Heraklio, Heraklio Town , Heraklio Hotels

Arolithos Traditional Cretan Village

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AROLITHOS is the unique traditional private Cretan village. It lies just 11 kilometers away from Heraklion, along the old national road connecting Heraklion with Rethymnon. Built on the slope of a mountain, in the wild Cretan landscape, the village is a feast for the eyes, evoking memories from the past of older generations as for their way of living while revealing the simplicity and beauty of old times to younger generations.

AROLITHOS is a family - run business. It was implemented with great passion and love for Cretan tradition. Its goal is to bring Cretan tradition, the customs and habits of the region, the architecture and the values of Cretan people into relief, through a project that will stay alive for a long time to come.
AROLITHOS complex could be characterized as a reconstruction of a typical Cretan village including various Cretan Art workshops, two traditional houses, an ‘‘A’’ class hotel, a restaurant and a tavern, a café and a “cafenion”, as well as a small church for weddings and christenings.

While wandering around the narrow alleys, the visitor of AROLITHOS will have the chance to come to contact with genuine traditional textiles woven on looms as well as hand-crafted embroidery. The traditional blacksmith’s is one of the workshops that present a great deal of interest. The old blacksmith’s proudly presents to the visitors of AROLITHOS in which way the hot iron is cast to become a pickaxe, a fire shovel, a horseshoe, a spade or any other tool for the cultivation of the earth.

At the weaver’s, which is the biggest exhibition area in the village, visitors can see the Cretan looms, woven textile, embroidery and knitwear, which Cretan housewives used to decorate their houses with. In the same room, there are corners where ceramics, silverware, carven furniture and antiques are exhibited. Moreover, our visitors can see the collection of postal cards depicting landscapes of AROLITHOS, which is unique in Greece.

Both traditional houses, which were constructed according to the Cretan architecture, are a unique opportunity for visitors to be exposed to the architectural style of the last century. The tools and implements people used in the past reveal a simple, yet comfortable living.
After wandering in the narrow alleys of AROLITHOS, our visitors can rest at the picturesque cafenion or at the modern café with a panoramic view to Heraklion, over a cup of Greek coffee or a shot of raki the famous Cretan distillate.

At the great square of AROLITHOS lies the village church, which is intended for wedding and christening ceremonies. To celebrate such great occasions, receptions take place at the restaurant next to the church.
The famous Cretan Nights take place at the restaurant, where groups of folklore artists present dances and songs from Crete and from the rest of Greece. The programme takes about two and a half hours. Moreover, during the summer period such social events take place outdoors, within a beautiful natural landscape. The facilities are able to accommodate up to 1200 people. The restaurant also organzes special events such as dinner or lunch for conference guests and other groups. Furthermore, the village accommodates cruise ship passengers who visit us to enjoy Cretan dishes and entertain themselves with music and damces.

An indispensable part of AROLITHOS is now the Hotel, which consists of thirty-six rooms, capable of accommodating eighty persons. Most of the hotel rooms have private heating and cooling systems as well as a small balcony overlooking the Cretan nature. Part of the hotel has been renovated and is offered for accommodation during the winter.

Generally, in AROLITHOS there is an attempt to extend the business period beyond the typical summer season time, in a general attempt to strengthen winter tourism incentives. Our wish and purpose is that visitors live a unique experience in AROLITHOS and do not forget their roots, the civilisation and the tradition of the country.

To that intent, a new section has been added to the facilities of AROLITHOS, which is THE MUSEUM OF RURAL HISTORY AND POPULAR ART. The museum constitutes a cultural collection of great interest, due to the variety of exhibits and their importance in relation to the civilization of Crete. It is open all year round and welcomes visitors that are interested in country history. AROLITHOS is a Cretan word, which means “a rock’s hole gathering rainwater”. The village AROLITHOS has taken that symbolic name because it encompasses the tradition and beauty of Crete, just like the hole in the rock gathers water. Here, visitors escape from the tiring everyday routine for a while and is taken back to the past, where everything used to be pure and genuine.