At the southernmost tip of Greece, and indeed all of Europe, lies the island of Crete, stretched out in the midst of the Eastern Mediterranean, divided into four departments – Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion, and Lassithi – with a population of over 600,000 inhabitants.

A thousand times sung about, rich in history and culture, the birthplace of the famous Minoan civilization and the homeland of Zeus… For it is here, on Mount Dikte and Psiloritis, in the forests of Ida, that the ruler of the Gods was born and grew up, according to a fertile mythological tradition featuring well-known characters: Europa, Minos, Pasiphae, the Minotaur…

Exceptional archaeological sites uncovered here - Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Zakros, among others - illustrate the greatness of this civilization that shone not only in the Aegean but throughout the Mediterranean.

Another unique fact: over time, the civilization has never disappeared from this limited geographical space. The geometric, archaic, classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian periods that succeeded one another have each brilliantly marked their passage, creating a multicultural landscape, a majestic and polychromatic setting for an uninterrupted historical evolution.

Vibrating to the sound of the Cretan lyra, the verses of the mandinades, and the lively dances of the island, this place still echoes with the tribulations and valor. A valor that has been "hardened" among the wild peaks, imposing gorges, and secret caves, that has "ripened" like olives and blossomed in the most inconceivable places, only to "soften" at the sight of the steep beaches with golden sand and turquoise waters…