APOSTOLI - THE VILLAGE
Apostoli is one of the largest villages of Amari Valley, with 162 inhabitants, according to the 2011 census. Apostoli is the seat of the Amari Municipality in the Regional Unit of Rethymno, Crete. The village is located 30 kilometers southeast of Rethymno and is built at an altitude of 500 m.
The village was mentioned by Francesco Barozzi in 1577 as Santi Apostoli et Molini. In the Venetian census of 1583 it was mentioned as S. Apostolli with 175 inhabitants while in the census of Vasilikata in 1630 it was mentioned as Apostoli. According to tradition, the name comes from a small church dedicated to the Apostles which was built in memory of the Ten Saints, who were hiding in a forest in the area when they were captured by the Romans.
You can find two traditional coffee shops in the village main road. In the nearby village of Aghia Fotini (at 500 m distance) you can find a supermarket, a gas station, an ATM as well as a well recommended tavern with local products.
MUSEUM OF ELEFTHERNA / MARGARITES VILLAGE
After your visit to the museum it is worth visiting the nearby village of Margarites. A picturesque village devoted to ceramics. You can find nice taverns in Margarites and enjoy food or coffee under the shadow of the trees.
PSILORITIS / IDA SUMMIT
Access to Psiloritis is possible from several paths, such as the E4 section that starts from the Nida plateau (1400 m) and is reached after 5 hours of hiking. From the side of Amari there are routes such as the E4 path Katafygio Tumbotos Prinos (1,600 m )-Timios Stavros (2,456 m ) in about 3 hours. To get to the shelter, you can follow the E4 trail from Fourfouras (3 hours) or by dirt road from Kouroutes village (12 km). From the Fourfouriana Mountains, a route also starts from “Papa ton Lakko” (1,590 m) and a little beyond Korakia (1,580 m) with an average climbing time of 3 hours. <br/>Also, the “Strata tou Psiloritis” paved with stones starts from the shelter of “Lakkos tou Mygeros” (1670 m) in the Livadiotika mountains, it has a width of about one meter and a relatively low level of difficulty. It connects with the E4 at the top of Voulomenos and moves west towards Agathias until Ida. The duration of this route is 2 to 3 hours.
RETHYMNO SOUTHERN BEACHES
In the southern coast of Rethymno you can find some of the most beautiful beaches of Crete, some are indicated in the following:
Beaches of Rodakino area. Two kilometers south of the village of Rodakino, there are four beautiful beaches. To visit them, you will have to pass through the village of Rodakino (approximately 44 km from Apostoli): where you will arrive from the main road of Rethymnon-Agia Galini (turning at the height of Pale towards Agios Vasileios). Following the paved road to Korakas (2 km), you reach a beautiful beach with fine gray pebbles.
West of Korakas, the road passes in front of a sand dune and after some coves leads to Polyrizos, a quiet, shallow and sandy beach, with umbrellas, sunbeds and taverns. If you follow the road that goes behind the tavern, you will reach, in 5 minutes, Peristere, a quiet beach with fine pebbles and a nice tavern under the trees.
Plakias and Souda beaches (approximately 36 km from Apostoli). The beach of Plakias is a very organized beach, particularly popular in the summer, with many possibilities for food, many amenities for swimming (loungers, umbrellas) and water sports. The beach of Souda is a very nice sandy beach in the bay of Plakias (3 kilometers west of the village). It is an organized beach and has possibilities for accommodation, food and amenities for swimming (loungers, umbrellas, water sports, etc.). In the eastern edge of Souda beach nudism is permitted while at the western edge of the beach there are rocks and it is a place suitable for snorkeling.
Amoudi and Damnoni beaches (approximately 35 km from Apostoli). To reach these beaches you will follow the road towards Plakias. Shortly after Lefkogeia village, turning left, the first beach you will come across is called (large) Ammoudi and is the most organized beach in the area. The large Ammoudi is suitable for peaceful holidays, with the basic facilities. Little Ammoudi is the next beach is just 100 meters west of the large Ammoudi and is a lovely tiny sandy beach. It is hidden between two long narrow rocks.
Lake Preveli beach (approximately 35 km from Apostoli). Follow the road to Plakia and shortly after Lefkogeia, follow the sign to Preveli Lake. It is a unique sandy beach, beautiful, with a small forest of palm trees that make it famous around the world.
NIDA PLATEAU
ARKADI MONASTERY
The current katholikon (church) dates from the 16th century and is characterized by the influence of the Renaissance. This influence is visible in the architecture, which mixes both Romanesque and Baroque elements. Already in the 16th century, the monastery was a place of science and art and had a school and a rich library. On a plateau, the monastery is well fortified and surrounded by a thick and high wall.
The monastery played an active role in the Cretan resistance to Turkish rule during the Cretan uprising of 1866. 943 Greeks, mostly women and children, sought refuge in the monastery. After three days of fighting and on the orders of the abbot of the monastery, the Cretans blew up barrels of gunpowder, choosing to sacrifice themselves rather than to surrender.
