Walking and painting holiday in Crete
Description of Walking and painting holiday in Crete
A fantastic, relaxed, eight-day walking and painting holiday in Crete. This trip is for keen painters and novices alike – with a morning walk every day to get your creative juices flowing. You can participate as much or as little as you like. Please note that tuition is not included, though there is advice available for anyone who would like it.
This trip is based in a locally run hotel in Kissamos, on the northwest coast of Crete, with a studio complete with resident artist, and a pool. Enjoy the local area’s wonderful history. There are monasteries, Byzantine and Classical remains, and the odd cannonball left as evidence of the frequent Ottoman bombardments suffered by the island.
Every day you’ll go on a morning walk into the Cretan countryside, using a local bus to get to and from trail heads. On these gently paced walks there’s plenty to stop and enjoy: Crete is replete with olive groves and little countryside chapels, curious goats and carpets of wildflowers. Take plenty of pictures – they can all serve as inspiration for your painting.
The afternoon sessions take place either in the hotel’s studio, or outside in the landscape. Subjects include the basics of how to sketch, how to add colour. By the end of the week, you’ll be picking subjects with confidence. You might perch on the rocks at the seashore with your easel on your knees or go into the town to paint the small dramas of everyday life in the local café.
On the last evening, celebrate your creations with a little exhibition party.
When you visit this small community, you’ll instantly become part of the family – you’ll get to know the local bread van, and the local winery. Your hosts are an ecologically conscious pair, using solar power and bus power when they can to run the trips, and water-based paints so that thinners don’t pollute the area.
This trip gives you a few hours of downtime in the afternoons between walk and evening painting class, when you can relax at the hotel’s pool or stretch out on the beach. Enjoy going into Kissamos in the evenings to try the local tavernas with your group. Whilst you’re in town, look out for local Tsikoudia (raki), herbs and honey – but the best souvenirs you’ll take back from this trip are the ones you paint for yourself.
Painting philosophy: To offer opportunities to enjoy painting and sketching a variety of subjects 'en plein air', among likeminded people. Please note there is no tuition and no set curriculum. It is a chance to paint outdoors in the beautiful Cretan scenery, explore your creativity, compose your own paintings, share insights, see things afresh, and above all to have a wonderful and relaxing holiday.
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27 Reviews of Walking and painting holiday in Crete
Reviewed on 09 Oct 2025 by Melanie Steele
Great holiday for people who want to paint/sketch outside and have the opportunity to paint at a lot of different sites during their stay. Very helpful and kind organisers. Read full reviewReviewed on 08 Oct 2025 by Valerie Driver
It was great, I really enjoyed it all....Organised by a kind and gentle family in quiet areas away from the hustle and bustle of life. Being taken to areas that we would not otherwise have known about. Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Oct 2025 by Geoff Smith
A great combination of morning walks and afternoon painting sessions. A lovely group of people. The local tour company people were very friendly and helpful. Read full reviewReviewed on 01 Oct 2025 by Alison Appleton
I can’t rate holiday highly enough, I would recommend it to anyone who wants a real holiday experience with fun adventure and creativity. Read full reviewReviewed on 24 Sep 2025 by Soma Rao
It was amazing. Iakovos, Dafni, Foivos and Camille were so welcoming and helpful. The scenery was beautiful. History comes to life here. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Oct 2024 by Anita Rattan
The wonderful walks through olive orchards, farms & beaches, taking local buses, visiting a winery and the monastery. A holiday with a warm friendly family company that are adaptable to each individual to enjoy walking and painting at their level. Read full reviewReviewed on 03 Jul 2024 by Kam Poonia
The whole holiday was a wonderful experience, from my lovely apartment, gorgeous breakfast delivered every morning. To the walks and art time in the evening. The host family were so attentive and kind. Read full reviewReviewed on 30 Oct 2024 by Brigitte Buss
Gorgeous landscape with a deep teal sea, beautiful views everywhere. Very relaxed life style. Lovely tour organisers. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 May 2024 by Julie Lewis
I thoroughly enjoyed the walking and painting holiday. Camille and her family were very accommodating. They supported those who struggled with walking long distances. I would highly recommend this holiday if you like painting, walking and meeting people from all walks of life. Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Oct 2024 by Carol Allen
Overall the walking part was great the painting not so good. Read full reviewReviewed on 11 Oct 2023 by Cyd Rosen-Herrmann
I was nervous about it at first, because I generally am not a joiner of these types of activities but I never felt judged. Everyone there was there to just have a good time, and I felt very comfortable. Again, all the people were just great. Read full reviewReviewed on 05 Oct 2023 by Kate Mason
Excellent -I really enjoyed both the painting and walking -Camille and Iakovos were great company and very knowledgeable and helpful -I hope to return …. Read full reviewReviewed on 05 Oct 2023 by Sue Neve
Excellent. Loved the apartment as although not luxury and more of a kitchenette than a kitchen, it was clean and had everything we needed. The cleaner came every day and the breakfast delivered in the mornings was delicious. Great mosquito blinds too. Read full reviewReviewed on 04 Oct 2023 by Amy Welch
