Arkadi Monastery – Traditional Villages & Cave

Cave & Traditional Village of Melidoni, Ceramics of Margarites and Arkadi Monastery!

The Arkadi Monastery, near Rethymno, is a handsome example of Renaissance architecture from Crete’s Venetian rule, but it also hides tales of extraordinary sacrifice during the revolution against the Ottomans.

The excursion to the Monastery of Arkadi and the traditional villages Melidoni and Margarites combines culture and Christian faith, tradition and history and takes the visitor back to different periods in time. During the trip you will admire amazing sceneries of the central part of Crete.

The Monastery of Arkadi was built in the 14th century and is the most important monastery in Crete. It became the symbol of the Cretan resistance for freedom during the revolution against the Turks in 1866.

We continue with the pottery village of Margarites, which is like an open museum with dozens of pottery shops and ceramic workshops. The craftsmen work at the clay in traditional techniques dating back to the Minoan era and we will have the opportunity to watch a demonstration at an artisan’s workshop and learn about the utility of the vessels from the past until today.

Melidoni Cave is one of the most important caves in Crete, due to its archeological findings and the tragic role that it has played in the history of the Cretan revolution against the Turks. In the cave of Melidoni we can admire the abundance of stalactites and stalagmites that create high pillars all around the cave.

We will stroll around the narrow streets at the traditional village of Melidoni and admire Venetian and Ottoman stone buildings of 17th and 18th centuries and a beautifully decorated orthodox church.