Vintage Holiday Blog

September is finally upon us and the crisper mornings, falling leaves and infinitely darker evenings means the children will soon be picking conkers off the trees and cheerfully bashing their friends’ conkers on their way to school. Although this traditional scene may have become synonymous with a British autumn, it is the Greek island of Crete, which by boasting impressive chestnuts that makes ours look like tiddlers in comparison, hosts an annual Chestnut Festival, devoted to the delicacies of its fat, sweet and juicy chestnuts.    

Surrounded by the thick boughs of many chestnut trees, the Chestnut Festival is held in the village of Elos, in the southwest corner of Crete each October. Although Crete is no stranger to some unusual festivals, with every month of the year being devoted to some kind of eccentric celebration, the Chestnut Festival is one of the island’s quirkier annual events. Visitors to Elos during the Chestnut Festival can enjoy witnessing and participating in some traditional local entertainment, including drinking, eating, music, dancing and of course indulging the palate in the pleasures, both sweet and sour, produced by roasting the chestnuts.

Elos and the Chestnut Festival

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If you’re jetting off to Crete this summer then you may just want to check align your diary with one or two of these fantastic Cretan festivals for the lovers of culture and wine.

Between the months of July and September you can catch any of the following festivals:

01 July until 15 September – Summer festivals in Chania and Heraklion

If you love your ballet, theatre, opera and dance then you’re in luck! You’ll find international performers and musicians taking to the stage alongside locals – the atmosphere is electric.

Experience traditional dance at Heraklion Festival

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Crete has to be one of Europe’s richest landscapes for ancient history and culture… it also has some incredible beaches, weather, gastronomic treats  and is only a hop, skip and a jump from pretty much anywhere in Europe.

But what drives most people to this enchanted land is the huge selection of ancient monuments to experience. This is our essential selection to visit if you’re lucky enough to be staying here:

Arkadi Monastery
A rather scary but exhilarating drive up some twisty mountain tracks, but the end result is well worth it. This monastery has become a symbol of the islanders’ struggle for independence from the invading Turks as many Cretans were killed here in 1866 – their bones and sculls are still preserved and displayed.

Arkadi Monastry

Ayios Nikolaos
Best known for its twin harbours, Ayios Nikolaos is possibly one of the most picturesque towns on Crete. Definitely well worth a trip out but in high season this place can fill up with tourists fast. If you get a chance we advise you check out the Archaeological Museum and a little Folklore Museum.

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Here’s a summary of what each contains (click on the ‘Discover xxxx’ links to see the full range on the website or alternatively please call us to request your own copy):

Discover Spain, the Balearics and Portugal covers Catalunya, Andalucia, Galicia, Mallorca, Menorca, Northern Portugal and the Algarve.

Discover Spain, the Balearics and Portugal

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