Main SitesRethymno to Preveli, Crete: Heart of Crete GPS Self-Guided Driving Tour via Arkadi & Amari Valley
Kalimera, and here we go! Our drive across the heart of Crete begins. We start on the seafront of Rethymno, on the island's north coast. Above the old town stands the Fortezza, the great Venetian fortress that Cretan workers were forced to build in the 1570s, after pirates burned the city. Over the next 75 kilometers, about 47 miles, we'll cross Crete to Preveli, above the Libyan Sea. There, in 1941, monks hid Allied soldiers from the Germans, and a submarine slipped in at night to carry them to safety. Between the two, we'll reach Arkadi, the monastery whose defenders chose to blow up their own powder store rather than surrender in 1866. Then we drop into the green Amari valley under Mount Ida, the island's highest peak, stop by the lion fountains of Spili, and drive down through the dramatic Kourtaliotiko gorge to the sea. Along the way you'll meet rebels, monks, musicians and one kidnapped German general. Narration plays by itself as you reach each place, and you'll hear a short direction before each turn. The mountain roads are narrow and winding, so take your time. Kaló taxídi, which means have a good trip. Let's go!