Starting at the village of Topolia, with a host of sights such as the Tzaniana traditional settlement, Nisi, the Cave of Agia Sofia in the Topolia Gorge and the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios and Agia Triada along the way. It stretches out towards the villages of Katsomatado and Mouri, where the Byzantine churches of Agios Nikolaos and Agios Antonios lie, with panoramic Kissamos bay views. It continues into Latziana with its namesake traditional settlement, the ancient temple of God Latzios of archaeological and architectural interest and the church of Agia Barbara. Then, onto the villages of Voulgaro, with the traditional settlement of Makronas (also the start of the Halase Gorge) and Potamida, with the traditional settlement of Babametis and the Komolithi, a rare geological phenomenon. The path concludes at Kaloudiana and Kissamos as last stops.
FOLKLORE CULTURE Folklore is a culture defined by its namesake: everything the people of a land say, do and act collectively and as a society. Folklore roots across the region of Kissamos are lost in the haze of time, back to Minoan Civilisation times. FOLK ART MUSIC Music and singing are strongly connected to all sides of everyday life for the inhabitants of the area. Traditional musical instruments of Kissamos are the lute and violin, instead of the lyre found in other regions. Locals have dubbed them ‘zygia’ and they are a vital part of days-long celebrations of joyous events like weddings, fairs, engagements, christenings and more. The dancing activities of the people of Kissamos is abundant too, who stomp…
THE KISSAMOS DIET Kissamos locals, as do all Cretans, are traditionally gourmand and enjoy good, quality food. Their land’s trademark produce is the cornerstone of Mediterranean Diet. Local cuisine is, at its foundation, indigenous and the rule of thumb is the use of olive oil on every dish, with tomato and oregano assuming starring roles. The dietary habits of today’s locals are close to those in ancient times, something that is documented by inscriptions on Linear B tablets regarding cheese, olive oil, honey, wine, herbs and spices, meats and grain. Its basic features are simplicity, sparsity, making use of local and seasonal produce, all cooked with imaginative variation. OLIVE OIL No matter where you land on Crete, be it high…