Dörfer & Städte

Spili

Agios Vasileios, Rethymno · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

Famous for its lion fountains.

Spili is a village about 30 km south of Rethymno, on the road to Agia Galini. It's famous for its Venetian fountain with 25 lion heads pouring fresh mountain water.

The village has narrow lanes, old houses and tavernas. It's a nice stop on the way to the south coast.

Spili is the main village of the Agios Vasileios area and a good stop on the road to the south coast. The Venetian lion fountain is the highlight, with 25 lion heads pouring water. The village is also known for its herbs and honey, and the narrow lanes behind the main road are worth exploring.

Agios Vasileios is the south coast of Rethymno, a land of gorges, palm trees and beautiful beaches on the Libyan Sea. Plakias and Agia Galini are the main villages, and between them lie Preveli with its palm forest, Damnoni, Triopetra and Agios Pavlos with its sand dunes. Inland, Spili with its lion fountain and the Kourtaliotiko and Kotsifou gorges are worth a stop. The south coast is often calmer when the north wind blows, and the sea is warm well into autumn.

Around Agios Vasileios

Nearest town: Plakias, about 17 km by road
Nearest airport: Chania airport (CHQ), about 64 km by road

Rethymno sits between the mountains and two seas, and it is the easiest region to combine with the rest of the island. Its old town and Fortezza are among the best preserved on Crete, with Venetian doorways, Ottoman wooden balconies and a long sandy beach right next to the centre. More about Rethymno