Argiroupoli is one of those villages you really want to visit before you leave Crete. It is located 25 km southwest of Rethymno, at an altitude of 260 m, between Mousselas and Petres rivers. Its privileged location next to rivers has given the village its most attractive feature, the 10 Founts of Mousselas River or Agia Dinami (Holy Power). The area owes its exotic character to these waters. Many small waterfalls, wild flora, age-old plane trees, ponds and many streams which once moved watermills (today only one has survived), all are the direct result of Agia Dinami.
In this unique natural environment you will find many taverns and coffee shops to enjoy your food or your coffee. You can also visit the little church of Saint Ioannis which is literally built inside a cave from which water gushes all year long.
The area is mainly characterized by Venetian architecture, while there are several traditional Cretan houses built during the Turkish Domination.
Argiroupoli is built on the ruins of the ancient city of Lappa which has special archaeological interest. The cemetery of Ancient Lappa is preserved in a very good condition. It is located northwest of Argiroupoli, in the area of Pente Parthenes (Five Virgins). There lays the small church of Pente Parthenes which is devoted to five holy women, who lived and martyred during the pogroms of Emperor Dekios at around 250 A.D. according to the local tradition. There are also sculptured graves from the Roman period. The graves reach the gully, where a natural monument of Crete is located: an impressive plane tree aged 2000 years.
