Cretan Collaborative Photography Retreat

March & November

Dates: 7 Nights | Mar 20-27, 2026 | Nov 12-19, 2026
Group Size: 6 (min) to 12 (max)

Length & Dates: 7 Nights | Mar 20-27, 2026 | Nov 12-19, 2026Description: A photography-focused practicum to improve & share skills while capturing Crete’s famous historical, cultural and photogenic landscapes in seasonal light. Morning & evening field trips during the magic-light hours will alternate with sessions to share work and techniques, as we learn from & enjoy the camaraderie of others in the group. With a day-long seminar & critique from a professional Greek landscape photographer, this is a great program that will use an inspirational place and inspirational colleagues to inspire great photographs from each participant.Who Should Come: Anyone who loves or wants to learn more about the art & craft of taking great photographs and wants to share that passion with others. Field trips and sharing-sessions will allow those with strengths in some areas (lighting, composition, etc.) to help others while learning from others in the group. A willingness to share, learn from, and enjoy the company of others is all you need.Limitations: Participants must bring a digital camera, as we will share work digitally and without film or dark-room facilities. (Phone-cameras are not recommended but will suffice if the person understands the camera’s limits and wants to expand their own skills beyond nominal use.)Highlights:
- Lodging among the olive groves of Western Crete at beautiful Villa Koukouvayia Farms.
- Morning & Evening-Light field sessions at dramatic locations such as Elafonisi Beach, Xania’s Old-Town, Omalos Plateau, and the Kallergi Refuge above famous Samaria Gorge.
- A one-day seminar and customized 1-on-1 critique with a local professional photographer.
- Post-production & sharing sessions with supportive critique and commentary from others.
- Free day for individual exploration.
- Great meals & social times to deepen friendships with those we’ve brought & develop friendships with those newly met.Cost: €1,950 | Group Size: 6 (min) to 12 (max) | Min Enrollment Deadline: 31 Jan ‘26Pricing Discounts & Options:
- 5% discount for groups of 3 or more signing up together.
- 5% discount for sign-ups received before 31 December, 2025.
- €200 discount for sharing Villa Koukouvayia’s no-view “Swallow’s Nest” bedroom.
- $250/€350 discounts for accepting triple-occupancy or quad-occupancy accommodations when available.
- €500 supplement available for private room accommodations.
- €500 supplement available for Villa Koukouvayia’s luxury suite.

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Advanced Cretan Lefka Ori (White Mtn) Trek

May & October

Dates: 10 Nights, May 29-Jun 9 & Oct 16-27, 2026
Group Size: 6 (min) to 12 (max)

Dates: 10 Nights, May 29—Jun 9 & Oct 16—27, 2026. Group Size: 6 (min) to 12.Description: High-Alpine hiking at its best and most challenging. Get a taste of Cretan’s wild trails, gorges, isolated beaches & high trails with a ten-day tour of our White Mountains that traverses the entire Lefka Ori massif from east to west. This is a program of difficult trails for experienced hikers. But with each night spent at a great mountain inn with great meals, and with days off at the pristine beaches of the southern coast, it’s a nice balance of glamping with tramping.Who Should Come: Experienced hikers who love the adventure of new trails and challenging treks, and love sharing those challenges with others. A perfect itinerary for those who may have never hiked Crete’s Lefka Ori trails, or for those who visited before but experienced only the more popular and less challenging E4 sections and now seek a deeper exploration of these beautiful mountains.Limitations: Participants should have appropriate gear & be able to carry a full pack (minus sleeping & cooking kits) on difficult (non-technical) trails that cover 0 to 2,000m+ elevations & often exceed 10k.Highlights:
- Askifou Plateau and Asfendou Gorge.
- Samaria Gorge, the uphill traverse from Libyan Sea to Omalos Plateau.
- Gigalos Peak and Greleskas Observatory trail to Koustagerako’s historic, isolated village.
- Rest times at mountain & seaside villages of Agios Ioannis, Agia Roumeli & Sougia, with optional hiking routes supported.)
- Every evening at mountain inns for great food and camaraderie.Costs: May €2,150; Oct, €2,050 | Min Enrollment Deadlines: 31 Jan & 30 Apr 2026Pricing Discounts & Options:
- 5% discount for groups of 3 or more signing up together.
- 5% discount for sign-ups received before 31 December, 2025.
- €150/€250 prorated discounts for triple- or quad-occupancy accommodations when available.Facilitators: Daniel Kolibius is a certified mountain trek leader who has been hiking the deeper reaches of Crete’s mountains since the age of 10. An avid Cretan history buff, birder & naturalist, Daniel will not only lead your group, but enrich the experience with his deep knowledge of the people, history and culture of these historic gorges, trails & peaks.

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The Cretan Harvest Season: Olives, Wine, Food & Fun

Early November

Dates: 8 Nights | Nov 3 to 11, 2026
Group Size: 6 (min) to 12 (max)

