Top choice in Rethymno Province
In an appealing location away from Spili's touristy centre, this delightful taverna sits on the main road 500m south of town. There's no menu, so you'll be guided through its mouthwatering array of mayirefta prepared by hard-working chef-owner-farmer Nico, who sources all ingredients from the immediate area. As well as slow-cooked meat dishes, its vegetarian meals are outstanding.
Enjoy on its leafy front terrace or in the atmospheric interior decorated with local antiquities.
25.57 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…
19.27 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…
8.53 MILES
The 16th-century Arkadi Monastery, 23km southeast of Rethymno, has deep significance for Cretans. As the site where hundreds of cornered locals massacred…
28.01 MILES
The ruins of the ancient city of Aptera, about 13.5km east of Hania, spread over two hills that lord grandly over Souda Bay. Founded in the 7th century BC…
16.62 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,…
10.79 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…
16.06 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…
Archaeological Museum of Rethymno
11.25 MILES
Set inside the atmospheric Venetian-built Church of St Francis, this well-curated museum features a stunning collection of well-preserved relics unearthed…
0.34 MILES
The main local attraction is this restored fountain that spurts water from 19 stone lion heads into a long trough. Fill up your own bottle with some of…
0.39 MILES
Up a footpath at the northern end of town, this place is a treasure trove of local vintage artefacts. The giant loom or the coffee-bean roaster might…
0.52 MILES
Spili is a bishop’s see (seat of a bishop), based at the massive modern monastery on the main road at the western end of town. You’re free to walk around…
0.7 MILES
On the western outskirts of town are these botanical gardens filled with an aromatic variety of plant species from Crete and across the globe. You're free…
5.46 MILES
Also known as Palm Beach, dazzling Preveli is one of Crete’s most celebrated strands. At the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge, where the river…
5.55 MILES
Historic Moni Preveli cuts an imposing silhouette high above the Libyan Sea. Like most Cretan monasteries, it was a centre of resistance during the…
6.59 MILES
Separated by a headland, Triopetra is divided into two beaches: ‘Big Triopetra’ and ‘Little Triopetra’. The former is the main attraction and features a…
7.78 MILES
Agios Pavlos' main beach comprises a brown arc of sand that's topped by steep dunes, and a rocky bluff that resembles a recumbent dragon. When the sun's…