The Yakinthia festival is one festival you shouldn't miss if you are planning a holiday in Crete this summer. And in order to be a part of this year's festival, the best time to start booking your flights to Crete is now! This cultural and artistic festival will be held from the 21st to the 25th of July in Anogia, a small village in Crete.

Every year, thousands of people converge at the foothills of Mount Psiloritis, the location of St. Yakinthos Chapel and the 1,000 sitting capacity theatre of Aghios Yakinthos where the Yakinthia festival is usually held. The woody forest and rocks surrounding these locations are part of what makes this festival very fascinating and exciting.

Yakinthia festival, similar to St. Valentine's, is dedicated to Agios Yakinthos, the patron saint of love. The festival is celebrated with one week of music concerts, dances and theatrical performances. The concert has featured popular artists like Ross Daly, Daemonia Nymphe, Panagiotis Kalatzopoulus, Elly Paspala and Psarantonis. This year will have artists like Antenor Bogea, Jean Philippe and many others performing. Each day of the celebration is marked with different performances and in between, special lectures and presentations are delivered by various authors and professors.

Yakinthia festival also features exhibitions from both local and international producers. From the exhibition pavilions, you can buy all sorts of nice products and souvenirs to take back home for your loved ones.

You will also find plenty of tavernas at the festival, offering tasty and healthy appetizers and popular Crete cuisines like Dolmades, Tiropites, Diples, Moussaka and Melomakarona. You can enjoy these delicious foods with a Greek coffee or local alcoholic drinks, depending on your taste.