tours
- First scraped
- 2026-08-01 13:07
- Last seen
- 2026-08-27 19:07
- Last changed
- 2026-08-27 19:07
A beautiful route that connects some of the most significant sights of the Prefecture, Byzantine churches, monasteries, and archaeological sites.
From Platanias, the provincial road passes through a series of beautiful and interesting villages and climbs up toward the historical Monastery of Arkadi.
After Eleftherna the road descends towards the picturesque Margarites, a village with a long tradition in pottery.
This tradition is dating from at least the years of Ottoman domination and makes the village of Margarites one of the most important pottery centers of Western Crete.
Here, amongst many others, you are to visit the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios (14th century), Agios Ioannis Theologos (1383), and Sotira Christou.
The road meets the Old National Road, and a little further the crossroads towards the villages Alpha and Erfi. Its church of Agios Ioannis, is decorated with 14th-century murals of superb quality.
Then the road continues towards Viran Episkopi, from where you take again the Old National Road and return to Rethymno through the village of Stavromenos.
Estimated duration: 4 hours
Distance: 53km
The early Christian basilica of Eleutherna is situated at the point Katsivelos, within the archaeological site of ancient Eleutherna, dates to the 6th or 7th century and is a three-aisled basilica richly ornamented with mosaics. Erfi is a village with the church of Agios Ioannis, decorated with 14th century murals of superb quality and in the spirit of the Constantinopolitan tradition.
Margarites is a village with long tradition in pottery.
This tradition dates to at least the years of the Ottoman domination and makes the village of Margarites undoubtedly the most important pottery center of Western Crete. Here, amongst many others, are to visit the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios (14th century), Agios Ioannis Theologos (1383) and Sotira Christou.Agios Antonios- loc: Lagos. It is located into the settlement. In the church there is a mural of the Almighty Platanias is a suburb of Rethymno and is also a settlement. Platanias Beach has also been awarded the Blue Flag, certifying its excellent waters and hosts many big and small hotels and villas.
Locations near Platanias include the Village of Adele and the settlement of Missiria.
Starting point from Rethymno for cycling, walking or driving routes.
View the original article ↗
From Platanias, the provincial road passes through a series of beautiful and interesting villages and climbs up toward the historical Monastery of Arkadi.
After Eleftherna the road descends towards the picturesque Margarites, a village with a long tradition in pottery.
This tradition is dating from at least the years of Ottoman domination and makes the village of Margarites one of the most important pottery centers of Western Crete.
Here, amongst many others, you are to visit the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios (14th century), Agios Ioannis Theologos (1383), and Sotira Christou.
The road meets the Old National Road, and a little further the crossroads towards the villages Alpha and Erfi. Its church of Agios Ioannis, is decorated with 14th-century murals of superb quality.
Then the road continues towards Viran Episkopi, from where you take again the Old National Road and return to Rethymno through the village of Stavromenos.
Estimated duration: 4 hours
Distance: 53km
The early Christian basilica of Eleutherna is situated at the point Katsivelos, within the archaeological site of ancient Eleutherna, dates to the 6th or 7th century and is a three-aisled basilica richly ornamented with mosaics. Erfi is a village with the church of Agios Ioannis, decorated with 14th century murals of superb quality and in the spirit of the Constantinopolitan tradition.
Margarites is a village with long tradition in pottery.
This tradition dates to at least the years of the Ottoman domination and makes the village of Margarites undoubtedly the most important pottery center of Western Crete. Here, amongst many others, are to visit the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios (14th century), Agios Ioannis Theologos (1383) and Sotira Christou.Agios Antonios- loc: Lagos. It is located into the settlement. In the church there is a mural of the Almighty Platanias is a suburb of Rethymno and is also a settlement. Platanias Beach has also been awarded the Blue Flag, certifying its excellent waters and hosts many big and small hotels and villas.
Locations near Platanias include the Village of Adele and the settlement of Missiria.
