Crete's Phaistos (Faistos)

Aside from the much visited site of the Minoan palace here, there is also a fine orchids site, with many kinds, one of them an endemic Cretan one.

Along the roads are turban buttercups, blue summer forget-me-nots, bladder vetch, tassel hyacinths, an anchusa, wild gladioli, and many other flowers. Cretan sainfoin flowers here in April.

There are also some giant orchids, and a shrubby sandal wood relative, yellow and red horned poppies, some bellflowers, and dragon arums. Though not noted as a bird site, there are some birds of prey and some migrant birds, the latter including grey herons.