14.00 Souda Port – Arkadi Monastery – Rethymnon Town R/T 19.00
Tour Starts from the port of Souda. After departure from the port of Rethymnon we head east at the famous monastery of Arkadi. The Monastery of Arkadi is the symbol of freedom and longing for the Liberation of the island and its people in Crete under the Ottoman rule. Set on a low plateau (at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level) on the foot of mountain Psiloritis at a distance of 23 km from the city of Rethymnon. Most probably it was founded in the beginning of the 14th century. In 1572 the Monastery became a priory and the reconstruction of the older church took place to its present form. In the years of the Ottoman rule the Monastery suffered several destructions and looting. Following the Greek revolution of 1821 in mainland Greece, Crete could not afford to miss this opportunity of freedom and independence from the Ottomans and union with Mother Greece. In the great Cretan uprising of 1866, Abbot of the monastery was Gabriel Marinakis; Arkadi became a center of revolution. Thus lead an army of 15000 Ottoman troops along with 30 cannons surrounding it, hoping for the revolutionaries to surrender, and putting an end to the whole uprising. Within the monastery 350 armed men, 600 women and children had found refuge. Despite the heroic efforts of the rebels it was an uneven battle. From then, the monastery became a symbol of Freedom.
After this amazing guiding around the monastery, we head to the city of Rethymnon for a short city tour alongside with some free time for further exploration of the city of Rethymnon. The old town of Rethymnon is one of the best-preserved towns of the Renaissance. Lying in the heart of modern Rethymnon, it combines the oriental features of the Turkish period with Renaissance-style Venetian architecture. After the Venetian conquest of Crete (1204), the town of Rethymnon was built according to the rules of Venetian architecture. The original craftsmen were Venetians, but these later were replaced by Cretan murari, Venetian-trained master builders.
Included:
- Entrance for the Arkadi Monastery
- Professional Guide
- Transport with air-conditioned luxury coaches
