Crete.

More information

Christmas Outdoor holidays on Crete in the winter: A weekly program for Crete, Greece in winter, an outdoor holiday on Crete, activities and accommodation on Crete. Active holidays in Crete in winter: We offer a full week program for the whole season, which you can book as a complete program, but you can also leave out some activities.

We also offer different kind of excursions such as horseback riding on Crete, golf on Crete, fishing on Crete and boat trips on Crete. There are route maps in case you want to rent a car, bike or scooter during your Christmas holidays on Crete. We have everything you need for an unforgettable winter holiday on Crete, Greece.

Our accommodation is small scale and personal, in a Greek environment. All accommodation is equipped with heating and hot water.

We also offer opportunities for a longer stay on Crete, spending the winter in Crete is more affordable than you might think. We have several winter programs for winter holidays on Crete, Greece, from October to May. You can always contact us if you have any specific questions.

Hiking in winter on Crete (Christmas and New Year’s holidays)

In November most of the tourists have gone home, but the weather is still great in this period. It is a perfect time to go around on the island.

Excursions on Crete: Excursion information about Crete, active group excursions, outdoor holiday, walking and cycling routes, walking with accommodation, multi-day hikes, car rental, scooter rental, diving, diving with accommodation, cycling, bicycle rental, cycling and accommodation, golf holidays, horseback riding, Crete travel information, local transport, jeep safari, multi-day jeep safari, quad rental, cooking lesson and cooking holidays, climbing, culture and nature, boat rental, boat excursions, sailing to Greek islands, snorkelling, all ingredients for a great active holiday during Christmas on Crete Greece.

Every day winter news from Crete: Every 24 hours uploads on this page. News and links for holidays on Crete. From this page you can also click on to our photo books. Christmas on Crete Greece.

Holidays on Crete: Apartment rental and accommodation on Crete. This is the right address for family apartments and holiday homes, excursions and cheap flights to Crete. There is a detailed overview of the latest holiday news from Crete including many pictures. Crete is the most southern holiday island of Europe.

In case you like more information, please send an email to zorbasisland@gmail.com

Christmas on Crete Greece