Vatolakos is a small traditional village set in the foothills of the White Mountain, surrounded by magnificent scenes of Crete's nature. It is a very "Greek" village about 14km away from beaches and Chania and with a typical Cretan feel; the main occupation of the permanent population is agriculture and farming.
The village has a 22 meter high clock tower, an olive and oil museum and a winery. The museum is in an old olive mill and offers a collection consisting of agricultural tools and machinery for cultivation, furniture, utensils and objects of daily life at home. All these give visitors a rough idea of the life and habits of the people of that era.
The Elevated Olive Tree at Vatolakkos is the only tree that has been preserved up to now from the many "elevated" olives of its kind, which surrounded the village. The tree has been declared monumental due to its connection to the local religious traditions, but also for its special shape and age that is estimated to exceed 2000 years.
Do not miss the opportunity to follow the old path of the village along Valsamiotis River, an extremely pleasant walk of around 1 km through dense vegetation that the residents of the village brought to surface with hard volunteer work. The path connects the square of the village to the newly built Valsamiotis Dam.
For every day amenities the village offers mini-markets and 3 well known tavernas with homemade Greek food.
Alikianos is a bigger village with many amenities located just a few minutes' drive from Vatolakos.
Give yourself the chance to sip a ‘frappé" or Greek coffee at one of the traditional cafés at the village square, taste the atmosphere of a real Cretan village and the daily life of the locals.
