Hotel

ROLITHOS is a small charming, picturesque village near Heraklion. It is situated 11 kilometers outside Heraklion, following the old way to Rethimnon.

t is a village, which has ragged grandeur of wild mountains as a background. This, along with the wild carob trees, the lentisks, the gorse, the vineyards and olive groves of Crete constitute a picture of AROLITHOS. It is a village with cobbled streets and with houses, which have tiled roofs and terrace. Its architecture is genuine Cretan whilst the materials are also genuine old. AROLITHOS reminds our visitors how Crete was several years ago.

n the village work some genuine craftsmen and Cretan artisans, such us the ironsmith, the potter, the weavers etc. In its workshops one meets Cretan craftsmen full of artistry and zest for work. They work with clay, making vases and amphorae which are copies from the archaeological museum of Heraklion. One will hear the sound of the blacksmith's anvil that fills the old with nostalgic memories and teaches the young that once Man used to create using his hands as tools and his imagination for designs. In the shops of AROLITHOS one finds an endless variety of beautiful items of past times. The products are sold at very reasonable and affordable prices for travelers.

t the tavern you may taste not only the Cretan wine and raki but also the Cretan cooking and the bread, baked into our traditional oven. The visitors have the chance to enjoy themselves by taking part to the folklore evening, during which our dance group presents dances from Crete and all over Greece.

At the old coffee shop, the keeper is eager to make the frothy coffee boiled over the ashes and treats one to a drink of "tsikoudia" with some walnuts or roasted chickpeas with artichokes and green broad beans.

In the traditional village AROLITHOS the visitors can also see two traditional houses that display the architecture and the decoration of very old houses of Crete. In the cafeteria you may enjoy your drink by a wonderful side of Crete while breathing the mountain fresh air.

very summer, at the small church of the village many couples decide to join their lives and get married. They follow the Cretan customs and after the ceremony the couple and their quests celebrate till morning!!!

dditionally there are occasions where baptisms take place at the church and small children obtain their name by the Godmother or Godfather.

ROLITHOS is unique in Crete and in whole Greece. Its aim is to show and promote the tradition of Crete to all over the world. A great deal of travelers visit the village of Arolithos every year. They feel that they go back to another word, which is so different from that we live nowadays. Even if AROLITHOS was built some years ago , it looks like an old village so close to the tradition of Crete.

The village of AROLITHOS is a private property which belongs to the family of Mr Saloustros. The word arolithos has been taken from the Cretan vocabulary and it means the big, natural hole on the rock, which keeps the water of the rain. The animals of the mountains and even thirsty people could drink from that.

The village of AROLITHOS has been named like that because it is a place where the tradition and the folklore elements of Crete are gathered, as the water does in the hole.