Pottery Village of Margarites Tour: Explore Monastery of Arkadi & The Gorge of Patsos
4.9
15 Ratings
Rethymno
Immerse yourself in the rich culture and history of Crete with a tour of the Pottery Village of Margarites, the Monastery of Arkadi, and the Gorge of Patsos. Experience a pottery demonstration, learn about religious customs at the Arkadi Monastery, and explore the stunning natural beauty of the Patsos Gorge. Don't miss the chance to enjoy a traditional lunch in a local taverna. Book your tour now!
Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Margarites Gorge - We will start our tour by visiting a beautiful well-hidden village, Margarites. The tradition of pottery has been an integral part of this village for many generations; there are lots of locals who still keep the tradition alive, up to this day, by transforming the traditional practice of pottery into modern art. In Margarites, we will meet our friend Yorgos, a local, who will show you how the pots are hand thrown. A demonstration of his art will follow, that will certainly stay “carved” in our memory. The village itself has a unique architecture and some lovely narrow winding streets, making it worth being explored. So, let’s wander through the quiet village of Margarites, enjoy the hundreds of colors that lie before our eyes and then enjoy a traditional coffee at a small “kafeneio”.
  • Monastery of Arkadi - After a 25’ drive, you will continue to the religious part of the tour. The goal is to make you familiar with Cretan culture and religious customs. Arkadi Monastery is perhaps the best known monastery on Crete due to the Holocaust of 1866. However, its location and impressive architecture make it all more special. It is a large fortified complex built during the end of the period of Venetian rule. We will escort you to explore this magnificent monument, but since our guides are not official, it is forbidden to have a tour inside historical monuments.
  • St. Anthony Gorge (Gorge of Patsos) - Let’s explore together the nature of Crete. The gorge of Patsos is a small yet magnificent gorge, which begins at Ano Assites. In the gorge one can see rare species of flora and fauna, which are protected by European legislation. In particular, there are 80 species of flora, of which 4 are protected, 24 species of fauna, of which 11 are protected and 16 species of birds, of which 8 are protected. You are going to enjoy a small picnic at the facilities of the gorge, as you are watching a spring of running water near the river. A beautiful attraction of the gorge is the cavernous church of St. Anthony in the rocky walls, a former temple of Hermes. Usually, to complete the route, we will hike for about half an hour (until a certain point that the gorge becomes difficult… after 20-30 min), but depending on the weather and the physical condition of the travelers, we could hike a little bit more or less.
What's Included
  • Lunch with vegetarian options
  • Unlimited raki and joyous moments
  • All-inclusive with no extra fees
  • Exclusive access to a local monastery
  • Knowledgeable local driver and guide
  • Insights into Cretan religious practices
  • Comfortable air-conditioned transport
  • Guided tours in English or French
  • Scenic hike in Patsos gorge
  • Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off in Rethymno
What's Not Included
  • The guide will not enter with you in the Monastery of Arkadi
Additional Information

Our journey commences at Margarites, a hidden gem of a village renowned for its long-standing pottery tradition. You’ll get a brief glimpse into the art of pottery-making. A quick 20-minute drive will lead us to the next phase of our tour focused on spiritual and religious aspects. We aim to acquaint you with our cultural and religious practices. The Arkadi Monastery, infamous due to the Holocaust of 1866, is arguably Crete’s most famous monastery.

We would be thrilled to guide you through the bountiful nature of Crete. The Patsos gorge, though small, is stunningly beautiful, beginning at Ano Assites. The surroundings of the gorge are particularly breathtaking. If the weather proves unfavourable for our visit to the gorge, we have the captivating museum and archeological site at the ancient village of Eleftherna as an alternative. Afterwards, savor a meal at a typical local taverna.

