The Cretan village of Anogeia was included among the United Nations’ “Best Tourism Villages 2024 for Sustainable Travel.”
The rugged mountainous Cretan village, perched in the Idi Mountain range, is located roughly in the middle of the Mediterranean’s fifth largest island, in Rethymno prefecture.
The quaint community is famed for its rebellious and free-spirited locals, who, with their hardened and unyielding demeanor, played a pivotal role in the resistance against German invaders in WWII.
The village has become an attraction for its tough goat and sheep-herding shepherds in the rugged mountains and hills, Cretan folk music, and healthy food.
The Best Tourism Villages initiative is part of the UN Tourism for Rural Development Programme. The program works to foster development and inclusion in rural areas, combat depopulation, advance innovation and value chain integration through tourism, and encourage sustainable practices.
The Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism initiative was launched in 2021 to advance tourism’s role in rural areas, preserving landscapes, cultural diversity, local values, and culinary traditions.
The Best Tourism Villages (BTV) Network grows every year, and with the announcement of its 75 new members, 254 villages are now part of the largest community of rural destinations in the world.
In this fourth edition, 55 villages from all regions received the recognition, chosen from over 260 applications from more than 60 UN Tourism Member States. Another 20 villages were chosen to join the Upgrade Program.
