Deep Crete · Village guide

Margarites

Half an hour from Rethymno, the village of Cretan pottery: workshops where clay has been thrown and painted for a thousand years, in flower-filled lanes hung above the valley.

Rethymno (west)

Where

≈ 27 km · 30 min

From Rethymno

Pottery

Famous for

Byzantine era

Since

The workshop

The wheel, the clay and the gesture, before your eyes

Since Byzantine times, Margarites has lived off clay. In the village workshops you can still watch a potter centre the clay and raise a jar on the wheel, then follow a demonstration of both worlds: the old wood-fired kiln and the more modern approach. Places like Tsikalario (workshop, exhibition and small museum) tell the whole process, with guides who slip naturally from Greek to French, English and German. It's one of the few places in Crete where the craft is still handed down, for real.

What they make

From the great jar to the little hand-painted oil cruet

Margarites's historic speciality is the pithos: the huge Cretan jar for oil, wine and grain, once exported across the Mediterranean. Today the workshops also turn out mugs, bowls, colourful jugs and little oil cruets decorated with the olive sprig — pretty, useful and often surprisingly cheap. An insider tip: buy straight from the potter rather than in a seaside shop, and mind the weight in your suitcase before you get carried away. A piece from Margarites is the finest Cretan souvenir there is.

The village

Flower-filled lanes and a view over the valley

Beyond the workshops, Margarites is a real stone village clinging to its hill: cobbled lanes overflowing with flowers, small shaded squares, Byzantine churches and a view plunging over the olive groves. You wander with a coffee in hand, between two shops, before heading back down. Fifteen minutes away lie the archaeological site of Eleftherna with its fine museum, and Arkadi Monastery — enough for a superb day in the Rethymno hinterland.

💡 Doing it right

Watch a wheel-and-kiln demonstration: several workshops offer one, often free, in the hope of a small purchase.
Buy straight from the potter: it's authentic and far cheaper than in a tourist shop — but keep an eye on your suitcase weight!
Come in the morning, quieter, and wander the village before the heat.
Combine with the ancient site of Eleftherna, Arkadi Monastery and the spring village of Argyroupoli, all nearby.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Margarites and how do you get there?

In the hinterland of Rethymno, in western Crete, about 27 km (30 minutes) on a paved road. Easy to reach by car; you park at the edge of the village, which is explored on foot. It's a short detour from the north coast.

Can you watch potters at work in Margarites?

Yes, that's the whole point of the village. Several workshops offer wheel demonstrations and explain both the traditional wood-fired kiln and modern methods. Places like Tsikalario (workshop, exhibition and small museum) welcome visitors, often with multilingual guides.

What should you bring back from Margarites?

Hand-made ceramics: mugs, bowls, colourful jugs, little oil cruets decorated with the olive sprig, and of course smaller versions of the pithos, the great Cretan jar. It's authentic and often cheap — just mind the weight and fragility for the trip home.

What can you combine with Margarites?

The ancient city of Eleftherna with its archaeological museum, Arkadi Monastery (a landmark of Cretan memory) and the spring village of Argyroupoli are all within 30 minutes. Enough for a fine day in the Rethymno hinterland.

Slot Margarites into your itinerary

Our generator places the village and its pottery workshop at the right point of your western trip, between beaches, monastery and gorges.

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