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Greece 2026

Day 12: Heraklion to Chania

2026-06-22

Captured Moments

Approaching the fortress - it was quite windy!
Koules Fortress at Heraklion port
Lion at Koules Fortress from last night
We felt bad leaving this pottery behind, but it now decorates our hotel room for the next arriving guest
Kerameion pottery shop in Margarite village
Beautiful pottery that the claymaker displayed across the ceiling of their shop. These balloons hold a clay basket that is designed to hold essential oils
Our view from Mántalos overlook, where we had our morning coffees
Greek fountain outside our restaurant
Travel moment
We had lunch at Mpakalogatos, which was delicious. We captured a pic of Jenna and Malorie's mid-day drinks, with Martin eyeing them carefully in the background 🤣
Cretan salad
Spaghetti with shrimp
We tried grilled sardines
Our lunch
Rethymnon lighthouse
Harbor at Rethymnon town

Chania, Crete

Greece • June 22, 2026 • Day 12 of 16

Today we took a bus ride from Heraklion to Chania, making two stops along the way.

Margarite village

We visited the Keramion (or Kerameion) pottery shop, founded by artisan Giorgis Dalamvelas. His son Giorgis Dalamvelas and daughter-in-law Mariniki Mania preserve these traditional methods:

   ⦿ Raw Materials: The artisans collect clay from the Psiloritis region and prepare it manually, ensuring a connection to the local earth that defines the area's historical ceramics.

   ⦿ Traditional Techniques: The workshop emphasizes the use of traditional firing methods, specifically wood-burning kilns, which create distinctive earthy tones and unique finishes on the pieces.

   ⦿ Artistic Process: The creations often involve hand-polishing with pebbles (such as the drakonaki) and decorating with plokos—a traditional technique using sheep's wool and natural pigments to create intricate patterns.

   ⦿ Educational Mission: Beyond production, the workshop serves as a cultural hub. It has participated in international pottery meetings (such as the "MAGARIKA" gatherings) and maintains collaborations with academic institutions to study and document the idiosyncrasies of local Margarites pottery.

We had a short coffee break, and then visited several of the shops in the village, purchasing some pottery as souvenirs.

Rethymnon Town

We continued on to Rethymnon town, where we had lunch, and visited the port.

It was a beautiful stop, and we had lunch at Mpakalogatos, which is a favorite of our guide Savvas. This was the first time that we tried grilled sardines, and they were surprisingly good!

After lunch, we took a walk down to the waterfront and took a few pictures, before continuing on to Chania.

Fun Fact: Archaeological evidence found in the nearby Plakias region includes stone tools dating back 130,000 years. These findings are quite a big deal in the scientific community, as they suggest early humans were navigating the Mediterranean sea much earlier than historians previously believed!

Our trip took us a little longer than we expected, but we arrived around 3:45. After a bit of a rest, we will meet up with the tour group for dinner at Adespoto Tavern (with live music)! It should be a really fun way to celebrate arriving in our last 'new' stop of the trip.

What's Next

Tomorrow we are scheduled to visit the oldest olive tree in Vouves village!

— David

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