Things to do in Archanes and the Dafnes wine country

South of Knossos and about 15 minutes by car from Heraklion, Archanes and the villages of Dafnes and Peza sit at the centre of Crete's oldest wine region, built on indigenous grapes: Vidiano, Vilana, Dafni and Thrapsathiri in white, Kotsifali, Mandilari and Liatiko in red.

Archanes itself is a stone-built village worth walking on foot, its lanes lined with restored houses and small squares, quieter and cooler than the coast even in July and August. There is no KTEL service reliable enough to plan around here, so a rental car is the practical way in.

Spring and September, when the vineyards are green or turning colour rather than baking, are the better months to visit; a handful of wineries around Peza and Dafnes take visitors, usually by appointment rather than a walk-in tasting room.