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Deriving from the crocus flower, costly saffron is used sparingly to add colour and flavour to soups and stews.

Sage from the Cretan mountains is a favourite medicinal tisane , and is said to cure fever, chills, sore throats and rheumatism.

Once a valuable source of protein in hard times, snails are now regarded as a delicacy. Saligkaria stifado (snail casserole) is a uniquely Cretan dish, and is unlikely to be found on the menu in tourist restaurants.

Cretan peasant cooking makes full use of any animal slaughtered. Kreatosoupa (meat soup) is made from the bones and leftover scraps of goat, mutton or beef, while patsa is a rich soup made with tripe. Both are often served at festivals, when a goat is traditionally slaughtered and spit-roasted as a family meal.

Sweet-scented thyme, with its deep purple flowers, grows wild on Crete’s roadsides and hillsides.

Tsikoudia or raki (like Italian grappa) is a colourless spirit distilled from the skins and stems left after grape pressing. You may see market traders starting the day with a shot of tsikoudia and a strong coffee. It is also drunk after meals.

This ramshackle settlement along a peaceful, grey sand beach has ambitions to become a fully-fledged holiday resort but hasn’t yet made the grade. It is a pleasant enough place for an overnight stop.

Deserted medieval village in rolling hill country, with a dilapidated Venetian tower standing guard over roofless cottages. The small church of Agios Georgios is well preserved.

The burial place of more than 1,500 Allied soldiers who died during the Battle of Crete, in May 1941.

Cretan wines are becoming more sophisticated as makers introduce techniques pioneered by New World producers. The Boutari company’s Fantaxometocho vineyard at Archanes (see Boutari Winery and Audio-Visual Show), where award-winning white wines are made, offers a guided tour, tasting opportunities and a shop.