Best things to do in Melidoni in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Melidoni is an inland village in the Rethymno region of Crete, 23.2 km east of Rethymno city and 37.2 km west of Heraklion. The village has no shoreline of its own, and the nearest beach lies 4.9 km away. What surrounds it instead is farming country and a ring of small settlements known for pottery, honey and natural harbours. Several visitor attractions stand within a few kilometres of the village, which gives Melidoni more to fill a day with than its size suggests.
Heraklion airport lies 40.4 km east, and Hersonissos 59.4 km east. Melidoni works as a base for the beaches and craft villages of this stretch rather than as a resort in itself, since the coast, the gorges and the tavernas all sit a short drive away.
Things to do in and around Melidoni
Six outings lie within about 13 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Start at Reptisland. Reptisland stands 200 m from the village centre, the shortest trip on this list.
- Taste honey at the museum. Apithano pairs a tasting with its tour, 1.2 km out.
- Visit the stalactite centre. The Perama Stalactite Center sits 2.2 km from Melidoni and combines naturally with the honey museum into one morning.
- See Attali Monastery. The monastery at Bali stands 4.1 km away, and Attali is one of the things Bali visitors go inland for.
- Find the Margarites domed tomb. The tomb lies 4.3 km from the village and takes a few minutes to look round.
- Walk the Margarites gorge. Margarites, Orthe and Eleftherna sit among a run of small parallel gorges cut into white-yellow marly limestone from the Upper Miocene, 8 to 10 million years old; the nearest entrance is 6.3 km out, and the ravines are known for their flora, including small groups of horizontally branched cypresses.
About Melidoni village and its setting
Melidoni is a village in farming country, and the settlements around it shape what a stay here looks like. The ground between the village and the sea is agricultural, the nearest eating places sit 2.5 km out rather than on a seafront strip, and the attractions within 5 km are a honey museum, a monastery and an ancient tomb rather than hotels.
Three neighbours carry most of what there is to see. The pottery village of Margarites lies 6.2 km away and is known across Crete for its architecture and its traditional pottery. Panormo, 6 km out, is a former fishing village of about 400 year-round residents built around a natural harbour, and its Greek name means “a place with a natural port”.
The third is Bali, 5.7 km away, a fishing village that grew into a coastal resort around a series of small bays. Anyone staying in Melidoni can reach Bali in minutes for its coves, its harbour and the Atali Monastery above it.
Beaches in and around Melidoni
Melidoni has no beach of its own, and the 4 nearest lie between 4.9 km and 6.3 km away. They differ sharply in how easy they are to reach and in how sheltered the water is.
- Agios Nikolaos at Bali lies 4.9 km away, a secluded cove just west of Bali named after the Byzantine two-nave church of Saint Nicholas that stands in the green creek above it. The seabed is rocky and the limestone walls hold small caves, though north winds bring litter into the bay.
- Skepasti sits 5.4 km away, reached mostly on poor dirt roads from Skepasti village, with Koukistres the cove local people head for. The beaches are pebbly, deep and entirely unorganised, so carry what you need.
- Bali is 5.7 km away, 4 sandy coves called Livadi, Varkotopos, Limani and Karavostasis. The bay faces west, so the sea stays calm, and the coves sit close enough to walk between.
- Panormo lies 6.3 km away, two main beaches and several smaller ones around the village. Limanaki, the beach at the harbour, is sandy with clear water and doubles as the area’s port.
Where to eat near Melidoni
Eating near Melidoni means tavernas and grill houses in the villages around it, the nearest 2.5 km from the centre. Nothing here is a seafront restaurant strip.
- Kampos Taverna serves taverna cooking 2.5 km out.
- Taverna Veronica is 2.8 km from the village.
- Thraka grills food at Perama, 3 km out.
Getting to Melidoni
Melidoni sits inland from the national road that connects Heraklion and Rethymno. That road runs alongside Bali, 5.7 km away, and gives Panormo direct access to the coast, so an approach from either city finishes with a short run inland. Rethymno is 23.2 km west, Heraklion 37.2 km east and Hersonissos 59.4 km east.
A car makes the most sense here. The beaches sit 5 km to 6 km out, the nearest kitchens 2.5 km out, and the walking routes further still: the Arkadi Gorge starts 12.3 km away, just north of Arkadi Monastery, and runs 4.5 km along a green rocky ravine to finish near the village of Pikris.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Melidoni in Crete?
Melidoni lies 23.2 km east of Rethymno and 37.2 km west of Heraklion, inland from the north coast in the Rethymno region.
Does Melidoni have a beach?
Melidoni is an inland village with no beach of its own, but 4 lie within 7 km. Agios Nikolaos at Bali is the closest at 4.9 km, and the Bali coves 5.7 km away are the easiest to reach by road.
How far is Melidoni from Heraklion airport?
Heraklion airport sits 40.4 km east of Melidoni, with the national road covering most of the route.
What is there to see near Melidoni?
Four sites stand within 5 km of the village: Reptisland at 200 m, the Apithano honey museum at 1.2 km, the Perama Stalactite Center at 2.2 km and Attali Monastery at 4.1 km. The Margarites domed tomb adds a fifth at 4.3 km.
Can you walk a gorge from Melidoni?
Yes, the Margarites gorges begin 6.3 km away. They form a run of small parallel ravines around Margarites, Orthe and Eleftherna, where streams such as the Margaritianos drain north into the Geropotamos river. The Arkadi Gorge, 12.3 km out, is the longer option at 4.5 km and about two hours.
Is Melidoni a good base without a car?
A car makes a real difference here. The beaches, the gorges and most of the tavernas sit 2.5 km to 12 km away, and the Skepasti coves need dirt roads on top of that.
Where Melidoni is
Best things to do in Melidoni in 2024 is located at Melidoni. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
