Crete - The Rough Guide to Greece - page 486

Spíli
The pleasant country town of SPÍLI lies about 30km south of Réthymnon. A popular
coffee break for coach tours passing this way, Spíli warrants a visit and there's some
good hiking country in the nearby hills. Sheltered under a cliff are narrow alleys of
ancient houses, all leading up from a platía with a famous 25-spouted fountain that
replaced a Venetian original. It's a worthwhile place to stay, peacefully rural at night
and with several good rooms for rent.

Ayía Galíni
AYÍA GALÍNI is a picturesque place nestling in a fold in the mountains. Once a small
“fishing village”, it is now so busy in high season that you can't see it for the tour
buses, hotel billboards and package tourists. It also has a beach that is much too
small for the crowds that congregate here. Even so, there are a few saving graces
- mainly some excellent restaurants and bars, a lively nightlife scene, plenty of
rooms and a friendly atmosphere that survives and even thrives on all the visitors.
Out of season, when the climate is mild and the crowds have departed, it can be
quite enjoyable too.

7

The Amári valley
An alternative route south from Réthymnon, and a far less travelled one, is the road
which turns of on the eastern fringe of town to run via the Amári valley . here's
little specifically to see or do (though a number of richly frescoed Byzantine
churches are hidden away en route), but it's an impressive drive under the flanks of
the mountains and a reminder of how, in places, rural Crete continues to exist
regardless of visitors. The countryside here is delightfully green even in summer,
with rich groves of olive and assorted fruit trees, and if you stay you'll find the
nights are cool and quiet. It may seem odd that many of the villages along the way
are modern: they were systematically destroyed by the German army in reprisal for
the 1944 kidnapping of General Kreipeo, and many have poignant roadside
monuments commemorating those tragic events.
GETTING AROUND SOUTH FROM RÉTHYMNON
By bus Réthymnon to: Ayía Galíni via Spíli (4 daily; 1hr), Plakiás (4 daily; 1hr), Préveli (2 daily; 1hr).

HIKING THE AMÁRI VALLEY
A good base for touring the Amári valley is Thrónos, a sizeable village at the valley's northern
end with an inviting place to stay, Rooms Aravanes (see below). The proprietor here - Lambros
Papoutsakis - is a keen walker and conducts guided treks to the peak of Mount Psilorítis ,
which at 2456m is Crete's highest. Although he does guide groups up in the daytime, his
preferred approach is during the full moons of June, July and August, which avoids the
extreme summer temperatures. Phone in advance for details; it's not a di cult climb, but you'll
need sturdy footwear and a sleeping bag. The summit is reached at around dawn, and the
sunrise is always spectacular: on clear days the mountain offers a breathtaking view of the
whole island and its four seas spreading in all directions.
Other hikes from Thrónos include a relatively easy path leading north through the foothills in
a couple of hours to the monastery of Arkádhi (see p.486), while south from Thrónos is an easy
stroll on a paved road running back into the main valley via Kalóyerosa. A map detailing these
walks is available from Rooms Aravanes .
Rooms Aravanes Thrónos T 28330 22760,
E [e-mail]. The stone-built
Aravanes has amazing panoramic views across the
valley to Mount Psilorítis. The owners rent five en-suite

rooms with large balconies and run the taverna below,
together with a small ll sh op selling mountain herbs and
home-made honey. €35