Spili village in Rethymnon is located 30km south of Rethymno city in Crete at an altitude of 430m, and it is built at the foot of Voriza Mountain. The village’s population is about 800 residents and grows during the summer months. The villagers are mostly farmers, ranchers and merchants, but in recent years, the younger people, mainly, deal with tourism.
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The village is a transport hub for the south coast of Crete, that’s why it is located in a privileged position. In the village, because of the importance of its position, you can find almost all services, such as Banks, Post Office, Health Centre, Police, even congress center near metropolis. Therefore, the place is indicated for visitors, who can combine their vacations without missing anything.
If you visit Spili, it is worth to visit “Kefalovrysi”, as the villagers call it, located in the square with the two plane trees, in the village’s centre. This is a row of 25 fountains (taps) with the form of a lion head. 330 cubic meters of water flow from their “mouth” every hour. This water is rich in iron and has a constant temperature of 13 ° C. Around the “Κefalovrysi”, there are taverns with genuine Cretan cuisine, quaint cafes and shops of folk art. The rich vegetation of the village is due to the trout-filled river crossing to the south, which is accessed through a large scenic route.
One of the attractions of the village is also the traditional watermills and, mainly, one of them which is still in operation. Very popular is the European Union footpath E4 20 “Spili – Gerakari” which passes from the chapel of the Holy Spirit through the olive groves, north of the village. Also, near the village begins the most beautiful gorge of Rethymno, “Kourtaliotiko”, that leads to the famous palm forest of Preveli.
As for accommodation, certainly you will find a nice villas in Spili, but also in other villages nearby.
Kissos (Ivy) village is 33 km from Rethymno and 6 km from Spili, at an altitude of 640 meters and got its name from the ivies growing in the village. Remarkable are the three Churches of Byzantine art and marvelous paintings in the village, as well as the historic Monastery of the Holy Spirit and the ruins of the old chapel of Agia Paraskevi, outside the village. Below the central square of the village, between two plane trees is the old aqueduct. It is a work of art with many decorative elements.
Mourne and Miksorouma are also villages near Spili (3-4km), where you can find holiday villas with private pool.
