← greece 2026
Greece 2026

Day 13: Chania, Vouves & Anoskeli

2026-06-23

Captured Moments

We met our guide Savvas and went to the port for a coffee. Afterwards, we took a walk to the Maritime Museum of Crete.
Overlooking the Lighthouse and a Seaborne Quest cruise ship anchored outside the harbor.
Canon (it looks like it's aimed at the cruise ship)!
Panoromic shot of the harbor from the Maritime Museum
Vouves and the Olive Tree
The oldest olive tree in Vouves, Crete (4,000 years old)...and still producing fruit
Travel moment
The tree with a filter
Our lunch platter that was paired with our wine tasting. We also got to try two of their olive oils.
Travel moment
Jenna and Malorie purchasing a 4 kilo olive oil souvenir
After a short afternoon rest, we took a walk to Nea Chora (the beach), which translates to New Town in Greek.
Dinner at Oinopoieio Tavern
Lighthouse after our dinner at Oinopoieio Tavern (recommended by the Kahrs). It was delicious!
My beautiful wife

Chania, Crete

Greece • June 23, 2026 • Day 13 of 16

We drove to Vouves to see the oldest olive tree in Crete and then to Anoskeli Olive Farm and Winery!

Vouves, Crete

Crete is home to an estimated 30 to 35 million olive trees. These trees cover over 65% of the island's agricultural land and are cared for by around 100,000 rural families.

We visited the village of Ano Vouves in Chania, Crete and viewed the ancient tree, which has been carbon dated, and is an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 years old.

   ⦿ Olympic Ties: Branches cut from this exact tree were used to weave the victors' wreaths for the marathon winners at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

   ⦿ Monumental Size: The tree boasts an impressive trunk with a perimeter of 12.5 m (about 41 ft) and a diameter of 4.6 m (about 15 ft).

   ⦿ The Secret of its Longevity: Because the heart of the original trunk died and decayed over the centuries, the tree relies on a phenomenon called endorhiza—meaning it perpetually regenerates and grows from the outside in.

Anoskeli

We continued on to the Anoskeli Olive Farm and Winery. The estate produces organic and premium extra virgin olive oil exclusively from Koroneiki olives. Both lines proudly bear the Kolymvari Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

As part of our tasting, we were able to try 2 estate olive oils, and 4 wines, topped off by their signature raki.

We returned to Chania Town around 3:30 and had the rest of the afternoon to relax and explore the town.

We took a walk down to Nea Chora (the beach), and then had a delicious dinner at Oinopoieio Tavern.

What's Next

Tomorrow we are scheduled to visit the archaeological site of Aptera and the venetian castle of Koules.

— David

Comments