Rethymno

Rethymno combines rarely united features: the old town's charm and history, with proximity to a long sandy beach.

You can enjoy arriving by ferry from Piraeus (Anek Lines www.anek.gr) and be "right there" close to the centre of the Old Town, just a 5 minute walk away from the centre. There are two sides to Rethymno offering two styles of visit: the endless big beach hotel strip that stretches from the east end of Rethymno, lapping up the coastal "villages" and - the Rethymno that allows you the character of the old town with its mix of architecture and history, cultural influences and styles ranging from Venetian to Ottoman empire. We present the second and more romantic choice - leaving the all-inclusive beach and booze tours to others.

Rethymno’s harbour area is a fine place for a coffee at one of the cafes and perhaps you will chance to eat there, just for the atmosphere. There is much to see and enjoy, no shortage of other places of great character to stroll, stop in cafes, eat and generally enjoy the enormous amount Rethymno offers you. The Fortreza dominates the city and makes Rethymno very photogenic, its pedestrian streets below, strewn with charming old buildings. Venetian influences abound and the minarets and domed mosques remind of the Turkish influence long gone. Numerous shops for souvenirs , trendy fashion or imaginative jewellery...the old and the modern combine to make a colourful and buzzing town. Venturing outside the town, some days you will visit dramatic gorges, monasteries, time-trodden villages with ancient churches, the south coast Libyan sea, spectacular mountains of Psiloritis and the White Mountains.

Rethymno provides you an advantageous pivotal point on the island, allowing you to range across the centre of Crete and have enough to discover for weeks! Rethymno's convenient aspect is that it is nearly equidistant from both main airports, Chania and Heraklion .Ferries sail into Rethymno from Athens port (Piraeus) daily.

By car, we recommend approaching Rethymno along the coast taking the western-most exit from the New National Road.