Start an impressive tour where you can experience craftsmanship and a lot of history.
Coming from Rethymno, drive by car or motorbike on the E 75 towards Heraklion. About 4 to 5 km after Panormo, turn right at the top of the uphill "New Road" (the exit is not signposted). Drive downhill to Exandis and turn left after entering the town and follow the signs to Melidoni, where you can visit the small but absolutely worth seeing stalactite cave. Then turn left in the town of Melidoni towards Agia, where you can watch the traditional charcoal burners at work with their 3000 year old craft.
Continue to the "Old Road" and on this through Perama and follow the signs to the beautiful pottery village of Margarites, where you can experience the handcrafted production of cups, plates and decorative items up close.
Of course, you can also shop locally (cheaply!). Now drive on to Archea Eleftherna (the excavation site there cannot be visited, by the way) in the direction of Eleftherna. Between Archea Eleftherna and Eleftherna is the new "Museum of ancient Eleutherna", which opened in 2016 - here the treasures from over 30 years of excavations are exhibited. You should definitely visit it!
From here you have two options: either go straight back to Rethymno or drive further to the Arkadi Monastery, the most important national monument in Crete, and then start the journey back.
