The Cave of Melidoni or Gerontospilios is located approximately 1,800 meters northwest of the homonym village of Mylopotamos, at an altitude of 220m and on the south side of Kouloukonas Mountain. Gerontospilios, as also called, is very important due to the archaeological findings, some of which are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Rethymnon. Apart from its archaeological significance, the cave is of great historical importance, since it is connected to one of the greatest tragedies in Greek history. In October 1823, 340 women and children and 30 men from Melidoni village found refuge in the cave, in order to escape the Turkish army. When Hussein Beis discovered their hiding place, he encircled the cave with his army and asked the Cretans to surrender and they refused. So, Hussein Beis decided to block the entrance of the cave with branches and other flammable materials and then he set fire. All the women, children, and men died from asphyxiation caused by smoke.

A family modern olive oil factory, which is located in Melidoni, Municipality of Mylopotamos, was established in 1991. It is a one-of-a-kind olive oil factory, with state-of-the-art facilities. In our olive oil factory, every olive harvest approximately 400 tons of olive oil is produced. The technology, the know-how, and the strict specifications allow us to have high-quality results. The taste, the aroma, and the golden-green color olive oil we produce put us in first place in reference to our customers.

At the foot of Psiloritis Mountain, following the history and the unique natural characteristics of the land, apiθανο was born, where tradition meets today. It started when two childhood friends, Dinos and Christos, decided to unite their passion for their homeland and the bees and offer the best and purest bee products. With the values of quality, purity, and protection of the bees and the planet, we produce products that respect the environment and humans. Thus, we contribute -in our own way- to a better future. We collect our honey from selected areas of Crete which thanks to their rare biodiversity and endemic vegetation, give it a strong aroma and a unique taste.

Stop at a traditional taverna and enjoy traditional lunch prepared by lovely Katerina