Cretan Olive Oil Farm — Attraction in Municipality of Agios Nikolaos

Tourist scam and rude tour guides!

I booked the "Cheese making" experience with three friends and paid 28 euros per person for the experience. According to the website this experience includes: milking and feeding the goats (reality: one goat for 30 people) help in the production of two types of cheese (“malaka” & “mizithra”) (reality: only one cheese and that one is already produced when you arrive) cheese tasting of another two very famous types of Cretan cheese, “Gruyere” & “Anthotyros” (reality: no tasting of two other cheeses)

On arrival we were just put together with a big group that has booked a tour on the grounds with different activities, including the cheese making. We were a group of 30 people, way too many for a nice experience. There was one goat that was milked by 30 people. So instead of actually learning how to milk a goat, you could have a try for a few seconds. The cheese was already produced when we arrived and we had a taste of that cheese. Other than described on the website, we did not help making the cheese and we did not make two types of cheese (“malaka” & “mizithra”) but only one. The promised tasting of the other two cheeses (Gruyere” & “Anthotyros”) was missing all together. The tour guide said the group number was unusual high that day but as we had to book the experience in advance and were grouped with another tour, this was absolutely avoidable by the organizers and their fault. Also there are other reviews even talking about 50 and more people in the group, so this seems to be not unusual at all but just a way for them to make as much money as possible.

We approached the tour guides Katarina and Thassos and asked them about the missing parts of the experience. They did not seem to understand what the problem was. On top Katarina turned very inpolite telling me I should "try yoga to become more relaxed". That was absolutely rude and insulting und unasked for as we were very calm and just asked for the missing parts of the experience.

They must have realized that their behavior and the "cheese making" experience was inadequate as they offered us 20 euros worth of products from their shop (we paid 28 euros for the tour and would have rather have our money or at least parts of our money back). We took the 20 euros worth of products as we saw no chance in getting our money back.

This is just a massive tourist scam and I advise anyone against coming here. They make a huge amount of money with this big number of people (30 people paying 28 euros makes almost 1000 euros, not bad for showing us one goat and letting us taste...

Blink and you may miss the worn sign for this place next to the main road. It was 5 euro per person to go through the tour, but they only gave us one tablet and it just wasn’t conducive to pass around the tablet to everyone to read. There were only 3 other small groups (of 2-3 people) that were there on the self paced tour. We could have turned on the audio but we didn’t want to disturb others. It is self paced and you take the tablet with you to each station. You can see medicinal herbs, the tools used for wine making and olive oil production, and a few animals. They also had a quick 10 min talk to show the machines used to extract the olive oil prior to using modern machines and briefly told us in a minute about how to pick a high quality olive oil — there wasn’t much to it and there was no demonstration. We got to try different 3 different olive oils, approx 8 different honeys, some carob products, local alcohol, and a couple of more things. There are other places that you can get a free tour for olive oil production with modern machines. If it was just a couple of us, I could see how 5 euros would be worth it, but with 3 kids having to pay 5 euros each and only 1 tablet for the group, it wasn’t worth it, even with samples because my kids weren’t interested in tasting olive oil and many of the other things. But I think you can go to their store and sample everything for free without paying admission anyways. What could add value for adults is to have a guided talk through the olive oil tasting, such as now that you learned how we make olive oil and about how to determine quality, let’s taste some. Start with tasting a bad quality, then work up to best quality and tell us how the taste changes… kind of like...

Insightful Visit to the Cretan Olive Oil Farm.

The €5 entrance fee was entirely worthwhile, offering an enriching experience that shed light on the history and production of olive oil in the region.

The farm's easy accessibility, either by foot or bike from Agios Nikolaos, made it a convenient excursion. We opted for the bikes, which were conveniently provided free of charge by the tourist office, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the journey.

The tour was primarily self-guided, utilizing a pre-recorded set of videos on an iPad. It provided a comprehensive understanding of the rich history behind olive oil production, particularly how it used to take place in the villages. The owner's personal insights at the olive oil press added an authentic touch, making the experience all the more engaging.

The highlight, undoubtedly, was the tasting session at the end of the tour. Sampling an array of products, including various olive oil types, olives, and raki, was a true delight for the senses, offering a flavorful journey through Cretan culinary culture.

For anyone interested in delving into the rich heritage of Cretan olive oil production and indulging in a variety of local delicacies, a visit to the Cretan Olive Oil Farm is highly recommended. It's an educational and palate-pleasing experience that shouldn't be missed while in...