What to do · Chania
Visit and tasting at the Manousakis winery, in Vatolakkos
Information
- Price
- Free visit; tasting and lunch according to the menu
- Duration
- 1 h 30
- Season
- Monday to Saturday until 14 November; from 16 November 2026 to April 2027, by appointment
What it involves
Manousakis Winery is a family winery in Vatolakkos, a village among olive trees south-west of Chania, at the foot of the White Mountains. Its wines are sold under the Nostos brand. The visit has two parts that you can combine: a free guided tour of the winery, and a tasting or lunch on the terrace, which are paid for separately according to the menu.
The tour shows the winemaking and the barrel room, and ends on the tasting terrace, surrounded by trees, from where you see the mountains. The kitchen of the winery's taverna serves Cretan dishes designed to go with the wines, and adapts to special diets if you tell them beforehand.
Hours and season
The guided visits leave at 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00, depending on the season, and you can sign up for the one you prefer. It is closed on Sundays.
- Until 10 October: Monday to Saturday, from 12:00 to 20:00.
- From 12 October to 14 November: from 12:00 to 18:00.
- From 16 November 2026 until April 2027: visits and tastings by appointment only.
Allow an hour and a half for the visit with an unhurried tasting, and more if you stay for lunch.
Price and booking
The winery visit is free. The tasting and the lunch are paid for according to the winery's menu, which publishes the prices of the tastings and the wines on its website. You book on the website: a single booking covers visit, tasting and lunch. If the system has no space, the winery takes bookings by phone (+30 28210 78787) or by email.
How to get there
Vatolakkos is about 20 minutes by car from Chania. Put the winery's address into your satnav, Vatolakkos 73005; the website links its location on the map. If you hire a car, see the car hire page, and bear in mind that on a tasting someone has to drive back.
If you don't want to drive, the winery offers a transfer service through Uncharted Escapes, a local company that also organises off-road routes through the vineyards. Ask for it when you book.
Who it suits
For anyone who wants to get to know Cretan wine over an unhurried afternoon, with food and scenery. The winery does not publish rules for children, but the terrace and the tree-filled surroundings make a family visit easy; minors don't taste.
It works as a loose mid-afternoon from the town, for example the day before an early start for the Samaria Gorge. For dinner back in Chania, To Maridaki, in Splantzia, serves fish and sharing plates.
Other activities at the winery
The winery works with other companies that run activities on the same site, also Monday to Saturday: Uncharted Escapes' off-road routes, an outdoor dinner with wine from Chania Wine Tours and an ancient-Greek-inspired jewellery workshop from Wild Rock Co. They are booked through the winery's website.
Tips
- Go on the 18:00 visit in summer The afternoon light over the White Mountains and the cool make the terrace more pleasant.
- Book lunch and tasting together A single booking covers both and secures you a table on the terrace.
- Ask for an appointment out of season From mid-November to April it can only be visited by appointment.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit the Manousakis winery?
The guided visit is free. The tasting and the lunch are paid for according to the winery's menu.
Which days is it open?
Monday to Saturday; closed on Sundays. From 16 November 2026 to April 2027, by appointment only.
How do you get there without a car?
With the transfer service the winery offers through Uncharted Escapes, or by taxi from Chania.
Who runs it
- Manousakis WineryWinery Visit and Tasting on the Terrace Visit their website
