Rethymno

The best way to get to know Rethymno is by strolling around the Old Town. There are reminders of Venetian rule everywhere – the Guora Gate, the 16th-century Loggia where noblemen once gathered, the Rimondi Fountain, and the harbour, dominated by the Fortezza on the headland above. Within the fortress are the remains of a Venetian councillors' residence, the Bishop's Palace and the Ibrahim Khan Mosque – now a venue for concerts and events. The Fortezza is the setting for the annual Renaissance Festival, which brings music, theatre and art to the city each summer.

Other Ottoman-era landmarks include the Neratzes Mosque, with its tall minaret and mausoleums. A lovely place to end your stroll is the palm tree-lined Eleftheriou Venizelou waterfront towards the new marina.

Rethymno also has a well-deserved reputation for its food scene – local cheeses, olive oil, celebrated pastries and sweets – best explored in the lanes around the old harbour, where restaurants occupy restored buildings with small garden courtyards.

And if you're visiting in the weeks before Lent, the Rethymno Carnival – with a history going back over a century – fills the streets with elaborate floats, costumed groups and late-night revelry through the Old Town.

Beyond the city, the region is made for exploring. Excursions south take in some of Crete's most varied scenery – freshwater Lake Kournas, the village of Argyroupoli with its ancient springs and watermills, and the dramatic Kourtaliotiko Gorge as you approach the Libyan Sea. There are hiking paths throughout the region and, inland, the Amari Valley unfolds with olive groves, Byzantine churches and villages like Spili, with its Venetian fountain and unhurried pace. Organised trips inland can include a visit to a mitato (a traditional shepherd's hut) where cheese is still made by hand.

Anogia, on the northern slopes of Mount Psiloritis, is one of Crete’s most rewarding villages to visit. It is the birthplace of Nikos Xylouris, whose lyra playing and singing made him one of the most celebrated Greek folk musicians. Xylouris’ former home is open to visitors and the village still produces singers and lyra players of exceptional quality. Each July, the Lakinthia music festival is held in a stone theatre just outside the village. Anogia is also famous for its weaving tradition with shops selling embroideries and hand-woven textiles. The Anogia Weaving House, restored from a late 1940s workshop, keeps that tradition alive with traditional looms that are still in use.

Arkadi Monastery, around 25km southeast of the city, is one of Crete's most significant historical sites – where in 1866, defenders chose to blow up the powder magazine rather than surrender to Ottoman forces, an act that galvanised international support for Cretan independence.

Rethymno's town beach stretches around 12km east of the old harbour – long, sandy and well-organised, with beach bars, sunbeds and water sports. And along the north coast, the resorts of Bali and Panormos each have their own beaches.

But the most rewarding beach experiences in Rethymno come on the south coast. Plakias has a long sandy beach with a relaxed feel, and nearby Damnoni – set at the edge of a green valley – offers fine golden sand and turquoise water, with quieter coves trailing off to the east. The standout is Preveli, where the Kourtaliotiko Gorge meets the Libyan Sea and a freshwater river spills into a saltwater lagoon fringed by palm trees.

Further east, Triopetra takes its name from three giant boulders rising from the sea. Rarely crowded even in high season, it splits into two stretches – Mikri and Megali – and is one of the most peaceful beaches in the region. Nearby Kalypso is a narrow fjord-like bay with no sand but striking natural rock pools and good diving off the rocks.

For the most out-of-the-way beach day in the region, a boat trip to Chrissi – a protected uninhabited island nine nautical miles into the Libyan Sea – delivers golden sand, cedar forest and water of extraordinary clarity.

Rethymno has a long summer season, with reliable sunshine from May through to October. The most popular months are July and August, so the best time to visit Rethymno can often be May-June and September-October, when the temperature is still hot enough to swim but the city and beaches are quieter. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for visiting the Amari Valley and exploring the slopes of Mount Psiloritis and gorges in the south. The city has a year-round population of locals and students attending the University of Crete. The Rethymno Carnival, held in the weeks before Lent, is a wonderful reason to visit in early spring.

By air

Rethymno has no airport of its own. The closest options are Chania International Airport, around 68km to the west, and Heraklion International Airport, around 79km to the east. Both receive direct flights from Athens and many European cities, particularly during the summer season. Rethymno is around an hour away by car or public bus from either airport.

By ferry

Rethymno has its own port, located next to the Old Town, with direct ferry connections to Piraeus (the port of Athens). Crossings are typically overnight and take around nine to ten hours. In summer, there are also connections to Santorini and other Cycladic islands, around 2.5 hours away by high-speed ferry. If you are arriving via Heraklion or Chania, both cities are well connected to Rethymno by the KTEL bus service or hire car along the north coast highway.

By road

Rethymno sits on Crete's main north coast highway, making it straightforward to reach from either Heraklion (80 km) or Chania (65 km) by car or bus.