The archaeological site of Ancient Eleftherna located 30 kilometers south of the city of Rethymno, about 15 minutes away from Arkadi Monastery. It is one of the cities of the Dorians after their arrival on the island dating back to the 9th century BC.

It was one of the most important ancient Cretan cities of Crete. It played an important role in the First Cretan War in the 3rd century BC, it was fighiting against the city of Knossos. From the 4th century BC the city had its own currency. Ancient Eleftherna was an important place during the Byzantine period, which was episcopal base where built a church dating back to the 5th century AD and destroyed in the 7th century.

Excavations started here in 1985 with significant findings that show how great and important was the city. In 2010 he was excavated double tomb, which hid more than 3,000 gold leaf for the first time the display of the bee as a goddess. Today thousands of unique and impressive finds are exhibited in the modern museum in the region, impressive due to their elaborate structure and performances that animate the Homeric epics.

You can visit the archaeological site of Ancient Eleftherna through our tour Tour 10 and discover one of the greatest monuments of the island antiquity.