Meronas
Meronas is located 35 km southeast of Rethymno on the road leading to Amari of the prefecture of Rethymno.
Built at an altitude of 620 meters, Meronas is one of the most beautiful villages of the prefecture, looking at the Mount Psiloritis and the northern slopes of Mount Kedros constituting special scenery of a bygone era. The houses of the village have been built amphitheatrically in order to take advantage of the stunning view.
The former name of the village was Elia, meaning “a bright place”, while the Meronas village was mentioned for the first time in Venetian documents of 13th century.
Sometime in the middle of the 14th century, Alexios Kallergis, member of the known Cretan noble family, whose blazons are still visible on the church of the Virgin of Meronas, had settled in Meronas village.
If you visit the Meronas village on July, 27, you can attend a great feast of Agios Panteleimonas, a church with a characteristic stone bell tower. If, again, you happen to stop by on the Shrove Tuesday, you will be able to participate in different local customs. In summer, you will sate your appetite for cherries and exchange conversations with the locals.
Take a walk in the alleys of the Meronas village and admire the traditional architecture with Venetian elements, but don’t forget to make a stop and cool off with a tin scoop at one of the two fountains of the village, the Pagkaliani with seven hydrants and Mesochoriani with three.
It would be also a shame not to visit at least one of the 20 caves of the Meronas area, with the Mygiospilio standing out, where, according to a myth, the ceremonies of Curetes took place among the rocks. It was also an important shelter during the various revolutions on the island.
Finally, near the village of Meronas there is an eco-tourist camp with a variety of nature activities.