Length & Dates: 8 Nights | Nov 3 to 11, 2026
Description: This theme-focused retreat is a chance to experience the Crete that few visitors see: Not the tourist mecca but the agricultural powerhouse. You’ll explore (and participate in!) the gathering and processing of Cretan olives and take home some of the oil that you yourself have harvested. We’ll tour an historic organic olive mill and dine at their cliffside estate. We’ll visit two historic vineyards and wineries, learn about the rich histories of the island’s viniculture, and enjoy the flavor of the Cretan wine renaissance. Mixed in will be some grove walks, a sunrise visit to Seitan Limani’s wild, pink-sand cove, a walking tour through Xania’s historic Old Town, and a cooking lesson from a local chef who will demonstrate how the great food we’ll eat during the week found our forks from the nearby farms, fields and mountains.Who Should Come:  Foodies, oenophiles, and those who travel to take experiences into their heart rather than selfies on their phone.  If you’ve never been to Crete or been here only during the tourist rush, this is a chance to meet  and get to know—in the actual field—the island’s hard-working people, and to enjoy the island’s hospitality at its best, when Crete shares herself fully & on her own terms.Limitations:  None 😊.  This is a great itinerary for all ages, from older tourists to restless kids whose busy hands will love the active nature of the experiences.Highlights:
- Lodging among Crete’s olive groves at the beautiful Villa Koukouvayia. (Our home! ♥)
- Participating in the annual olive harvest’s community & camaraderie, & witnessing the creation of olive oil from tree to table.
- Visits to the historic Agia Triada Monastery’s vineyard on the Akrotiri plateau, and the Manousakis Winery in the orange- & avocado-filled valley of Moussouron.
- Tour and lunch at Biolea’s beautiful, organic olive-oil estate.
- Sunrise visit to the pink sands and blue water of Seitan Limani cove.
- Tour of Xania’s Old Town’s sites, from Bronze Age homes in 3,000 BC to fascist bombings of 1941.
- Cooking lessons from “Do it Like a Cretan’s” chef, Frini—our local expert in the history and preparation of authentic Cretan farm cuisine.
- Celebratory final hike to Milia’s hidden village & dinner at the village’s amazing farm-to-fork taverna.Cost: €1,850 | Group Size: 6 (min) to 12 (max) | Min Enrollment Deadline: 31 Jan ‘26Pricing Discounts & Options:
- Children under 2 years at time of arrival are free.
- 5% discount for groups of 3 or more signing up together.
- 5% discount for sign-ups received before 31 December 2025.
- €200 discount for sharing Villa Koukouvayia’s no-view “Swallow’s Nest” bedroom.
- $250/€350 discounts for accepting triple- or quad-occupancy accommodations when available.
- €500 supplement available for private room accommodations.
- €500 supplement available for Villa Koukouvayia’s luxury suite.

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Cities of History, Mountains of Myth

Late June/Early July

Dates: 7 Nights | Final dates pending
Group Size: 6 (min) to 12 (max)

Length & Dates: 7 Nights | Final dates pendingDescription: We will spend 4 days touring the historical-epoch sites in Thessaloniki, Greece’s cultural capital, the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe (and a far broader repository of significant historical sites than Athens.) After enjoying the great food and culture of the city, we’ll travel south for a guided tour of ancient Dion, swim the Aegean, rest in the mountain village of Litochoro, and wake the next morning to ascend Mount Olympus, where we’ll spend our final 2 days in the luxurious mountain refuge of Agapitos Spilos and explore the mythic, cloud-laced home of the Gods.Who Should Come: This is a perfect primer of Greece’s amazing history & topography for anyone on a first visit or returning to explore the country more deeply. For active retirees wanting to deepen their understanding of history, for parents of young children who will appreciate the experiential, active nature of this program, and for anyone who loves great food, great cities, and the natural vistas of dramatic mountains, this will prove to be a personally ‘historic’ experience.Limitations: The itinerary includes several walking tours and a hike, but if generally healthy, participants should not worry, especially about the Olympus portion of the trip. This final piece includes dramatic vistas but offers several moving parts that we historically & easily adjust to meet the wishes of both hearty and hesitant hikers, creating fantastic experiences for both. So, let the dramatic photos excite but not worry you: our own children climbed to the peak when they were 7 and 10, and we most recently led folks over 60 years old (including us! 😊) to the mountain’s highest slopes on a trail accessible even to fit parents with a baby carrier.Having said that, there will be at minimum a need to hike with a light pack (the refuge provides all food and bed linens—you only need your toiletries and a change of clothes) on a short, well-trod 6k trail of less than 3 hours from the parking area to the refuge where we stay.But if you have any concerns, just run them by us before you choose to miss this experience.  For your safety & comfort, we’ll be honest with you; but you may be pleasantly surprised!Highlights:
- Three-night stay at a luxurious Thessaloniki hotel in the historic waterfront “Ladadika” (Olive Oil) District.
- Preserved Macedonian Tombs; Emperor Galerius’ Roman Palace Complex; guided tour of Byzantine & Ottoman sites.
- The historic, bustling Modiano Market.
- Ottoman breakfast pastries and great dinners at fine Thessaloniki restaurants and historic Upper Town tavernas.
- Guided tour of the Ancient City of Deon, followed by an Aegean swim and seaside meal at the foot of Mount Olympus.
- Free night in the mountain village of Litochoro.
- Ascent up Mt Olympus to the luxurious Agapitos Spilios refuge.
- Two days of great mountain food & the camaraderie of other hikers traversing this popular route.
- Easy hike from the refuge to peaks of Skala, Skoleio, with an optional challenge of Mytikas Peak.
- The program ends in a perfect location to grab a car & continue your holiday at a host of other Greek sites.Cost: €1,950 | Group Size: 6 (min) to 12 (max) | Min Enrollment Deadline: 31 Jan ‘26Pricing Discounts & Options:
- Children under 2 years at time of arrival are free.
- 5% discount for groups of 3 or more signing up together.
- 5% discount for sign-ups received before 31 December 2025.
- €150/€250 prorated discounts for triple- or quad-occupancy accommodations when available.
- €€400 supplement available for private room accommodations (in Thessaloniki & Litochoro only.)
- Note: Spilos Agapitos refuge accommodations are albergue style with up to 4/room (same gender).

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