Vathiako is a small mountain village just north of the seaside resort of Agia Galini. It can be reached from the exit on the route from Timbaki to Agia Galini, if you take the exit on your right hand side just before the village of Apodoulou. Vathiako is just a small village consisting of a handful of houses and a farm. There are a little over ten people living here. In the village is the Byzantine Agios Georgios church, which is indicated by a sign that you can see from the road. The church is on the right hand side of the road if you come from Apodoulou and it is visible from there. An unpaved road about 50 meters long leads to the church.

Apodoulou is situated in a beautiful green nature area, with many tall plane trees, olive trees and fruit trees. Many of the houses are abandoned and have fallen apart. There is a kafenion, a small supermarket and a war memorial to commemorate the victims of the First and Second World War. In the village a sign points to a Minoan villa which is located near the village. Among other things inscriptions were found in the Minoan language and a small golden axe. 400 Meters north of the village a Minoan tomb was found with four sarcophagus. These are now exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Rethimnon.

The church of Agios Georgios is quite severely damaged. On the outside this is not so obvious, but if you are inside the church you will see huge cracks in the walls everywhere. Inside the church there fairly well preserved frescoes can be seen from all kinds of biblical performances. These frescoes originate from the first of the twelfth century. During the time of the Turkish occupation the area of Vathiakos and the Messara plain were very important, and the Turks built fortresses here in various places. One of these forts (or what remains of it) lies just south of the village of Vathiako.