Location
Eleftheríou Venizélou 39
Eleftheríou Venizélou
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(15 Ratings)
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Sheilam1097
Apr 15, 2024
So may different styles of pottery - Lots of pottery shops - each one seems to have it's own style, so visit them all. Some are tacky, some are whacky, some are upmarket Three had working potters to watch Prices vary from shop to shop Also good to find restaurant - we ate at Taverna Vernada
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louismartin_d
Sep 2, 2022
Excellent and varied tour - Excellent and varied tour to the countryside (village, monastery and Amari valley) At Patsos gorge, nice hike along the river: depending on your ability, you can have an easy walk to the st anthony cave only or walk further out. Had an excellent lunch at a countryside taverna, excellent meatballs in a fragrant tomato sauce, goat and local cheese pastry with mint and honey desert! I recommend for a day out of the city!
Review provided by Viator
Bill
Apr 5, 2022
Amazing Tour, Tottaly Recommended! - Really well organized tour, our guide was excellent, friendly and well prepared. The places were beautiful, Arkadi Monastery with its long history, the village very unique and the hike was the right length, not exhausting, but long enough to create a good appetite for the tavern afterwards. The Food in the tavern was very nice, with classic Cretan Cuisine (also vegetarian dishes available, which is not always standard in Greece). Again, totally recommended for someone who wants to do something different and learn a little bit more about the Cretan history and Cretan way of life.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juliehelius
Mar 11, 2022
Awesome tour! What a lovely place! - Our tour with Vincent was simply amazing!!! Margarites is such a beautiful village full of pottery art! The history of Arkadi is shocking and it is a place everyone should visit white in Crete We did the winery tour and the tasting was just what we needed. The walk through the gorge was a perfect closing for the tour. We really really suggest you give it a try!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stay752352
Jul 31, 2019
Wonderful guide, magical places - I took this trip with my mother on our visit to Crete and it really was a highlight. Our lovely guide Vincent was an excellent careful driver, and even though air con was an option we drove with the windows down so that we could smell the beautiful thyme/pine/herb-y mountain air of Crete. Margarites was wonderful, and Vincent was careful to make sure we arrived in between busloads of other tourists so we had the whole village to ourselves, and the demonstration was done in the best, most traditional pottery in town. We weren't keen on doing the whole gorge hike as we're not very athletic and wanted a chill day, so we stopped off at the Eleftherna museum in addition to everything else. The Arkadi Monastery was incredibly moving, and Vincent told us the history of the place before we went in, which made it all even more meaningful. He's a natural storyteller and makes everything so interesting and emotionally resonate - a really fantastic guide. Last, we did the gorge, including lunch in the most wonderful traditional taverna. You can also visit the little church in the gorge and, if you're spiritually minded, I recommend taking a little something as an offering - or, as we did, some change for the candles. The gorge was shady and full of streams, and we did a short hike that wasn't too taxing but did go fairly high up. I would thoroughly and wholeheartedly recommend taking this tour, and if we had had time to take more tours with this company we would do again. Being just us and the guide was a real luxury as well, as we could follow al our little whims and curiosities about the places we were in without having to rush. Eleven out of ten, what a great day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeff_in_brooklyn
Jul 18, 2019
Wonderful day-long tour - Excellent guide. Provided lots of detail about not only the places we visited, but Cretan culture as well. Had good connections in Margarites, so we were able to watch a local potter create new products and he then answered our questions. Arkadi was fascinating historically. The Patsos hike was just the right length - beautiful and a good workout but not too strenuous. Also enjoyed the delicious lunch at a local tavern - food and hospitality both phenomenal.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davesuzanne
May 20, 2019
Kostas, guide, now ranks first of all the travel guides we have had! - This was a tour beyond all expectations. Part of our afternoon was to hike a gorge, but late rains the gorge under a foot of water. Kostas contacted us early with his proposed changes: We visited a goat herder, and his wife, a bee keeper who made Thyme Cretan honey in the mountains. She invited us to her home for lunch. We also went to a local monastery as well as the historic one advertised. We attended a pottery demonstration of art made in the old ways, mountain villages, and were entertained by Kostas explanation of life in the Cretan mountains. I recommend this tour greatly, and suggest one ask for Kostas and request his personal tour. It was wonderful meeting his people and seeing a glimpse of life.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gary
Jan 28, 2019
The best way to experience Crete in a day! - Kostas reached out to connect a few days prior to the private tour so he could get to know us and personalize the experience. He was extremely knowledgeable and offered great suggestions based on our input, which made it an extraordinary experience. We started with a local family owned olive oil business then walked around the Monastery, hiked in the gorge, ate an authentic and delicious Cretan tavern lunch, and finished with a very cool walking tour of Rethymno. This experience is one-of-a-kind and highly recommended to anyone who appreciates outstanding customer service, hospitality, and knowledge :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charles
May 24, 2023
What a lovely friendly place - If you are in any doubt about going then watch a film on YouTube: the visit was instructive and the people warm and welcoming; they also helped me by telling me how to mend my Cretan pot in our garden; recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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June 2024
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