Absolutely wonderful! This is my second time doing this trip and I would hesitate to return. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Jun 2023 by Lydie Gardner
A well balanced holiday in a beautiful area. Camille and Jakovos were excellent hosts making sure we were getting the most from our holiday. Read full reviewReviewed on 25 May 2023 by Susan House
Such a rich and rewarding experience led by extremely knowledgeable, kind and caring guides. Read full reviewReviewed on 13 Oct 2022 by Amy Welch
Oh my gosh I had such a great week... One of the best trips of my life and I hope to repeat it next year. Read full reviewReviewed on 25 Jun 2022 by Jane Greening
Loved all of it - lovely location that was so beautiful, great company, good walking, fun painting - a good introduction to Crete! Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Jun 2022 by Anne Wheeler
Travel light, take a sun hat and beach shoes for swimming in the sea and be prepared for a stress free holiday in a lovely quiet corner of Crete. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Jun 2022 by Graham Nicolls
Overall a very lovely experience led by a great couple whose approach was flexible to suit differing abilities. I intend to return. Read full reviewReviewed on 18 May 2022 by Corinne Tucker
A great success. Beautiful and varied walks and encouraging painting sessions. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Jun 2022 by Anonymous
Really friendly and interactive group. Camille and her partner Jacob were warm, gentle and welcoming, it set the tone for the group. Jacob knows the area very well and was an excellent guide. Read full reviewReviewed on 12 Oct 2020 by Aya Hastwell
Camile and Iakovos are amazing hosts, warm, friendly, attentive and supportive, and I would highly recommend their tours. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
Before the walking and painting holidays begin, we clean up plastic rubbish that has been swept in by the winter sea and put it into local municipality bins. Unfortunately there is no official recycling scheme in this area yet. On our walks, all rubbish is taken home after picnics. Sketching outdoors is conducive to respect for and contemplation of the environment. It is an activity with minimal to zero impact. We use water based paints so there are no polluting thinners. The ‘grey’ water can be re-used to water dry vegetation. We promote and share our real concern for the environment, talking about the birds we see (mostly raptors like buzzards and Griffon vultures, herons and finches and rarer migratory birds), the flora and fauna, such as tiny frogs on the road, taking great care not to tread on them. We point out badger holes and mourn the occasional dead badger or weasel on the road. We are constantly learning about the properties of plants and their uses, passing on this information to interested co-walkers or learning from them. For example, there are many carob trees around Kissamos Bay. Carob beans were a staple food during the Nazi occupation and are now a recognised nutritionally rich substitute for chocolate in vegetarian food.As Walking Leaders, we are always willing to learn more about the history, botany, culture etc. of the area and to do what we can to protect it. We also grow our own organic vegetables, have a garden that is abuzz with insect life and use solar power for hot water. We walk a lot!
As most of the walks are in the local area on old tracks we do not need transport, but if we go further afield, we use the public bus system. The accommodation where guests stay also use solar power for hot water. Because our holidays are in the low season, it is rare to need airconditioning.
People
Our walking and painting holidays take place in a small area where we are well known and loved. The welcome given to guests by everyone is genuine and generous. Our suppliers are all local and friendly neighbours. For example the delicious bread van comes round 6 days a week, supplying the area. The baker always hangs a bag of free bread on a neighbour's fence because he is unable to pay for it. He supplies his bread to the accommodation we use. This is a small family run business, which uses its own organic produce in its generous breakfasts. The local tavernas to which guests return time and again also use their own vegetables, wine, raki and olive oil. Their friendly and direct communication with everyone creates a wonderful atmosphere. We introduce our guests to the local family run winery, which uses grapes grown only in Crete. They offer unlimited wine-tasting with all 30 of their varieties in a truly Cretan gesture of hospitality, in a room that also acts as a museum of old farming and vinicultural equipment.In the town of Kissamos, guests are shown family run businesses and shops, where they can buy local honey, herbs, cheeses and other artefacts. Here too, there is a 24/7 Health Centre, open to all. We visit the excellent museum, where artefacts from the Minoan, Ancient Greek and Roman periods are on display, informing visitors of some of the many fascinating layers of Cretan culture. The small fee paid goes to the local council, who are proud of their heritage and are working to sustain their local culture. As far as payment is concerned, we always make sure that all bills are paid and tips left; that Cretan generosity is neither exploited nor misunderstood. We aim for a 'win-win' situation in our dealings with everybody and the result is guests feel so relaxed and welcome that they want to return.
As a village, we all support each other, exchanging skills and goods. This is the best form of charity on a local scale. On wider issues, like the new bio-sewage system that the local government installed, we are part of the discussion, calling for lower connection fees. At a time of economic crisis they are prohibitive and therefore unpopular. It is good news that they have reduced the costs now by more than 50%. This work goes on, as does vigilance over the quality of the sea. As mentioned above, we are also part of a voluntary group who cleans up plastic from the beach and adjacent ground.
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