Crete

Fodele / Arkadi / Rethymnon

  • Duration

    Full day

During this excursion, one can visit Fodele, a quiet sleepy place nestling amongst orange groves and plane trees, just 25 km west of Heraklion, a real oasis for the visitor during the hot summer. At the village square under a plane tree, which is over one thousand years old, there is a memorial to the great painter “Domenikos Theotokopoulos”, better known as El Greco, who was born here, in 1541.

Our next stop is at the monastery of Arkadi, which has been a continuous and inseparable part of the Cretan history during the last eight centuries. It has been an important centre of resistance against the Turkish domination and with its thick walls (1,20 m) it looks like a real fortress. The visitor here will be able to visit the refectory, the ossuary that conserved the bones of the heroes from 1866 Holocaust and the small museum with many icons and relics.

Last on our tour will be Rethymnon city, the capital of the district; administrative, commercial, cultural and educational centre. Its beautiful beach road, the numerous beaches, the splendid colours preserved in many places of the old town, its picturesque streets, its contrasts and its traditional atmosphere, makes Rethymnon a fascinating town.