Adele

Adele is a small traditional village in the prefecture of Rethymno, built in a valley among olive trees and fruit bearing trees, 9 km approximately east of the city of Rethymno.

For the origin of the name of the village there are several versions. There is one that says that Adele comes from the word unslaved, another version mentions the name Adol, who was the Venetian founder of the village, while a third version says it has Arabic origins.

The archaeological research conducted in the region, have shown continuous human presence as of the Minoan era, with findings such as vaulted tomb at site Damourou and residence at the location Pyrgos. However, the center of Adele dates back to the Venetian period, with fortress-like edifices like the two “passages” in the square in front of the church of Agios Panteleimonas, which probably were the medieval gates.

The church of Agios Panteleimonas and the house of Konstantinos Giampoudakis, the hero who blasted the Arkadi Monastery during the revolution of 1866, are the main attractions that the visitor will find in the area. At site Sarakina there is a monument of 18 executed by the Germans residents of Adele and Agia Paraskevi Adele who were previously ordered to dig the pits where they would be buried.

Approximately 4 kilometers away from the village, in the valley of Adele there are beautiful sandy beaches of the northern part of the county awarded with a Blue Flag, like the beach of Adele. There are organized tourist facilities for all preferences and the region is crowded with people in summer.

The 400 residents of Adele are mostly engaged in the cultivation of olives. The olive grove of the area is considered one of the largest in the Mediterranean and produces olive oil of high quality in large quantities.