Discover the beauty surrounding Rethymno as you cycle along the coastline. Just before you start the journey uphill, you will make your first stop at the Arsani Monastery. From there you will continue uphill through the olive groves, passing small picturesque villages before making your next stop to the village of Amnatos. There you can admire the mansion of Sanguinazzo, where you will discover above its main door the inscription which states "Initium sapientiae timor Domini". Your next stop is the Arkadi Monastery, which boasts a rich and prestigious history. You can learn about the resistance of the local people and the heroic acts of the monks, which will help you understand the significant role they played during the Greek revolution against the Ottomans. Following the monastery, you will be spoiled with a selection of traditional dishes in a traditional taverna. Due to the elevated location, you will also have breathtaking panoramic views over Rethymno and the Mediterranean Coast whilst you dine. Following lunch, you'll ride towards Pigi Village and make a final stop at Adele, before slowly making your way back to your starting point.

See Crete on a guided tour that combines history and craft for a hands-on experience. Visit the most historical spots on the island, learn their history, and enjoy a pottery lesson and olive oil tasting. Visit the Museum of Ancient Eleftherna, Melidoni Cave, and more. Start by getting picked up from your accommodation in Rethymno, then arrive at the most important monastery of Crete: the Monastery of Arkadi. Explore the museum where many icons, monastic relics, and weapons reveal the monastery’s history. Enjoy an hour of free time. Next, visit the Museum of Ancient Eleftherna with its historical findings from Homer’s era. This is the first archaeological site museum in Crete. The museum hosts the whole history of Eleftherna from 3000 B.C. to 1300 A.D. Afterward, enjoy a tour of the pottery workshop “TSIKALARIO” in the village of Margarites to learn about the art of pottery and create your own ceramic. The tradition of pottery goes back many generations in this villa. Later, visit Margarites village where you will have free time for lunch or a walk. Next, head to an olive oil manufactory. Learn how Cretan people made olive oil in the past and see the evolution up to today. Take part in an olive oil tasting before heading to the next stop, Melidoni Cave. Lastly, arrive at Melidoni, also called “Gerodospilios,” a historic cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites. This 220-meter altitude cave was used for religious ceremonies and as a place of worship. Learn the cave's archaeological and historical significance before heading back to Rethymno.

First we collect you by bus from your hotel and drive to the monastery of Arkadi. Before we set off on our bikes you will have a chance to visit the historic and very famous monastery. Arkadi played a very important part in Crete's history of resistance against the Turks and you will also be able to see a fascinating collection of icons, weapons and clerical items in the museum. We then get on our bikes and cycle through stunning scenery, olive groves and orange trees, passing through the villages of Amnatos, Kyrianna, Loutra and Asteri. Here you will get a glimpse of how Cretan people still live and work in the traditional way. We then pass through Hamalevri and eventually arrive at Stavromenos and then Scaleta. We will stop for a coffee break at the lovely village of Scaleta, next to the beach, just before we load all the bikes back to the trailer and drive to Margarites pottery village. Just outside the village we get back on the bikes and you will get a chance to explore this beautiful location, which has been famous for its pottery for centuries. Then we'll meet up and have a relaxing snack in the picturesque countryside and under a carob tree. After the snack we cycle down to Perama, before hopping back on the bus to drive to Melidoni and visit the famous cave. The history of this amazing archaeological site goes back thousands of years and it is said to be the mythical home of Talos, the giant bronze protector of Crete. From here we get back on the bus and visit a sandy beach, where you can swim or just laze in the sun, before we take you back to your hotel at the end of a perfect day.

Enjoy a day trip from Heraklion to some of Crete's best sights. Immerse yourself in the island's history in the Rethymno's authentic Old Town, pause at the relaxing Kournas Lake, see the UNESCO-listed Arkadi Monastery, and encounter the charming village of Margarites. Begin your experience by savoring the unique atmosphere of Rethymno's Old Town. Take a journey back in time as you walk through its charming narrow streets. Admire the Venetian and Ottoman-style architecture. Experience the smell of fresh bread from wood ovens as you enjoy one of the island's best-preserved towns. Next, leave the town behind as you head for the calming atmosphere of Kournas Lake. Relax in a tranquil setting, with the lake located in a small valley surrounded by high hills. Take a break for some coffee, and have a stroll in the picturesque countryside. After the lake, move onto the 12th-century Arkadi Monastery, designated by UNESCO as a European Freedom Monument. Encounter a site located at an altitude of 500-meters, and surrounded by olive groves, vineyards, pines, cypress and oak trees. Conclude your tour at the village of Margarites. Witness a village which is the centre of the ceramics industry in Crete. Have a walk through its delightful small streets, and pause at one of its ceramics ateliers before your journey back to Heraklion.