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In Sisarcha, a small village at the foothills of Psiloritis, near Anogeia, within the Milopotamos’s vicinity, this old stone-built coffee house, which was built stone-by-stone and established by my grandfather Andreas Aerakis (a.k.a. Ninandreas) and my grandmother Eleni Kouvidi, was the nascence of our family, our life and our record career…
Stelios Aerakis, the eldest son of my grandfather, was raised with the principles of the genuine traditional music of Anogeia and generally of Crete. As far as Cretan music and record industry are concerned, he played the laouto and he cooperated with Nikos Xylouris, Psarantonis, Vasilis Skoulas and many other significant Cretan grand masters of the 20th century. In 1974, he established the first record store in Heraklion, while, at the same time, he was the exclusive authorized representative of Columbia Music Records in Crete. In 1976, he created the “Aerakis-Cretan Music Company” record company which evolved into the “Aerakis-Cretan Musical Workshop” record company, sealing the whole record evolution of Cretan music with the quality and the innovation of that time. Stelios Aerakis along with Michalis Aerakis’s cooperation, who is his brother and my father as well, forged their own path and they created, beyond doubt, a bright name in the field of Cretan music publication and production.
Eventually, deploying his experience and knowledge, Michalis Aerakis created the highly recognized “Seistron Music Editions” in 2001, combining different discrete elements, old and new, words and notes, music and books. He did his part in building the glorious castle of our tradition. Consequently, in my turn, I picked up the torch passed to me from my family, and I started taking steps little by little into the field of music record industry, in the hope of elevating it to new heights.
Preserving this precious cultural heritage of this field since 2009, I decided to give life back to my grandfather’s coffee house and name it “Rural Record Store”, in order to unite all the experiences I gained as a child and as a teenager, as well as to marry the sensations of the traditional coffee house with the music productions which we have in our track record since 1975. Furthermore, this will be the place where our work will be exhibited and various record and book presentations will be hosted. Also, our guests and visitors will have the opportunity to become familiar with the Cretan music and hospitality through our vivid tradition and the flavors of the seasonal local viands, so that the real core of Cretan lifestyle will be revealed to them.     
Future is something from the past.
 

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Sitia Development Organization, Local Development Company SA, is one of the first 3 Developmental Companies in Greece. It was founded in 1988 and has participated in over 53 development projects, programs & studies. It aims to contribute to the integrated development of the former Province of Sitia, the Regional Unit of Lassithi and the Region of Crete. Read less

The "Social Cooperative Enterprise of Collective and Social Benefit of Anogia" with the distinctive title "N-IDEA Cooperation", is based in Anogia, Rethymno and was founded in November 2017. The company was established by 7 members from the area of Anogia and its main purpose is the collective and social benefit and the sustainable development. The activities aim, among others, at the production of products and the provision of services related to culture, environment, ecology, education, with services of public benefit, the promotion of local products, the preservation of traditional activities - professions, the protection of common goods, the protection and restoration of the natural environment, biodiversity and geodiversity, the strengthening of locally supported agriculture or livestock, the process of reducing waste production at local level, the production and promotion of independent cultural creation and finally, real estate management with social and environmental criteria. "N-IDEA Cooperation" includes infrastructures such as: the Shepherd's House (theme park), a Music Study Area (material digitalization for artists) and the Archeological Information Center (exhibition of data and information from the excavation of Idaion Antro and Zominthos).

