Considering one of the many cheap holidays on offer in Crete this autumn? Then you should perhaps be aware of the island’s annual Chestnut Festival – one of the more quirky public celebrations that Crete has to offer.
Falling around the middle of October, the Chestnut Festival helps to mark the arrival of the autumn months and to celebrate one of Crete’s many delicious food items. Cretans and holidaymakers alike gather in the town of Elos to taste amazing local delicacies – both sweet and savoury – made with chestnuts as their main ingredient, as well as to experience some traditional entertainment.
The festival is a great opportunity for people taking cheap holidays in Crete next month to get off the beaten track and away from the more commercial entertainment to be found at more mainstream resort towns such as Hersonissos or Aghios Nikolaos. It is part of a pattern among the Mediterranean islands, as southern Corsica holds a similar celebration in December.
Elos itself is on the south-western corner of the island and the area is colloquially referred to as Kastelli, thanks to a picturesque castle built in mediaeval times by its Venetian overlords. As well as the festival, visitors will find much to fascinate in the region thanks to the intriguing layers of history and the many cultures who have influenced it. Elos itself can boast of a great local museum and a collection of mosaics that go back to the time of the Roman occupation of Crete.
Britons hoping to catch the Chestnut Festival this year should be aware that although it traditionally falls on or around 15 October, this year’s celebrations are taking place between the 26th and the 28th of the month. Consequently, please be aware of this later occurrence when booking one of the many cheap flights to Crete available from the UK!
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