Exploring Crete: Greece's largest island - Mediterranean journey | DW Documentary
421,115
Published 2022-09-25
After a spot of shopping in Chania Old Town, she travels through the Cretan hinterlands past a multitude of olive groves. After Spain and Italy, Greece is the world’s third largest producer of olive oil. Olive oil maker Ióanna Paraschakis invites Sineb to taste some of her wares.
Crete is the largest Greek island. It offers stunning stretches of coastline, beautiful port towns like Ágios Nikólaos, as well as picturesque mountainscapes. Instead of in a boring old car, Sineb explores the gorgeous countryside on a rented e-bike. In the mountain village of Kouses, she visits a herb store run by Yannis Giannoutsos and creates her own salt. All the herbs and spices sold here, such as thyme and oregano, are cultivated organically.
Crete is also suffering the impact of climate change and the resulting aridity. That’s why researchers Ioannis Daliakopoulos and Anargyros Sideris are trying to find ways to support local farmers. Sineb finds out about their crucial pilot project to address water scarcity in the Mediterranean region.
Community plays a key role in Greek culture, and dance is an important aspect of national identity. Antonia Pantelaki has taught dance in Archanes for many years. She knows all the nuances of Greek dance and shows Sineb the iconic Cretan dance known as the Sirtaki.
Series playlist: • Mediterranean Journey (Documentary Se...
#documentary #dwdocumentary #crete #greece
______
DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.
Subscribe to:
⮞ DW Documentary (English): youtube.com/dwdocumentary
⮞ DW Documental (Spanish): youtube.com/dwdocumental
⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic): youtube.com/dwdocarabia
⮞ DW Doku (German): youtube.com/dwdoku
⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi): youtube.com/dwdochindi
For more visit: www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610
Follow DW Documentary on Instagram: www.instagram.com/dwdocumentary/
Follow DW Documental on Facebook: www.facebook.com/dwdocumental
We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: p.dw.com/p/MF1G
All Comments (21)
-
Greeks; proud nation with a rich history and culture. Good people and food, beautiful language & places. I am absolutely in love with this country. "In Germany they have beer, in 🇬🇷Greece 🇬🇷 we have olive oil". Greeting from a Persian
-
I live in Athens and when my daughter's cousin came to Greece for the first time she stayed on this beautiful island and she actually said "I don't understand how we humans deserve such beauty" 😀
-
My brother was in the US Navy & they stopped in Crete, Greece. He said it was so beautiful & the people were so lovely. I was so jealous of him. I hope to visit one day.
-
Crete in an incredible island that is called the “small continent” because Crete has about everything a continent has. From Alpine mountain ranges all the way to the only natural palm forests in Europe. - Crete is the largest island in Greece with a size of 8.336 km². It’s the 5th biggest island in the Mediterranean - Crete is 270 km in length and max 65 km in width. - Crete is home to the Minoan civilization (3650 - 1300 BCE) out of Greece’s 4 bronze age civilizations. The Minoan civilization was one of the most advanced bronze age civilizations on the planet, with it’s Palatial architectural phase starting from 2000 BCE onwards. The Minoan towns, palaces and villages had urban planning, complex sewerage and plumbing systems with flush toilets even in common houses on the 2nd and 3rd floor. All the way to it’s anti earthquake architectural technology and natural airco in it’s designs among many other things. - Crete’s history dates back to 9000 years ago. - Crete has 2100–2200 plant species, of which 25% is endemic. For comparison. The biodiversity of Crete is higher than England, Scotland and Ireland combined. - Crete is home to the oldest evidence of sea navigation in the world dated to 130.000 years ago. - As mentioned. Crete has the only natural palmforests in Europe. These can be found in Vai, Preveli and some other places. - Crete has 3 mountain chains rising 2500 meters straight out of the sea. - Crete’s mountains receive plenty of snow and is perfectly suited for skiing. - Crete alone has 5000 caves, some very deep ones like the Gourgouthakas cave in the Lefka ori mountains (one of the 3 mountain chains on the island) explored till a depth of -1208 meters - Talking about caves. Zeus is born in the cave on Lassithi plateau in the eastern part of Crete. - Crete has 1000 km of crystal clear coastline out of Greece’s total of 16.000 km. These coastlines and beaches are in every form one can imagine. With or without mountains, with towns or entirely off the beaten path or secluded. Crete is home even to pink sand beaches. - Crete has more than 400 gorges. The Samaria gorge is the most famous one and is the longest gorge in Europe. - Crete is receiving it’s own national highway. Sections are already completed. Some are in development. - Crete is home to 600.000 people. The funny thing is that 4000 years ago it was estimated to also be home to 600.000 people. - Crete is home to the Kri Kri. A goat who escaped domestication 9000 years ago and is thus a wild goat found in places like the Lefka Ori mountains. - Crete is home to 60.000.000 olive trees. - Also Crete has the highest consumption of olive oil in the whole wide world. Talking about loving it and the best quality too! - Crete has a clear distinct cuisine out of many other regional cuisines in Greece - Crete has many evidences of mini hippo’s, mini elephants, and other animals we today specify as African. Till not so long ago even! They died out only few thousands years ago. The reason is that most mega fauna we classify as African actually all originated from Europe and Asia. - Crete is home to the oldest olive tree in the world. Fitting for a nation with a tremendously old history with olive oil. - The painter El Greco originates from Crete.
-
Love the olive woman's humor and her Brooklynite accent.
-
I just simply love Crete. Been there over 10 times and won't stop ❤
-
GREECE IS HEAVENLY BEAUTIFUL
-
Beautiful, also anyone visiting Greece should visit Takis Shelter which is located on the island of Crete near the town of Ierapetra, Takis is just a wonderful human being..
-
Stopped at Chania on a Med Cruise in Aug 2019 - sadly less than a day to explore but had a Cretan friend from Galatas to show us around - a very special link forged in WW2 between New Zealand and Crete - never forgotten!! I'll be back!
-
Thank you so much DW for such a wonderful documentry.... lots of love from 🇮🇳
-
As a german-greek cretan with family around Chania i say thank you for this very nicely done short documentation!
-
Crete was our go-to place for holidays as a child. It inspired my lifelong love of Greek culture and will always have a very special place in my heart.
-
How on earth can a place be this stunning? ❤
-
I was in Crete this summer and God what an island!!! <3 It was so freaking beautiful. I've never see such a stunningly blue waters :D
-
Love Crete, been many times. amazing place, wonderful people.
-
Can't wait to go back :) Crete is truly blessed by the Gods.
-
🇬🇷Η παρουσίαση είναι πολύ ωραία, θα έπαιρνα τόσες πολλές πληροφορίες για τον πολιτισμό, την κουζίνα, την επιστήμη και την τεχνολογία, την ιστορία, η φύση είναι συγκινητική, εκτιμώ όλους όσους δούλεψαν τόσο σκληρά για να φέρουν μια αξιοσημείωτη ιστορία.
-
Wonderful place🇬🇷, from the usa🇺🇸💜😁.
-
You visited Crete in December which look amazing no comparison with other European or other Mediterranean countries, Imagine if you visit Crete during summer, just heaven !!!
-
Crete my homeland! It’s been five years since I moved out of Chania and I miss it every day.