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Thalori is located in the village of Kapetaniana, in the mountain range of the Asterousia Mountains, and consists of 20 traditional houses that are an integral part of the village, preserve the Cretan architecture and offer modern comforts to visitors. The restaurant offers dishes and breakfast from Cretan cuisine, from pure, local, ingredients. The visitor can also enjoy a range of activities, as he is given the opportunity to choose between hiking, climbing, bird watching, horseback riding, mountain biking, downhill, canyoning, jeep rides, boat rides, fishing, participation in agricultural work, cooking lessons. Read less

Built with our own hands, this traditional stone-built Shepherd Shelter (Mitato) is located at 848m at a slope of the renowned Psiloritis mount. In this welcoming Shepherd Shelter, we are ready to share with you our passion for the distinct Cretan traditions and lifestyle. The visit to the Shepherd’s Shelter offers a life-time experience to every visitor. Depending on the season, you have the unique opportunity to view the sheep milking, join the cheese-making, experience the sheep-shearing or participate in the fiesta of raki distillation. Join us in herbs collection and traditional cooking and indulge yourself with the local delicacies and wine we offer. Want to have more stunning pictures from your holiday in Crete and memorable experiences to talk about? Visit us in the Shepherd’s Shelter and live like a Cretan for one day!

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Top Travel Greece, rooted in the beautiful island of Crete, specializes in providing sustainable tourism experiences that highlight the rich culture and stunning landscapes of the region. 
With our main office located in Chania and a secondary office in Ierapetra, we are dedicated to showcasing the best of Crete through tailored travel packages and personalized services. As of January 2024, Top Travel Greece proudly manages a fleet of 400 sharing e-bikes, reinforcing our commitment to eco-friendly travel solutions and promoting an innovative way for visitors to explore Crete's natural beauty and historical sites. 
Our expert team is passionate about delivering exceptional service and sustainable travel options that contribute to the conservation of our island's environment and support local communities.

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Trace Your Eco was founded in Thessaloniki in 2010 and strives for sustainable tourism development through substantial actions, with the aim of promoting mountaineering/walking/wine tourism in our country. 

With extensive experience in the field of outdoor activities, we design, organize and implement hiking/wine & trekking programs as well as experiential tours in a safe and friendly environment. In the actions is the highlighting of the cultural and natural heritage. 

Through our voluntary programs we organize every year in collaboration with Associations, Local Governments, Universities, Companies [Within the context of social responsibility] contributing to the rescue of monuments of the history of our country. We work with organizations to design a network of hiking trails, maintain and clean them, and promote them through meaningful actions. 

From 2021 we have started collaboration with Greek and international Universities with research on walking/wine tourism and the effect it has on the development of ecotourism.

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The Museum of Natural History of Crete belongs to the University of Crete and was founded in 1993, while institutionally it exists since 1980. It is housed in the building of the old electric in Heraklion which has been donated by the Municipality of Heraklion to the University of Crete for this purpose. It includes the following departments: zoological, botanical, anthropological, paleontological, geological, mineralogical and has rich research experience, as it has participated in more than 86 national and European programs. It is the only institution in Greece which has organized dozens of scientific missions within the country and more than ten in Cyprus. It is active in matters of natural environment management, education, environmental awareness and the formation of ecological museums in Greece and the Mediterranean. In addition to its collections and workshops, an important goal of the Museum was the creation of an exhibition space where the public would have the opportunity to get in touch with the Museum's collections and be informed about the natural environment. Read less

Villa Kerasia is in the settlement of Vlachiana, 15 km southwest of Heraklion. It is located at the southeastern foot of Psiloritis, at an altitude of 580 meters. It has 7 rooms and offers the opportunity to participate in various events related to culture, gastronomy, but also in activities related to climbing in Psiloritis. Also, the international hiking trail E4, which leads to an organized shelter, in Prinos, at 1.200 meters altitude is near the Villa. The kitchen of the Villa offers Cretan breakfast, special dishes (for diabetics, vegetarian, etc.) and custom dishes. Read less

Villa Kynthia is a preserved mansion of 1898 located in the center of the village of Panormo, two hundred meters away from the sea. It was restored in 1991 with care and respect for tradition and thus the 5 traditional rooms of the complex were formed. Villa Kynthia is a member of the Rural Tourism & Agritourism Association of Crete and offers a Cretan breakfast, while music events are often held at the cafe-bar inside the mansion. Read less