Kapsaliana Village Hotel is a 300 year old hamlet of stone village houses, once belonged to Arkadi Monastery. The hotel sits at a vantage point up in the mountains with scenic vistas, while its positioning and wild locale offer abundant hiking experiences. Special attention is given to the buildings’ history, where a former olive press room is repurposed as a working desk. Guests can make an appearance at one of the regular olive oil tastings or choose from a range of Cretan food specialties made with locally sourced ingredients.
The route from Kapsaliana to Arkadi, Eleftherna, Margarites and back, is rich in landscape and vistas. The 14th century Eastern Orthodox monastery of Arkadi was used as a headquarters in the 19th century by Cretan rebels evading the Turks. Margarites village has a long tradition in ceramic art, and Eleftherna archeological site hosts ruins of Hellenistic buildings, Roman structures, as well as an early Christian basilica, testament to the island’s multicultural past.
