Trips available:
Holidays 2018
Flower Finding Trip 20th - 27th March, 2018
Full information about this trip here.
Late-flowering Orchid Finding Trip 22nd - 29th May, 2018
Full information about this trip here.
Autumn Bulb Finding Trip 2018 13th - 20th November 2018
Full information about this trip here.
Julia Jones is the Founder of Flowers of Crete. She is a botanical artist and writer and during the spring and winter months guides mountain tours in search of rare and endemic species.
Below here is information about trips with Flowers of Crete in previous years, as sample itineraries for trips that could be arranged. Prices are available on request from Julia.
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Orchid Finding Trips (examples from March 2016)
One week trips in the east of Crete
Dates:
Tuesday 1st – 8th March
Tuesday 8th – 15th March
Tuesday 15th – 22nd March
» Click here to download a PDF with and itinerary and more information. |
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Minoan Pack Route over Thripti Mountains
This is a full day’s trip, starting from Aghios Nikolaos, and taking the coast road as far east as Sitea. We then turn off onto a narrow mountain road, which winds through some spectacular, unspoilt scenery with very little sign of man’s effect on the landscape. We will take several stops along this road for photography and plant identification. After a few kilometres, we will turn off onto a little used dirt track which will lead us high into the mountains, with stunning views on either side. Eventually we will reach the high mountain pasture, that forms the ridge between the peak. Here we will stop for lunch, and a welcome drink. There will be plenty of time for exploration and walking amongst the flowers and herbs which flourish in the clean, cool air.
The track we follow is that of an ancient Minoan trade route between Sitea and Ierapetra. Lunch over, we begin our descent, stopping briefly at an ancient, deserted mountain settlement and taking a short detour to visit the seldom visited ‘Shrine to the Goddess with the Upraised Hands’. Here we will stop for a while to take in the amazing views and for a short walk to explore the ruins and the surrounding mountain tracks. Once back to the coast, we have the option of driving to a secluded beachside taverna for dinner, or of heading back to Aghios Nikolaos.
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Eastern Mountains
and the High Pasture - forests & flowers:
On this excursion we will show you unspoilt
countryside, forests and wild flowers as we
walk along an old Minoan
trade route through some of the most beautiful
landscape that Crete has to offer. |
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Around Psiloritis
and the Orchid Meadows - orchids & tulips:
A day's driving excursion where we go west along
the north coast road and return through the
agricultural region of the Mesara
Plain - a wonderful round trip
with many stops along the way.
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Southern
Slopes of Mount Dikti - forests, pastures &
beaches:
We approach Mount Dikti
from the south, after a short detour to find
dozens of different orchids. En-route we make
a refreshment stop at Prina to visit the famous
viewpoint where visitors can see both the Cretan
and the Libyan seas. The day finishes with a
meal at a quiet beach side taverna on the south
coast.
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Katharo
Plateau - river beds, rocky slopes, flowers
& much, much more:
We head east from Aghios
Nikolaos, then head into the mountains
towards Katharo – 1,100 metres above sea
level. Here we will see birds of prey, wild
orchids and flowers that are endemic to the
region.
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| 10. |
Mohos to
Krasi & Malia marshes - cyclamen, sternbergia
& orchids:
A day of contrasts. Hundreds of cyclamen,
a myriad of orchids and countless other interesting
and beautiful flowers await you in the mountains,
while the marshes near Malia
are home to an orchid found in only a few places
on the island. Here this impressive orchid is
endangered by development and may soon perish.
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Akrotiri, Agios
Ioannis Peninsula – meadows, gorges &
pastures:
We visit the windswept and remote north-eastern
peninsula to find rare and beautiful flowers.
Fantastic views over the bay and islands can be
enjoyed during this outing, which involves some
walking and easy climbing.
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Contrasts in Crete
This trip takes in the stunning remoteness of the Kallergi Refuge high above the Samaria Gorge and the wonderful traditional retreat of the eco-village of Milia.
» Click here! to download a PDF itinerary for 23-30 June 2015. |
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Please note:
There are prices on some PDFs, which will give a rough guide for future prices. They are for a minimum of three participants (an additional charge
may apply for fewer). Prices per person from rendezvous point
in Aghios Nikolaos or Elounda. Meals and drinks are extra,
except for trip 4, where an evening meal is included in the
price.
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