Fodele is peaceful, laid back, and relaxed. When you visit with children, the only place little explorers can enjoy to the max is the Fodele Beach & Water Park Holiday Resort. Beyond the walls of our resort, however, the Cretan world opens with amazing possibilities. The Snail Farm and Fun is just one of them.

The Snail Farm and Fun, just as its name suggests, is a place where adults and little explorers alike can learn more about… well… snails.

There are 120 different species of snails on the island. You’ll learn something about them when you visit the Natural History Museum of Crete in Heraklion. But, to give you an overview, out of the 120 species thriving on Crete, only six are edible, finding their way on Cretan menus year-round, not as gourmet delicacies, but as traditional fare.

The six edible snail species of Crete are known locally as chondrós, lianós, barbaróssos, chochlidháki, mourmoúri, and archóntissa. The official, Latin names are Cantareus aspersus, Cantareus apertus, Helix cincta, Helix nucula, Eobania vermiculata, and Theba pisana.

Snails are usually pan fried in olive oil, with Cretan herbs and fresh lemon juice. But they can also be char-grilled.

The Snail Farm and Fun in Tilisos supplies much of the snails for consumption on Crete. Like most businesses on the island, it is family-run and laid back, friendly and unpretentious. Children will love the place, not just because they get to see the snails and learn a lot about them, but also because they get to play with the local kittens and dogs. For adults, the farm provides delicious homemade fare – and yes, no one on the island has better snails – and homemade wine. It’s all worth it to drive here to see how snails are farmed, but for a gourmet, sophisticated experience, this is the wrong address.

Snail Farm and Fun is all about old-school, 20-years back in time experiences, the kind of things that make Crete worth it for people who believe in a return back to nature.