Starting point from Rethymno for cycling, walking or driving routes.
Original source text
Rethymno-Arkadi-Eleutherna-Margarites
A beautiful route that connects some of the most significant sights of the Prefecture, Byzantine churches, monasteries, and archaeological sites.
From Platanias, the provincial road passes through a series of beautiful and interesting villages and climbs up toward the historical Monastery of Arkadi.
After Eleftherna the road descends towards the picturesque Margarites, a village with a long tradition in pottery.
This tradition is dating from at least the years of Ottoman domination and makes the village of Margarites one of the most important pottery centers of Western Crete.
Here, amongst many others, you are to visit the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios (14th century), Agios Ioannis Theologos (1383), and Sotira Christou.
The road meets the Old National Road, and a little further the crossroads towards the villages Alpha and Erfi. Its church of Agios Ioannis, is decorated with 14th-century murals of superb quality.
Then the road continues towards Viran Episkopi, from where you take again the Old National Road and return to Rethymno through the village of Stavromenos.
Estimated duration: 4 hours
Distance: 53km
The early Christian basilica of Eleutherna is situated at the point Katsivelos, within the archaeological site of ancient Eleutherna, dates to the 6th or 7th century and is a three-aisled basilica richly ornamented with mosaics. Erfi is a village with the church of Agios Ioannis, decorated with 14th century murals of superb quality and in the spirit of the Constantinopolitan tradition.
Margarites is a village with long tradition in pottery.
This tradition dates to at least the years of the Ottoman domination and makes the village of Margarites undoubtedly the most important pottery center of Western Crete. Here, amongst many others, are to visit the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios (14th century), Agios Ioannis Theologos (1383) and Sotira Christou.Agios Antonios- loc: Lagos. It is located into the settlement. In the church there is a mural of the Almighty Platanias is a suburb of Rethymno and is also a settlement. Platanias Beach has also been awarded the Blue Flag, certifying its excellent waters and hosts many big and small hotels and villas.
Locations near Platanias include the Village of Adele and the settlement of Missiria.
Starting point from Rethymno for cycling, walking or driving routes.
From Platanias, the provincial road passes through a series of beautiful and interesting villages and climbs up toward the historical Monastery of Arkadi.
After Eleftherna the road descends towards the picturesque Margarites, a village with a long tradition in pottery.
This tradition is dating from at least the years of Ottoman domination and makes the village of Margarites one of the most important pottery centers of Western Crete.
Here, amongst many others, you are to visit the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios (14th century), Agios Ioannis Theologos (1383), and Sotira Christou.
The road meets the Old National Road, and a little further the crossroads towards the villages Alpha and Erfi. Its church of Agios Ioannis, is decorated with 14th-century murals of superb quality.
Then the road continues towards Viran Episkopi, from where you take again the Old National Road and return to Rethymno through the village of Stavromenos.
Estimated duration: 4 hours
Distance: 53km
The early Christian basilica of Eleutherna is situated at the point Katsivelos, within the archaeological site of ancient Eleutherna, dates to the 6th or 7th century and is a three-aisled basilica richly ornamented with mosaics. Erfi is a village with the church of Agios Ioannis, decorated with 14th century murals of superb quality and in the spirit of the Constantinopolitan tradition.
Margarites is a village with long tradition in pottery.
This tradition dates to at least the years of the Ottoman domination and makes the village of Margarites undoubtedly the most important pottery center of Western Crete. Here, amongst many others, are to visit the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios (14th century), Agios Ioannis Theologos (1383) and Sotira Christou.Agios Antonios- loc: Lagos. It is located into the settlement. In the church there is a mural of the Almighty Platanias is a suburb of Rethymno and is also a settlement. Platanias Beach has also been awarded the Blue Flag, certifying its excellent waters and hosts many big and small hotels and villas.
Locations near Platanias include the Village of Adele and the settlement of Missiria.
Starting point from Rethymno for cycling, walking or driving routes.