The Gardens have been planted in a valley near the village of Skordalou, and was created as a result of a devastating fire in October 2004, when a sudden hot wind storm from Africa caused an electricity pole wire to break, the wild fire quickly spread and couldn’t be brought under control. Twenty-four hours later, the whole region around the village had burnt to the ground. The damage was unprecedented: sixty thousand 400 year old olive trees had been burnt.
The Botanical Park & Gardens of Crete grew from the ashes of that devastating fire, the land has become a popular park for trekking, education and recreation.
There are 2 routes round the park; the long one, which takes you all the way down to take in the lakeside and the small animal sanctuary or the shorter one which just concentrates on the upper sections of gardens.
The park is divided into different sections.
- Mediterranean fruit trees garden
- The Cherry Tree Garden
- Citrus Garden
- Tropical Garden (by far the best)
- Mediterranean aromatic herb garden (endemic pants of Crete)
- The Vineyards
Each area is lush and full of interest all year round.
There are places where you can stop for a rest and enjoy the company.
The Lake and mini petting ‘zoo’
At the bottom of the valley is a lake, with ducks and peacocks and some goats and donkeys to pet.
Refreshments
When you’ve finished exploring you could enjoy a rest and a good meal in the restaurant before enjoying the winding road back down the hill. The view from the restaurant is breath-taking. You can just walk around the terrace to see the stunning views possibly whilst enjoying an ice cream or stay longer and sample a tasty traditional Cretan dish.
When you drive through the valley open your car windows and take in the smell of the orange groves. Look closely at the trees, it is possible at some times of the year for an individual orange tree to be both laden with fat juicy oranges, have green developing fruit and also have some blossoms, all at the same time. You have to see it to believe it!
P.S. When you buy your entrance ticket they will offer to lend you a walking stick, we pooh pooed the idea ….. wish we hadn’t!! In the high season the entrance ticket includes a bottle of water. There are plenty of places to sit down on the way round, so take your time and enjoy yourself.
Weblinks
Botanical Gardens own site