It begins from Adele, a quiet village with its central settlement dating back to the Venetian era. Among the sights you should see are the church of Agios Panteleimon and the house of Konstantinos Yamboudakis, the hero who blew up the Arkadi monastery as a sacrifice during the Ottoman holocaust during the revolution of 1866.

 

After Adele, the route runs towards Agios Dimitrios with the beautiful Byzantine church of the same name (14th century) that offers some interesting iconography. Then the route ascends towards AgiaTriada or Santa Trinita accentuating the Venetian influence. In the center of the village is the Venetian church of Santa Trinita. 

 

Thereafter, it continues towards Agia Paraskevi village. Here is a worthwhile diversion from the road to the north side of the village where the church of Agia Paraskevi is located. The chapel is in the middle of a ravine covered in a dense forest of plane trees and other trees, and next to it, there is a freshwater spring. In Crete, almost all the old churches dedicated to Agia Paraskevi are near rivers or water springs. 

 

The route continues then uphill to Maroulas with its Venetian houses and towers. The village is a real-time machine that can transport you back in the Medieval, Venetian, and Ottoman ages. The locals are the best guides for the place since they can narrate many true stories or based on myths, that no one else knows. 

 

From there the road descends towards Platanias, famous for its beach which hosts the annual nests of the protected sea turtle Caretta Caretta, with a wonderful view of Rethymno.

 

Estimated duration: 4 hours                  Distance: 20 km