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Panagia Festival
The Panagia is a Greece-wide festival dedicated to the Virgin Mary – but the traditional village of Mohos does itself proud with this all-out celebration. The day starts off with a solemn church service, but after that there’s a colourful procession and traditional music and dancing on the village square. And everyone’s kept happy with stalls selling barbecued pork and Retsina wine.Star Beach up at Hersonissos is a real watersports hub. A 5-minute drive gets you to the rental huts along the sand, where you can have a go at windsurfing, jet-skiing or maybe take a ride on a banana boat. If you’re looking for something quieter, you could rent snorkelling gear and look out for seahorses on the seabed. And if all that sounds too sedate, there’s bungee jumping back on the shore at the beach’s mini waterpark.
Read MorePiskopiano is still a working rural village, so it makes sense that it’s home to this Agricultural Folk Museum. Housed in a 19th-century stone oil-mill, this museum recreates traditional workshops from the village’s past, giving you a glimpse of how carpenters, coopers and metal-forgers worked over 100 years ago. You can also see a display of black-and-white photos of the village going back to the early 20th century.
Read MorePiskopiano really punches above its weight when it comes to eating out – there are lots of tavernas serving Greek classics like moussaka and souvlaki along the village’s few streets. Look out for uniquely Cretan dishes, too – you could try the psitos, a slow-cooked mix of pork and potatoes made in a traditional wood-burning oven. For dessert, there are Greek-style donuts called loukoumades – they go well with a cup of local herbal tea.
Read MorePiskopiano’s quiet nightlife contrasts strikingly with the bright lights of Hersonissos, just 5 minutes’ drive away. The little streets just back from the waterfront here are lined with Irish pubs and traditional Cretan kafenions serving up shots of raki. As the night goes on, the waterfront clubs get going and play a mix of retro Seventies tracks and modern pop. Some nights there are even legendary foam parties.
Read MorePiskopiano has a couple of mini-markets, but there are more shopping options at Hersonissos, 5 minutes’ drive away. Along the main shopping street you’ll find shops selling designer labels like Sinequanone and Rosso Di Sera. Or you could head to the waterfront and browse the souvenir crafts shops – pick up some hand-made jewellery, decorative ceramic pots or fine leather goods.
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