Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV via PexelsMelidoni Cave, Margarites and the taste of the foothills
A cave, a working pottery village and a proper lunch — the inland day for travellers who want to meet people who make things.
East of Rethymno the land rises into the Mylopotamos foothills, and two very different things happen there. A cave with a hard history sits under the hill at Melidoni. Twenty minutes away, Margarites has been making pots from local clay for centuries. This day takes both slowly, with a meal in between.
- Pickup
- Your accommodation in Rethymno town or along the nearby coast
- Duration
- Confirmed when you enquire
- Start time
- Confirmed when you enquire
- Group
- Private — your party only
Good for
- Travellers who prefer workshops and producers to monuments
- Anyone looking for a day that works regardless of the weather
- Visitors buying something they will actually keep
Good to know
- The cave is cool and the steps can be damp — closed shoes help
- Margarites workshops keep their own hours; some close in the early afternoon
- Pottery is fragile and heavy; think about your luggage before you buy
- The cave has a memorial inside and is treated as a place of remembrance
Route and itinerary
This is the shape of the day. It is a private vehicle, so the order and the length of each stop are yours to change on the morning.
Pickup in Rethymno
East along the coast, then inland into the Mylopotamos foothills.
Melidoni Cave
A large chamber beneath the hillside, known in Crete as the Gerontospilios. In 1824, several hundred villagers who had taken refuge inside died when the entrance was sealed and fires lit at the mouth. There is a memorial in the main chamber, and the cave is visited as much for that as for the formations.
Margarites
A village that has worked local clay for generations, with workshops open along the main lane and kilns still in use. You can watch a wheel being thrown, ask what the different clays do, and buy directly from the person who made the piece.
Lunch in the foothills
A long, unhurried meal at a taverna in or near the village, built around what the kitchen has that day rather than a set menu.
Return to Rethymno
Back down to the coast in the late afternoon.
Walking and terrain
Easy, with one caveat. The cave is entered down a flight of stone steps that are worn and often damp, and you come back up the same way. Inside it is cool and dim. Margarites is a village of lanes on a slope, so there is gentle uphill walking, but you decide how far you go.
Season
Works in any month. The cave holds a steady cool temperature, which makes it a relief in August and a reason for a jacket in February.
What is included
- Private vehicle and driver for the day
- Door-to-door pickup and drop-off in the Rethymno area
- Time at the workshops in Margarites at a pace that suits you
What is not included
- Lunch and drinks
- Melidoni Cave entrance fee
- Anything you buy in the village
There are entrance or access charges on this route that we have not confirmed for the current season. Rather than publish a figure that may be wrong at the gate, we check them with the site and tell you before you travel.
Why this day works from Rethymno
The Mylopotamos foothills are close to Rethymno but almost entirely missed by visitors heading for Chania or Knossos. That makes for quiet lanes, workshops where someone has time to talk to you, and tavernas that are not running at capacity.
It is also the most weather-proof route on offer. The cave is unaffected by rain, the workshops are indoors, and lunch is long. On a day when the south coast is out of the question, this is the one that still works.
Buying pottery well
Margarites is a working village, not a craft market. The pieces vary because different potters use different clay and different glazes, and the person behind the wheel will usually tell you which is which if you ask.
Two practical things. First, fired clay is heavy and breaks, so think about your luggage allowance and how the piece travels before you fall for something large. Second, workshops keep village hours — some shut in the early afternoon and reopen later — which is one of the reasons this day is timed the way it is.
Questions worth asking in a workshop
- Is the clay local, and where does it come from?
- Is this piece food safe, or decorative?
- Was it thrown here, and by whom?
- How should it be packed to travel?
Practical notes
Melidoni is a memorial as well as a cave. There is a shrine in the main chamber and visitors are expected to be quiet inside. It is worth knowing the history before you walk down the steps rather than reading the plaque afterwards.
The steps are stone, worn smooth in places and often damp. Closed shoes with some grip make the descent straightforward. Inside, the temperature is noticeably lower than outside — welcome in August, cold enough for a layer in winter.
Who this suits
- Travellers who want to bring home something made by the person who sold it
- Anyone interested in how a craft village actually works
- Days when the forecast rules out the coast
Who should choose something else
- Visitors uncomfortable in enclosed or dim spaces
- Anyone who cannot manage a flight of worn stone steps
- Travellers looking for a beach day
Ready when you are
This route is request-only while we confirm the cave entrance fee and the workshop timings for your date. We will come back with both before you decide.
Questions people actually ask
How much does it cost to enter Melidoni Cave?
We are not publishing a figure until it is confirmed. The two sources we hold disagree — one states 5 EUR per person and the other 3 EUR — and quoting either would be a guess. We will confirm the current amount with the site when you enquire, and it is paid at the entrance rather than as part of the day.
What happened at Melidoni Cave?
In 1824, during the Greek War of Independence, several hundred villagers sheltering in the cave died when Ottoman forces sealed the entrance and lit fires at the mouth. A memorial stands in the main chamber and the cave is visited as a place of remembrance as well as a natural site.
Can we watch pottery being made in Margarites?
Usually, yes — several workshops along the main lane have a wheel in view and are happy for visitors to watch and ask questions. It depends on the day and on what the potter is working on, so it is something we time the visit around rather than guarantee.
Is this a good option if it rains?
It is the best of the routes we run. The cave is indoors in every sense, the workshops are under cover, and a long lunch is no worse in the rain. Only the village walking is affected, and the lanes are short.
Is the cave suitable for children?
Many families do it without difficulty, but it depends on the child. The steps are the main consideration, and the interior is dim and enclosed. The history is also sombre, and worth explaining beforehand rather than at the memorial.
Read before you go
The places on this route
Other days from Rethymno
Page facts last reviewed 18 September 2026. Prices, fees, durations and availability are confirmed against your dates before anything is charged. How we handle booking and changes.