Best things to do in Margarites town in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Margarites is a pottery village in the Mylopotamos province of the Rethymno region, 27 km from Rethymno city. Margarites is known across Crete for its ceramic workshops, its narrow alleys and its well-preserved architecture. The village has Venetian roots reaching back to the sixteenth century, grew into a thriving town in the nineteenth, and owes that growth to a ceramic tradition that began under Ottoman rule. Today it is regarded as the most significant pottery centre in western Crete.
Heraklion (HER) is the nearest airport to the village. Margarites sits inland among small parallel gorges and archaeological sites, so the days here are made of workshops, walks and ruins, with the north-coast beaches about 9 km away.
Things to do in and around Margarites
Six outings start within about 6 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Watch potters at work. Workshops still operate in the alleys of Margarites, which is the point of coming here and takes an unhurried morning.
- Walk the Margarites gorge. The ravine begins at the edge of the village, one of a run of small parallel gorges shared with Orthe and Eleftherna, where streams such as the Margaritianos flow north into the Geropotamos river. Water cut these gorges out of white-yellow marly limestone laid down 8 to 10 million years ago, and horizontally branched cypresses grow in small stands along them.
- Step inside the village monastery. The Christ Saviour and Saint Gedeon monastery stands 100 m from the centre.
- Explore ancient Eleftherna. The ancient town lies 1.3 km from Margarites, and its finds are shown 2.4 km away at the museum. Pairing the site with the Eleutherna Archaeological Museum fills a morning.
- Find the domed tomb. The Margarites domed tomb is 2.9 km from the village and takes a few minutes to look round.
- Hike the Arkadi Gorge. The trailhead is 6.2 km away, just north of Arkadi Monastery, and the 4.5 km route takes about 2 hours along the eastern bank of a green rocky ravine, ending near Pikris where the Gypofarago gorge joins it. Arkadi Gorge has no entrance fee and no facilities, so carry your own water and food.
Beaches in and around Margarites
Margarites is inland and has no beach of its own, but 5 lie between 8 km and 10 km north on the Mylopotamos coast. They range from an organised resort bay to pebble coves reached on dirt tracks, and most of this coastline faces north, so the water is often lively.
- Panormo lies 8.8 km away, a coastal village whose Greek name means a place with a natural port. It has 2 main beaches and several smaller ones, and the harbour beach, Limanaki, is sandy with clear water.
- Spilies sits 9 km away between Skaleta and Geropotamos, a sheltered pebble cove also called Tou Maliou to Riaki. Cliffs and sea caves shelter endangered wildlife here, and the deep clear water suits confident swimmers and snorkellers.
- Geropotamos follows 9.1 km away at the river mouth beneath the highway bridge, small, sandy and rarely crowded. The water is clear but cold and deep.
- Skaleta runs 9.7 km away at the eastern end of Rethymno Bay, a 3 km run of mostly sandy, organised beach taking in Sfakaki and Stavromenos.
- Skepasti lies furthest at 9.8 km, pebbly, deep and entirely unorganised, reached on poor dirt roads from Skepasti village. Koukistres is the cove local people choose, and the nearest food is at Panormo, so bring what you need.
Where to eat in Margarites
Eating in Margarites means village tavernas inside the settlement itself, with a kafenio in the countryside around it.
- Taverna Veranda does taverna cooking in the village, 100 m from the centre.
- Taverna Giannousakis stands 200 m from the centre.
- Kafenio Filio is a village kafenio 2 km out.
Getting to Margarites
Leave the north-coast national road near Panormo and head inland to reach Margarites, 27 km from Rethymno. Heraklion (HER) is the nearest airport, and the coastal village of Panormo, 8.6 km away, is the closest point on the highway, with about 400 year-round residents and direct access from the national road.
A car makes the difference here, because the beaches, the gorges and the archaeological sites all sit on short roads that bus routes cover thinly. Ancient Eleftherna, 1.3 km out, is the one outing close enough to walk to.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Margarites in Crete?
Margarites lies 27 km from Rethymno city, inland from the north coast in the Mylopotamos province of the Rethymno region. The ancient town of Eleftherna sits 1.3 km away.
What is Margarites known for?
Margarites is known for pottery, and is regarded as the most significant ceramic centre in western Crete. The craft took hold under Ottoman rule and still supports working workshops in the village alleys, alongside preserved architecture with Venetian roots from the sixteenth century.
Does Margarites have a beach?
Margarites has no beach of its own, but 5 lie between 8 km and 10 km away. Panormo, 8.8 km off, is the nearest organised option, while Skepasti at 9.8 km is unorganised and reached on dirt roads.
Which airport is closest to Margarites?
Heraklion (HER) is the closest airport to Margarites. Drivers join the north-coast national road at Panormo, 8.6 km from the village, for the run east.
Can you walk a gorge from Margarites?
Yes, the Margarites gorge starts at the edge of the village. It is one of a group of small parallel ravines cut into 8 to 10 million year old marly limestone, drained north by streams that feed the Geropotamos river.
Where Margarites town is
Best things to do in Margarites town in 2024 is located at Margarites town. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