OLD CHURCHES OF AMARI VALLEY
Panagia (Assumption of the Virgin Mary) at Meronas village (4 km from Apostoli). It is a three-aisled church also dedicated to Saint George and finally to the Apostles Peter and Paul. It was built at the end of the 14th century. There are coats of arms of the Kallergos and wall paintings dating back to 1300-1400. The icon of Panagia Odigetria, which has also been described as the “Mona Lisa” of Byzantium, is awe-inspiring.
Agios Nikolas and Agia Anna at Elenes village (7 km from Apostoli). It dates back to around 1300 based on frescoes which are said to have been created by a provincial artist. Next to it is the cemetery church of Christ.
Panagia Throniotissa at Thrοnos village (2 km from Apostoli). It was built in the 14th century, on the remains of a mosaic floor by the Kallergi. On the lintel is their coat of arms. In the 1st Byzantine period, Thronos was the seat of the diocese of Syvritos.
Agios Georgios cemetery church at Opsigia village (8 km from Apostoli). It dates back to the 14th-15th century.
Panagia (Genesis of the Virgin) at Patsos village (7 km from Apostoli). It is a three-aisled Church of the 11th or 12th century, built on the ruins of an older temple which according to tradition had 101 doors and 5 domes. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1304 and then rebuilt with newer elements.
Monastery of Taxiarches at Sxoli Asomaton (5 km from Apostoli). It is decorated with a magnificent icons from 1846. In the old Abbot’s house, the profiles of the Four Archangels can be seen.
The abandoned and ruined monastery of Kaloidena located next to the village of Ano Meros (16 km from Apostoli). It is overlooking the southern slopes of Psiloritis from Mount Kedros. In this place is the restored Byzantine church of Sotiros Christos. The place is of great beauty and stone benches and tables have been built to be used by the visitors.
Agios Onofrios in Genna village (1 km from Apostoli). It is located in the village cemetery and was painted in 1329 at the expense of the family of Michael Varouha. The village itself owes its name to the wealth of the fertile land.
RETHYMNO OLD TOWN (source: rethymno.gr)
The Old Town of Rethymnon is built on the promontory of the northern beach that juts out from the land and extends into the sea. Through a complex of two- and three-story houses, the minarets of the Ottoman mosques, the 19th century bell tower of the Metropolitan church and the lighthouse at the mouth of the harbor emerge, which as they rise into the sky contribute to the picturesqueness of the city, enriching it with variety and color.
The Venetian fortress (Fortezza) that today dominates the hill of Palaikastro and rises proudly above the Cretan Sea completes the unparalleled image of beauty and charm. Pantelis Prevelakis, a famous Cretan writer in the “Chronicle of a State” describing Rethymno gives exactly this view of the state that makes thousands of visitors even today stop to photograph it from the exact same positions that for centuries old cartographers and travelers stopped in fascination on the way to sketch her from afar.
Today, the Historical Center of Rethymnon preserves in a large part the urban fabric of the Venetian period with two main streets and small alleys leading to public and private buildings and some small squares that have remained unchanged through the passage of time. The period of the Turkish occupation left its own architectural characteristics. Pavilions (sachnisia) were added to the buildings, symbols of the Muslim faith (alem) and inscriptions were added to the doors, the Venetian monasteries were converted into mosques with minarets, while fountains and baths were built, thus giving the city a new character. Because of these particular characteristics, the Old Town was designated a Historical Preservable Monument in 1967, and a Traditional Settlement in 1985.
Among the monuments of the Old Town stand out:
- the Fortezza (Venetian fortress),
- the Loggia (Venetian club where the noble guardians gathered),
- the Rimondi fountain (with the coat of arms of the Venetian governor Rimondi),
- the Guora gate (Great door) the central entrance of the Venetian land wall,
- the majestic church of St. Francis, the picturesque Venetian harbor
- the mosques of Kara Musa Pasha, Neradze, Valide Sultana and Mastaba (in the new city), preserved from the period of the Turkish occupation.
Rethymno is today a unique monument of architecture and tradition and at the same time a place of unparalleled natural beauty as it is embraced by the sea from the east with a beach lined with palm trees. Beyond the joys of the sea, Rethymno offers all kinds of entertainment throughout the year. Many festivities are organized during the summer months at the “Erophili” theater, on top of the Fortezza, gives one the opportunity to experience magical moments of theatre, dance and music. The numerous bars in the picturesque narrow streets of the historic center as well as the raki bars with Cretan delicacies offer an all-night revelry.
In the Venetian harbor in an atmosphere of calm and peace, under the light of the moon reflected in its waters, one can enjoy the secrets of Cretan cuisine through a variety of products made from pure local ingredients. Strolling through the alleys of the Historic Center, with buildings of traditional architecture, in a landscape of natural beauty, as pergolas with vines and colorful flowers decorate every corner, one completes his image of this city. Beyond these, however, the main advantage of Rethymno is the hospitality and warmth of its inhabitants, which make it a place you always return to.