Margarites is a hilltop village in the Rethymno region of Crete where potters still make and sell their work from studios lining its steep little streets. It is about half an hour inland from Rethymno, free to park and wander, and it gave us one of the loveliest afternoons we have had on the island.
I went expecting a few pottery shops. I came away with sore calves, a full camera roll and a bunch of new cat friends.
Where is Margarites and how do you get there?
Margarites sits on a hill east of Rethymno, with the mountains of central Crete rising behind it, and the easiest way to reach it is by car. You park at the bottom of the village and walk up. It is a reasonably steep climb on stone paving, so I’d advise wearing proper shoes and taking water if you are visiting on a warm day.
The village unfolds slowly as you go, one studio doorway, one courtyard and one view at a time, and despite my family’s wishes, I refused to be rushed!
Why is Margarites famous for pottery?
Margarites has been a pottery village since the medieval period, and today it is home to a cluster of working studios where the makers sell directly from their own workshops. Historically, its potters loaded their wares onto pack animals and travelled across central and western Crete selling them, competing with the potters of Thrapsano as they went.
The traditional trade faded in the 1960s, when plastic and metal replaced the old clay vessels in Cretan kitchens. From the 1980s a new generation of potters revived it, and that revival is what you walk through today: some studios making the traditional terracotta shapes, others glazing in every blue you can imagine. One studio at the top of the hill displayed their superb collection of contemporary but also very usable ceramics in the most gorgeous bright glazes. I could imagine them showcased in Heal’s or an upmarket interiors shop on the King’s Road.
What I loved most is that the person behind the counter is very often the person who made the piece. In several studios you can see the wheel turning in the back room while you browse.
What will you see on the walk up?
The first place we came to, Olga Dandolou Ceramics, had rows of freshly thrown bowls drying in the sun on stone steps. The unfired clay is a soft grey, and seeing dozens of identical bowls lined up in neat rows, waiting for the kiln, was one of my favourite moments of the whole trip. It is the part of the process you never see when you buy a finished piece.
A little further on, we passed a house where an enormous delivery of clay had just arrived in big bags, piled up outside the front door like a builder’s order of sand. It made the whole village feel like a place that works for a living rather than a museum of itself.
Then the pots themselves. Giant pithoi, the traditional Cretan storage jars, stand on garden walls with domed lids on top, and old amphorae balance on rooftops against the blue sky. One corner building, painted a buttery yellow with a curved balcony, had ceramic bowls, lanterns, fish and suns cascading down its wall onto the pavement. Elsewhere there were jugs on a wheeled trolley in every shade from white to deep cobalt, and terracotta basins piled high with mugs at three euros each.
The pierced ceramic lanterns were everywhere, in white, terracotta and speckled blue, alongside hanging jellyfish made from glazed clay with trailing woollen tentacles. In one studio I filmed a table of hand painted bowls and cups decorated with simple blue flowers and spirals, next to platters painted with bright red fish.
Where can you eat in Margarites?
The tavernas along the climb have some of the most epic views over the Cretan countryside I have seen, which makes Margarites a perfect place to stop for lunch or simply a cold drink halfway up. Most have terraces looking out over olive groves rolling away towards the hills.
Are there really cats everywhere in Margarites?
Yes, and as a family this was very nearly the highlight. Local cats lounge in doorways, sit beneath the potted plants outside the tavernas and supervise the studios.
My daughter Darcy lost her heart to a soft little white kitten and we had to coax her away more than once. Meanwhile three tabbies had descended on one table of diners who, frankly, had brought it on themselves by feeding them titbits from their plates. The cats knew exactly what they were doing, but so, I suspect, did the diners.
We stopped to greet every single cat, which added a good hour to the visit.
What should you buy in Margarites, and how do you get it home?
Buy what you love and can carry. Small pieces such as cups, bowls and lanterns travel well in hand luggage wrapped in clothes, and most makers will wrap your purchase for you. For larger pieces, ask the studio whether they ship, as many are used to sending work abroad.
Everything I bought came from Olga Dandolou, the potter whose bowls we had seen drying in the sun on the way in, which made it feel all the more special to take her work home. First, a pottery bowl woven like a basket, in a colour somewhere between sky blue and pale turquoise, with a splatter glaze across it. I could simply not leave it behind. Then a handful of little oval serving dishes, perfect for canapés or crisps when people come round, which I bought to give as gifts. And finally a pair of pottery candlesticks, because I can rarely resist a pair of colourful candlesticks.
I could have walked away with far more. I was tempted to buy a bundle to resell, but between the suitcase weight allowance and the question of import taxes, which is a ball game I’m not ready to play yet, I kept it to what I could carry.
Turn every piece over before you buy it. Many Margarites potters sign or stamp the base, and that mark is what tells a future owner where it came from. Spending my working life with old ceramics, I find it lovely to think that today’s handmade jug from a Cretan hillside is tomorrow’s vintage find at a British auction.
How do you style Cretan pottery at home?
Treat it as you would any good handmade or vintage ceramic: give it room, mix it with older pieces, and use it. A terracotta jug filled with branches brings Mediterranean warmth to a British kitchen in October, while those sea blue glazes sit beautifully alongside blue and white transferware on a dresser. Pierced lanterns are made for candlelit autumn evenings, casting tiny constellations across the wall.
Frequently asked questions
Is Margarites worth visiting?
Yes. It is one of the best places in Crete to see traditional pottery being made and to buy directly from the potters, and the village itself is beautiful, with tavernas offering wonderful views.
How long do you need in Margarites?
Allow two to three hours to walk up through the village, browse the studios and stop for lunch or a drink. Longer if you have cat lovers in your party.
Can you watch the potters at work in Margarites?
Often, yes. Many studios have their workshop on site, and you may see potters at the wheel or pots drying in the sun outside.
Is Margarites suitable for families?
Yes. Children love the colour, the cats and the sheer quantity of trinkets to buy, though the walk up from the car park is steep, so it is not ideal for pushchairs.
How far is Margarites from Rethymno?
Margarites is about half an hour’s drive east of Rethymno, and makes an easy half day trip.
Bring a little of Margarites home
If this has left you longing for more clay in your life, have a look at the vintage and antique ceramics in our collection, each one chosen for its colour, character and the story it carries. Browse studio pottery at The Blue Loft
Until next time,
Anna x
Founder of The Blue Loft
