Rethymno, Crete

Let me tell you about…Rethymnon. It’s Crete’s third largest city and a very romantic place! It also perfectly combines the old town’s charm and history with proximity to a long sandy beach. It’s one of the most well-preserved Venetian old towns on the island (though also showing some of its Turkish appearance) as today’s old town was almost entirely built by the Republic of Venice. The 16th-century buildings are stunning and the monolithic Fortezza reflects both European and Moorish influences.

 

 

 

During the day you can explore the magical waterfalls of Argiroupoli, the archaeological site of Eleftherna, and ‘”cave church” of Saint Anthony Gorge. At night you should definitely stroll along the colourful Venetian Harbour and of course indulge in Cretan cuisine and drinks like Graviera cheese, Dakos, Kaltsoúnia, and Raki, rakomelo or local wines. As Crete features over 1.5 million olive trees, no wonder their olive oil flows abundantly.

Magnificent beaches are found along the coasts of Rethymnon, however beaches on the northern side are more organised and popular, while most beaches on the southern side remain untouched. When going to the beach please keep in mind that you might not be the only visitors between June and August: there are turtles too! They lay their eggs in the Rethymnon region during that period.

Finally, Rethymnon is conveniently located at nearly the same distance from both main airports, Chania and Heraklion, and ferries sail into Rethymnon from Athens port (Piraeus) daily.