Rethymno Province
In the upper village, Skalomata has provided sustenance to locals and travellers for about 40 years. When you peel your eyes away from the view through panoramic windows, train your focus on the great grilled meats (the lamb is tops!), the homemade wine and bread, and the tasty meatless fare such as zucchini with cheese.
Staff offer a welcoming greeting, but given its popularity with tour buses there's not always time for the customary raki-and-dessert finish.
15.64 MILES
Crete’s most famous historical attraction is the Palace of Knossos, the grand capital of Minoan Crete, located 5km south of the city of Iraklio. The…
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
14.59 MILES
This state-of-the-art museum is one of the largest and most important in Greece. The two-storey revamped 1930s Bauhaus building makes a gleaming showcase…
16.11 MILES
Gortyna (also Gortyn or Gortys) has been inhabited since Neolithic times but reached its pinnacle after becoming the capital of Roman Crete from around 67…
16.93 MILES
Phaestos was the second-most-important Minoan palace-city after Knossos and enjoys an awe-inspiring setting with panoramic views of the Messara Plain and…
14.56 MILES
The 16th-century Arkadi Monastery, 23km southeast of Rethymno, has deep significance for Cretans. As the site where hundreds of cornered locals massacred…
6.49 MILES
Although just a huge and fairly featureless hole in the ground, Ideon has sacred importance in mythology as the place where Zeus was reared by his mother,…
12.38 MILES
A must-see for anyone visiting the ruins of Eleutherna is the accompanying modern museum that contextualises the ancient city through the exhibition of…
10.62 MILES
About 2km outside the village of Melidoni is this stunning cathedral-like cave, an evocative underworld of stalactites and stalagmites. A place of worship…
0.27 MILES
A short walk uphill from the lower village square, this humble museum presents the paintings and sculptures of Anogia-born folk artist Alkiviadis Skoulas …
0.29 MILES
This peaceful square is anchored by a statue of an unknown solider that honours Anogia's role in WWII. As the main centre of resistance against Nazi…
0.29 MILES
Crete's most famous musician, the lyra player and singer Nikos Xyouris, was born in this modest house on the lower village square, and today his family…
2.7 MILES
Here guided tours take you 270m below ground and through seven chambers with such fanciful names as Sanctuary of the Fairy and Zeus’ Palace. All teem with…
5. Museum of Wooden Sculptures
2.88 MILES
Fronted by a massive sculpture of Hercules killing the lion, this private museum in the village of Axos is essentially a showcase of the work of self…
5.44 MILES
Near the top of Mt Psiloritis, at 1750m, Skinakas Observatory is operated by the University of Crete and is the country's most significant stargazing…
7. Andartis – Partisan of Peace
6.47 MILES
Right on the Nida Plateau, high on Mt Psiloritis, you can make out this sprawling landscape sculpture created by German artist Karina Raeck in 1991 to…
6.49 MILES
Although just a huge and fairly featureless hole in the ground, Ideon has sacred importance in mythology as the place where Zeus was reared by his mother,…