These are the best culinary destinations in the world for 2026 according to National Geographic. Discover which Greek island made the list.
For many travelers, food is an integral part of the experience a destination offers. For that reason, National Geographic asked its contributors worldwide to choose their favorite culinary destinations. This resulted in a list of the «15 best food destinations in the world right now», which takes us from Greece to India and Hawaii.
Crete among the top gastronomic destinations in the world for 2026
National Geographic singled out 15 destinations that promise to offer travelers an unforgettable culinary experience. Among them is Crete. «The recent distinction of Crete as a European Region of Gastronomy gives travelers a new reason to savor the largest island in the country», writes National Geographic.
«The celebration of food and the appreciation for good health go hand in hand on this vast island, where roughly 40 million olive trees thrive. Many consider Cretan cuisine the standard for the hugely popular, scientifically documented Mediterranean Diet, beneficial for longevity. In the 1950s and 1960s, researchers found that Cretans had remarkably low rates of heart disease and chronic illnesses. They attributed the good health of the island’s inhabitants to a diet rich in extra virgin olive oil, seasonal fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains, with limited consumption of meat and dairy products.
Today, from the arid, rocky slopes of remote Sfakia in the southwest to the wineries around Heraklion, new generations of chefs proudly uphold their family heritage, with products like thyme honey, piquant graviera and raki filling their tables».
