The Village
and the Surroundings
All you need to know about Crete, Kapsaliana and the surroundings:
Kapsaliana Village hotel is located in the prefecture of Rethymno, Crete 18km from the main town, 4 km from the historical Arkadi Monastery, 75 km from the International Airport of Heraklion and 85 km from the International Airport of Chania. Access is easy and fast, whichever point you are coming from.
Kapsaliana hotel is built at an altitude of 260m over the sea and lies at the heart of one of the island’s biggest olive groves. Here time stands still as the splendor of Cretan nature is combined by an authentic experience of living in a quaint, meticulously restored traditional village.
Arkadi Monastery:
The historic Arkadi Monastery is located 4km from Kapsaliana Village hotel. It is the second most visited place in Crete after the archaeological site of Knossos. A pivotal stronghold of the Cretans during their struggle for independence, Arkadi Monastery played an instrumental role in abolishing the Ottoman Occupation. Nowadays Arkadi Monastery is recognised by UNESCO as a world monument of freedom. Today’s visitors will see history coming alive as they wander around the church at the centre of the monastery, the museum and the surrounding areas.
Eleftherna Archaelogical Site & Museum:
At a distance of 9km away from Kapsaliana, nestled in the slope of Mount Ida, the ancient city of Eleftherna, birthplace of poet Linos, philosopher Diogenes, and sculptor Timochares, has existed-and flourished- for a very long time: Built in the 9th century B.C. while it prospered until 796 A. C. Most traces of the ancient city-state had been erased until the Ministry of Culture granted the University of Crete permission to excavate the site in 1985. Nowadays Eleftherna is the most important archaeological site of Western Crete, while its recently launched archeological museum is considered tantamount to those of Olympia, Delphi, and Vergina.
Margarites village:
Margarites village boasts a long tradition in ceramic art; in fact pottery has been the main occupation of its inhabitants until recently. Make sure you visit the ceramic workshops and shops that keep this legacy alive.
Tip: The route from Kapsaliana to Arkadi, Eleftherna, Margarites and back, is particularly scenic, combining a striking landscape with amazing vistas-make sure you include it to your itinerary. Also south of Kapsaliana Village hotel, Amari is one of the most beautiful-and untouched- corners of Cretan mainland; dotted with quaint, little villages, in which you may get a taste of the real Cretan life.
