Cretan Monastery & Museum Tour: A Journey through History and Craftsmanship from Rethymno
4.7
10 Ratings
Rethymnon
Embark on a journey through history and craftsmanship on the Cretan Monastery & Museum Tour. Explore the Historical Monastery of Arkadi, the Museum of Ancient Eleftherna, a pottery workshop, and the stunning Melidoni cave.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
-
Monastery of Arkadi - Arkadi… This monastery has the most important history in the Cretan revolution.
Our guide will explain you in the bus the history of this monastery. Then, you will have free time to feel this history, walk on the small stone paths, visit the rooms and the big room where the explosion took place… -
Archea Eleftherna - Come and discover the local and religious life of the ancient Eleftherna from 3000 BC until 1300 AC.
4€ fees are required for the museum entrance. - Margarites - Margarites village is wellknown for its pottery. You’ll walk the traditional village and also you’ll have free time to enjoy lunch in a local small tavernas if you like.
- Melidoni Cave - Let’s explore the impressive cave of Melidoni, very important in the Cretan revolution during the Turks occupation.
- Tsikalario cretan ceramics - We will visit the ceramic workshop, near of Margarites village. It’s like a museum about the ceramic art and history. Mrs Helen, the owner and the artist, will show you live how the clay becomes an object to use….
What's Included
- Pick-up and drop-off services in multiple locations, including Bali, Panormo, Skaleta, Adele, Platanias, Rethymno, Atsipopoulo, Kavros, Georgioupoli
- Comfortable in-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees about 10€/ person
Additional Information
Experience the intersection of history, art, and craft. This journey is designed for those wishing to explore Crete from Rethymnon without the burden of long bus travels.
We’ll start at Crete’s most significant monastery: The Historical Monastery of Arkadi.
Subsequently, we’ll explore the Museum of Ancient Eleftherna that houses historical artifacts from the times of Homer. Following that, the ‘TSIKALARIO’ pottery workshop is next on our list. Here, Mrs. Helen will guide us through the delicate artistry of pottery making.
A short 2 km drive will take us to Margarites village where you’ll have leisure time for lunch or a stroll.
Last stop on our exploration is the Melidoni cave situated 220 meters above sea level. Here, you’ll uncover a fascinating cave brimming with stalactites and stalagmites, deeply steeped in history as well.
Location
Monastery of Arkadi
Arkadi
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(10 Ratings)
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Sandor_s
Sep 3, 2023
Understand Crete better - The monastery and the related historic events are a must-see to better understand cretan people. Also, the pottery, the olive oil factory and the cave are interesting additions.
Review provided by Viator
B4766vfmmm
Aug 19, 2023
The real history of Crete - thanks :) - We saw beautifull places but the most important for us, was the local guide "chrisa" because she explain very well the story for the monastery, the cave and the other places. Also, we went and balos but the 5 stars for this trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tomás
Jun 30, 2023
A wonderful day of so many memorable locations and so many stories. Not to be missed - We will not forget the visits to the Arkadi Monastery and Melidoni Cave, plus the way the guide presented the emotional stories of both locations to paint a picture of tragic events in Cretan History. Then, how the excursion balanced that sadness by focusing on the positives - the great art of Cretan pottery making and the craft of olive oil production in Crete.
From start to finish, the service delivered by CheckinCrata was top class. A special word of thanks to Chrysa, who first of all provided excellent communication from the office and then was the guide on the actual "Cretan Story" tour itself.. Chrysa excelled in both rolls.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris_w
Sep 22, 2023
Good day out - Good day out.
The only part that wasn't very good was the olive oil part.
Could of had a better selection of oils to taste and olive oil products to buy. I understand there is another one in area that has everything.
Review provided by Viator
Mary_l
Jul 29, 2023
Good day out - Chose this trip because I thought we might need a day out of the sun and it was very enjoyable. Loved the monastery, the caves and the pottery. Would have given 5 stars but the museum was a disappointment. As the most expensive site visited, I would have given it a miss with hindsight.
Review provided by Viator
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