Zaros
The Greece Travel Secrets guide to Zaros in Central Crete, including
what to do, where to stay, and where to eat.
St Antony's Church at the Vrontisi Monastery near Zaros
Zaros in Central Crete is a lovely little town. The first
time we went we were just passing through and stopped to do a walk in the
Rouvas Gorge. We loved the town so much that we said we had to go back and stay
sometime - so we did!
Officially Zaros is only a village but with a population of
about 3,000 it's more like a small town. It certainly has a lively atmosphere
and stands out for several reasons.
Zaros Water
One distinctive feature of Zaros is that it has a lake. Lake
Votomos is a short walk out of the village to the west, or you can drive there.
They farm trout in the lake and you'll see it on taverna menus. You have to eat
trout if you visit Zaros!
The lake is fed by a mountain spring and the spring water is
also bottled and well-known locally for its purity. Go into any of the shops in
Zaros and ask for a bottle of the local water. You can find out much more about
the lake and the area here.
Where is Zaros?
Map (c) Google Maps
As you can see from the map, Zaros is almost slap-bang in
the middle of Crete. It's in the southern foothills of Mount Psiloritis, less
than an hour's drive southwest of Irakleio. The Minoan Palace of Phaistos is a
half-hour drive southwest of Zaros, The resorts of Matala and Ayia Galini are
also both southwest of Zaros, and a 35-40-minute drive.
What to Do in Zaros
In truth, there's not a lot to do in Zaros, which is part of
its charm. It makes a great base if you're exploring the area, and in our view
is more interesting, more relaxing, and less expensive than nearby resorts like
Matala and Ayia Galini.
A Fountain at the Vrontisi Monastery near Zaros
One attraction is the Vrontisi Monastery, which is about an
hour's walk or a ten-minute drive northwest of town. It's on the southern
slopes of Mt Ida at a height of 550m (1,804ft) and you get wonderful views from
there. No-one knows how old it is but there are references to it from the late
15th century - so it's pretty old!
At the Kamihis Farm near Zaros
You can also hike in the area, including the Rouvas Gorge
walk we mentioned earlier. Even if you don't stay at the Keramos Studios (see our recommendation below), call in and
ask about visiting the family farm, the Kamihis Farm. They're set up to do tours and it's a
fascinating insight into rural Cretan life.
Our Pick of the Crete Guides
Shopping in Zaros
There are several craft shops in Zaros and we spent an enjoyable
half-hour in the weaving shop of Maria Zacharioudakis, admiring the weavings
and watching Maria work at her loom.
Zaros is also home to one of the best musical instrument
makers on Crete, Antonios Stefanakis. He makes lyra, mandolins, violas,
bouzouki, and Cretan bagpipe, and even if you don't want to buy an instrument
he also sells CDs of Cretan music.
A Walk From Zaros
We thoroughly enjoyed this circular walk from Zaros to the
Rouvas Gorge. It should take 3-4 hours and you can read about it and get
directions here.
Zaros is on the E4 European Walking Path.
Where to Eat in Zaros
You have plenty of choice of eating places but there's
nowhere quite like Vegera, a unique and fun dining experience that we wrote
about here.
A Feast at Vegera!
If you want trout fresh from the lake then the Taverna Votomos is right by a trout farm. It's about a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute
drive from the centre of Zaros.
Where to Stay in
Zaros
There are a few places to stay in Zaros but we definitely
recommend the Keramos Studios and you can read all about our stay there here.
The Keramos Studios
Other Crete pages
Visiting the Arkadi Monastery near Rethymnon is one of the best things to do on Crete.
Greece Travel Secrets goes hiking in southwest Crete with Ramblers Walking Holidays based in Paleohora and hiking the E4 footpath and to Anidri and Azogires.
Lonely Planet Crete is an excellent and thorough guide of almost 300 pages to the largest of the Greek islands.
The Battle of Crete during World War 2 inspired several books and took place with an airborne invasion over Maleme on the north coast of the island.
Driving on Crete is the best way to see Greece’s biggest island and here is our driving advice and some information about Greek driving regulations.
Matala Beach on Crete is a guest blog for Greece Travel Secrets from the We Love Crete website, inviting you to Awaken Your Inner Hippy in Matala, Crete.
Greece Travel Secrets visits Visual Arts Crete who offer accommodation and run art courses at their home and studio in the village of Kastellos near Rethymnon.
The best things to do on Crete and top things to see include the Samaria Gorge, the Minoan Palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, the towns of Chania and Rethymnon.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Central Crete including hotels in Matala, Ayia Galini, and Zaros.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Cretan Botano herbs and spices shop near Matala in southern Crete in search of the herb man of Kouses.
This Rouvas Gorge walk starts and ends in Zaros in southern Crete and should take three to four hours with a distance of eight kilometres or five miles.
The Goules Taverna in Goulediana, south of Rethymnon, has been called one of the best tavernas on Crete and Greece Travel Secrets recently visited them.
Cretan music is part of the island’s soul and visitors will hear live music wherever they go, with several distinctive Cretan musical instruments and songs.
The best Crete hotels include 5-star luxury hotels, historic and romantic Venetian palaces, and several hotels in Hania and Iraklion.
The area east from Paleohora along the south-west coast of Crete includes resorts like Agia Galini, gorges like the Imbros Gorge and quieter towns like Sfakia.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Crete Botanical Gardens near Chania and finds a wonderland of colourful plants, trees, and flowers filling a lovely valley.
Visiting Knossos near Iraklion is one of the best things to do on Crete, and this page has a history of the site with visitor information.
Western Crete has some wonderful golden sand beaches as well as mountain villages, monasteries, caves, and archaeological sites to discover.
This Amari Valley drive in southern Crete starts and ends in Ayia Galini, takes four to five hours and cover 100 kilometres or 62 miles.
Icon painting is a centuries-old tradition in Crete and the rest of Greece, and Greece Travel Secrets meets a modern-day icon painter in Elounda on Crete.
Driving central Crete in three days gives you time to see the highlights including the Minoan palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, the beaches and the Diktean Cave.
This tour around central Crete lists some of the area’s highlights such as the traditional village of Arolithos, Minoan remains at Tilisos, and Agioi Deka.
Ancient Gournia is a Minoan archaeological site between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia in Eastern Crete where the visitor can see evidence of a maze of back streets.
Greece Travel Secrets tours the Lyrarakis Winery on Crete and learns about Crete grape varieties such as plyto, dafni, vidiano, vilana, mandilari and kotsifali.
This olive grove walk from Limnes to Vrises on Crete also takes you through orchards and gives close-up views of some of the island’s windmills.
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