Exploring Crete: Greece’s largest island: Mediterranean journey | DW Documentary

Presenter Sineb El Masrar is touring Crete. Locals call it the “Island of the Gods” because as legend would have it, Zeus was born here. After a spot of shopping in Chania Old Town, she travels through the Cretan hinterlands past a multitude of olive groves. After Spain and Italy, Greece is the world’s third largest producer of olive oil. Olive oil maker Ióanna Paraschakis invites Sineb to taste some of her wares. Crete is the largest Greek island. It offers stunning stretches of coastline, beautiful port towns like Ágios Nikólaos, as well as picturesque mountainscapes. Instead of in a boring old car, Sineb explores the gorgeous countryside on a rented e-bike. In the mountain village of Kouses, she visits a herb store run by Yannis Giannoutsos and creates her own salt. All the herbs and spices sold here, such as thyme and oregano, are cultivated organically. Crete is also suffering the impact of climate change and the resulting aridity. That’s why researchers Ioannis Daliakopoulos and Anargyros Sideris are trying to find ways to support local farmers. Sineb finds out about their crucial pilot project to address water scarcity in the Mediterranean region. Community plays a key role in Greek culture, and dance is an important aspect of national identity. Antonia Pantelaki has taught dance in Archanes for many years. She knows all the nuances of Greek dance and shows Sineb the iconic Cretan dance known as the Sirtaki.