A route of great natural and cultural interest, which can be accomplished by walking as well. Amnatos is a beautiful village with many Venetian mansions. The most interesting mansion is the mansion of the Sanguinatsu family where there is a beautiful well-preserved Venetian doorway with the inscription inour language "Wisdom is the Fear of the Lord".

There is also a Folk Art Museum and the Museum of the History of the Greek primary Education. The view to Rethymno's valley from this village is amazing. Traditional village, within short distance from Rethymno and the hotels.Takes 10 minutes drive by car or bus, which runs frequent schedule services to the village, the visitor arrives in Kyrianna and can enjoy the beautiful and fertile land with plenty archaeological sites and paths, dated to Venetians that are well descriped by several foreign walkers.

Enjoy the Venetian architecture with most importantly the double church of Panagia and Agia Paraskevi in the center of the village, which was reconstructed in the late Venetian period .

Following the walking route from Kyrianna you pass through olive groves till you rich the village of Pikri, which takes you about 45 minutes.

Loutra is a village where it is worthwhile to visit the beautiful alleys of the village with the stone houses, a beautiful fountain with an Ottoman inscription and the house of Elias Spandidakis, leader of the Workers\' Union of Coalminers in Colorado, America, who was murdered during a strike and lived in history with the name Luis Tikas.

The Monastery of Arkadi is situated at an altitude of almost 500 meters on the northwest foothills of Mount Psiloritis, approximately 23km from Rethymno. Scientists support the opinion that both the monastery’s foundation and its name are owed to a monk called Arkadios.

According to the inscription, which has been preserved on the frontal support of the belfry, the two-aisled Church of Aghios Konstantinos and the Transfiguration of the Saviour, which is situated in the center of the monastery, were built in 1587, that is during the period of the Venetian occupation on Crete.

This explains the plethora of architectural elements of the Renaissance, which the visitor will notice at first sight such as the Gothic arches and obelisks, the anthemic of the Renaissance, corinthian moldings of the late Renaissance as well as baroque volutes.
Other inscriptions give evidence that an earlier church than the present one had existed dating to the 14th century. The Monastery of Arkadi became the symbol of self-sacrifice and freedom beyond any doubt during the revolution of 1866-1869, particularly since the besieged inhabitants sacrificed themselves and preferred to die rather than to surrender to the Ottomans.

Nowadays the breathtaking buildings of the Monastery belong are listed in UNESCO’s World Heritage list, as the European Freedom Monument.
The sacred banner of the revolution, as well as the other relics such as monastery utensils, vestments embroidered with gold and weapons, are on exhibition in the Monastery museum.

Pigi is a quiet village 8 km southeast of Rethymno city.
The village is just above the village of Adele on the road to Arkadi monastery.
It lies in a fertile area with many olive groves.
The distance to the beach is about three kilometers (Pigianos Kampos).

In Pigianos Kampos there are many restaurants and hotels. In Pigi there are several churches, some of which were built between the 11th and 15th centuries.
Close to Pigi, there have been many important archaeological finds.

Starting point from Rethymno for cycling, walking or driving routes.
The route begins either at Arkadi monastery or from Rethymno.
It passes through the village of Amnatos, a beautiful village with many Venetian mansions, the most notable one being the Sanguinatsu family villa that preserves a beautiful Venetian doorway with the inscription what means (in our language) "Wisdom is the Fear of the Lord".
There is also a Folk Art Museum and the School Museum.

The view into Rethymno's valley from this village is amazing.

Kirianna is the village. In this historic village, there are several old temples as well as modern ones. There are samples of scarce architectural elements of the Renaissance style and also the Byzantine church of Panagia.
This church has adorned the village from the beginning of the 11th century and is one of the most interesting examples of ecclesiastical architecture in Crete.
Then the road leads toward the picturesque villages of Loutra, Pigi, and Adele.

Adele is a quiet village with its central settlement dating to the Venetian era. The "fortress-like" architecture, according to some scholars, is testified by two "passages" in the square of the church of Agios Panteleimonas, that may have formed its medieval gates.