Botanical Park & Gardens of Crete

Hania Province


On the main Hania–Omalos road south of Fournes, the excellent Botanical Park is well signposted about halfway between Fournes and Lakki. It was created by four brothers who transformed the family's 80 hectares of agricultural land into a hilly park of medicinal, tropical, ornamental and fruit trees, all well signed and beautifully arrayed from mountaintop to valley floor.

The shaded hilltop terrace restaurant with sweeping views (mains €8 to €14.50) is a must for heaping regional dishes using locally sourced ingredients, some grown right in the park; the rooster cooked in the wood-fired oven is delicious. The kitchen closes at 6pm. A daily bus runs from Hania to the park in the morning and returns in the afternoon.


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