This excursion takes you to the scenic region of Rethymno. The starting point for the tour is the area of the city of Rethymno. When leaving the towns west of the city center, take the new national road towards Iraklion - and from the towns east, take the new or old national road towards Rethymno, following the signs for "Amari" until the exit in Missiria.
Behind the village of Prasses (sometimes signposted as "Prassies"), the landscape opens up and you have, among other things, your first view of the dam and the Ida Mountains (also called the "Psiloritis Massif") with the highest mountain in Crete, the 2456 m high peak Timios Stavros. Following the road, you can turn left at the sign for "Potami dam" or continue straight on and then follow the signs to the reservoir a little later. There are parking spaces at the dam itself (on both sides of the dam). There is also a small restaurant on the left side of the lake, just behind the left parking lot.
Follow the shore road on the eastern side of the lake to the end of the reservoir. At the crossroads, follow the sign "Patsos 9 km" to the right. After driving through the village of Voliones, turn right at the village of Pandanassa (again sign "Patsos"). Almost 4 km later, turn left (sign "Patsos") and 100 m further on, keep right (also sign "Patsos"). At the end of the village of Patsos, turn left at the small sign "Spili" and after another 200/300 meters, follow the small sign "Spili" to the left again. A short time later, turn right (Spili) and stay on this narrow but easily navigable side road. At the end of this road, turn right onto the road coming from above (yellow markings) and follow this road downhill. At the end of the road, turn left at the crossroads into the village of Spili. There is a large free car park on the right in the middle of the town (signposted). It is a good idea to stop here and take some time to stroll through the town and relax.
Spili is known for its Venetian lion fountain, which is located in the middle of the town. Ice-cold (drinkable) water bubbles out of 25 lion heads from springs above the town. The square invites you to linger and also offers something for your physical well-being in several taverns and cafes. There are three churches, a bishop's seat with an attached seminary and even a small hospital - and of course the usual shops with tourist items.
Let's continue: From the car park, turn left onto the road to Rethymno. After leaving Armeni, on the left side of the road there is a necropolis that is absolutely worth a visit. A large sign (in English, among other things: Late Minoan Cemetery of Armeni) points to it. After turning off the road, after 50 meters on the left side is the car park of the complex (make sure to check the opening times: Tues - Sun 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; closed on Mondays - no guarantee!). This complex is a cemetery from the Minoan period and was initially discovered by chance. Even today, new graves are still being found and there are now more than 200 graves. After the tour, head back to the road and turn left towards Rethymno, which is about 10 km away.
In terms of kilometers, it is not a particularly long tour, but the landscape offers so many different views that a lot of time can be spent taking in the impressions or taking lots of great photos. In addition, the road conditions there do not allow for as fast a driving style as at home - and you have to expect sheep or goats on the road or road damage, especially in the hinterland. So plan enough time for this trip from the start.
