Rethymno Anogia

General information

Anogia is considered one of the most attractive and picturesque mountainous villages of Crete. It lies at an altitude of 750 meters on Mount Psiloritis, the highest mountain of Crete, about 50 km east of Rethymno Town. Due to its secluded location, the village retains its distinctive character, local customs, traditional costumes and local dialect, which is peppered with ancient Greek words that have not been changed in the course of time.

Many traditional cafes and taverns can be found in the narrow streets of Anogia as well as a few accommodation options. From this charming village, one can set off on some nice excursions to the Minoan Palace of Zominthos, which used to be the most significant mountainous center of Minoan Crete, the Ideon Cave, the cave where Zeus grew up according to the myth, or the Skinakas Observatory. You can also visit the spectacular Sfendoni cave, with its beautifully lighted stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the so-called mitata, stone shepherds’ refuges on Mount Psiloritis, which also function as cheese-making units.

More about Anogia

During the times of Ottoman occupation, the village was burned down by the Turks in reprisals for the inhabitants’ revolutionary activities, while, in 1944, German forces destroyed every building except the church and killed all the men they found as payback for the kidnapping of the German General Von Kreipe by the local resistance fighters.

Worth visiting is the 12th-century church of Saint John, with its worn but beautiful frescoes and icons. The village of Anogia is one of the major weaving and stock breeding centers of Crete, and the woven and embroidered articles produced there have superb motifs unique to the village. It is interesting to visit one of the many workshops open to the public and observe articles being woven on large looms.

Being the birthplace of the famous Cretan singer and composer Nikos Xilouris, often referred to as the “Archangel of Crete”, Anogia has a great musical tradition, and many excellent singers and lyre (a local instrument called lyra in Greek) players come from this village. Some still live in the village and can be heard playing during the cultural festival of Anogia in mid-August.