Photo by Moritz Feldmann via PexelsBest villages near Rethymno: Spili to Margarites
The villages inland from Rethymno are working places rather than preserved ones, and they are the part of the region most visitors skip. Each has a reason to exist — water, clay, olive terraces — and that reason is usually the most interesting thing about visiting it.
The short answer
Spili for the spring line and the lion-head fountains, Margarites for working pottery, and the Amari valley villages for olive country and long lunches. An hour each is enough to look; half a day is what they are worth if you eat there.
| Village | Known for | Time needed | Combines with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spili | Spring water and the fountain row | One to three hours | Preveli, the south coast |
| Margarites | Working pottery workshops | One to two hours | Melidoni Cave |
| Amari valley villages | Olive country and long lunches | Half a day | Arkadi, the Potamon Dam |
Spili: built on water
Spili sits on a spring line halfway between Rethymno and the south coast, and the water is the whole explanation for the village. It is green when the country around it is not, shaded by plane trees, and noticeably cooler than the coast in August.
The fountain row in the centre — a line of carved lion heads feeding a long stone trough — is the photograph. The village behind it is the reason to stay longer than five minutes: lanes that climb away from the main road, shops selling honey and oil from people who made it, and tavernas that cook for locals.
Margarites: built on clay
Margarites has made pots for centuries because the ground here yields workable clay. What survives is a handful of genuine working potters with wheels and kilns in use, not a heritage display.
Go mid-morning when workshops are reliably open — some close in the early afternoon and reopen later, on village hours rather than visitor hours. Ask before you buy: whether the clay is local, whether the piece was thrown here, whether it is food safe. The answers vary between workshops and they are worth knowing.
Buying pottery sensibly
- Ask who made it and where the clay came from
- Check whether it is food safe or decorative
- Have the workshop pack it — they do this constantly
- Be realistic about weight and your luggage
The Amari valley: built on olives
South-east of Rethymno, under Psiloritis, the Amari valley is olive and grazing country with small villages strung along the slopes. There is no single sight here, which is precisely the appeal — it is a landscape to drive slowly through and stop in, rather than a destination.
This is also where the food day makes most sense: producers, a long table, and the Potamon Dam and Arkadi within easy reach.
How to eat well in a Cretan village
The rule is short: one menu, written that day, no photographs on it. A taverna cooking four things well because that is what the kitchen has is always better than one offering forty.
Eat late by northern European standards — from two for lunch, from nine for dinner — and order fewer dishes than you think, because the portions assume sharing. Ask what is good today rather than reading the menu first; the answer is usually the answer.
Worth buying at source
- Olive oil, from a producer rather than a shelf
- Thyme honey, which tastes of where it came from
- Pottery in Margarites, from the person who threw it
- Herbs — mountain tea and oregano, dried locally
Choose this when
- You want the inland half of the region, not just the coast
- Heat or rain has ruled out a beach day
- You would rather meet producers than visit monuments
Choose something else when
- You want nightlife or a full-facility resort day
- Your time is short and you have not yet seen the coast or the old town
Questions people actually ask
Which village near Rethymno is worth visiting?
Spili if you want water, shade and a proper mountain village on the way to the south coast. Margarites if you want to watch something being made and buy it from the maker. The Amari valley if you want the landscape and a long lunch rather than a specific sight.
How long do you need in a village?
An hour covers the visible part of any of them. Half a day is what they are actually worth, and most of that difference is a meal.
Are the villages touristy?
The main streets of Spili and Margarites are set up for visitors, and that is honest enough. One lane back from either and you are in a working village. The Amari valley sees far fewer visitors than either.
Is there a cooking class near Rethymno?
We are not advertising one, because we do not currently have a confirmed class we would put our name to. If a genuine hands-on session is running during your stay we will tell you when you enquire.
Can you visit villages without a car?
With difficulty. Buses reach some of them on a limited timetable that rarely allows a sensible day. A car or a driver is the practical answer, and the driver version means you can eat properly.
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Sources and last checked
- First-party route knowledge — Village timing and workshop hours come from running these routes; specific opening hours are confirmed per booking.
- Producer arrangements — Named partner experiences are confirmed in writing before they are described on a page.
Written by Rethymno Excursions. Published 18 September 2026, last checked 18 September 2026. If something here has gone out of date, tell us and we will fix it.