Crete · The dichotomy of ancient and modern
Rethymno
Rethymno is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Greece, a Venetian bastion crowned by the mighty Fortezza and threaded with cobbled alleys. We design private Rethymno itineraries that pair the old town with gorges, monasteries and mountain wineries.
Rethymno is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Greece, once a bastion of the Venetians, who left a mighty legacy in the great Fortezza above the harbour.
From Minoan prosperity to Venetian walls
Rethymno’s history reaches back to Neolithic times, with finds from Gerani Cave testifying to its earliest inhabitants. Through the Minoan period the town flourished with the rest of Crete’s cities as trade and culture developed at remarkable speed, until the catastrophic eruption of the Santorini volcano marked the end of that prosperous era. In the centuries that followed, Rethymno passed through the hands of Dorians, Romans, Venetians, Turks and Germans, with the brave Cretans fighting throughout to hold their independence. Today the town maintains its aristocratic character: elegant 16th century buildings line narrow alleys and arched passages, alongside Byzantine monuments, and the Fortezza watches over it all.
Explore Rethymno
Crete’s third-largest city is a honeycomb of cobbled alleyways lined with charming cafes, shops selling local crafts, and restaurants dishing up the best of Cretan eats. Ancient doorways lead to enticing courtyards, churches line pretty plazas, and you should look out for the sachnisia, the wooden balconies of former Ottoman residences. The newer part of town has a vast sandy beach sloping gently into the sea, stretching east toward Panormo. It is this contrast of new and old that makes Rethymno a real winner.
Rethymno Lighthouse
Punctuating the old pier in the Venetian Harbour, the nine metre lighthouse was built in the 1830s, during the brief period when Egypt ruled Crete. It remains the postcard image of the port.
The landscape around Rethymno
Full of beautiful beaches, archaeological sites, Byzantine churches, quaint villages and cosmopolitan resorts, the region of Rethymno is one of the most beautiful corners of Crete.
Monastery of Arkadi
An Eastern Orthodox monastery set on a fertile plateau 23 kilometres southeast of Rethymno. Its current catholicon dates to the 16th century and carries the clear influence of the Renaissance.
Pairing Rethymno
Rethymno sits perfectly between Chania and Heraklion, which makes it both an ideal base and the connective tissue of a full west-to-east Cretan journey.
Known first-hand
Our best picks in Rethymno
- Best Activity Mount Psiloritis
Climb toward the Nida Plateau, some 1,500 metres up, and the Ideon Cave, one of the most important places of worship in Minoan Crete: here, according to the myth, Rhea gave birth to Zeus and fed Kronos a rock in his place.
- Best Sight The Fortezza
The 16th century Venetian fortress at the centre of town, visible from every corner of Rethymno, with centuries of hidden history and panoramic views over the town and the coast stretching west. Well worth the modest entrance fee.
- Best Local Specialty Handmade phyllo pastry
Giorgos Hatziparaschos, the last traditional phyllo master, makes ultra-thin phyllo and kataifi entirely by hand in his workshop at 30 Vernardou Street, open every day since 1958. A piece of living heritage.
- Best Dining Avli
In an enchanting flower-filled courtyard, owner Katerina Xekalou serves exquisite Cretan-inspired dishes, the freshest ingredients in time-honoured recipes and modern creative fusions. Award-winning alchemy.
- Best Daytrip Mili Gorge
Seven kilometres from town, a four kilometre walk through olive groves and citrus trees, along streams that once powered the thirty watermills that gave the Gorge of Mills its name, ending at a taverna renovated by a mill owner's descendant.
- Best Wine Romeiko and Malvasia
Twenty minutes away in the village of Alikampos, a winery in a grove at 450 metres with views from the White Mountains to the Sea of Crete, pouring sundried red Romeiko and aromatic white Malvasia after a tour of vineyard and cellar.
Rethymno sits between Crete's two main airports, Chania (CHQ) and Heraklion (HER), each roughly an hour away by road along the north coast highway.
Design
Design your experience
Tell us the occasion, the season and who is coming. One of our Epicureans will come back with a first sketch of Rethymno, and will tell you if another corner of Greece suits your dates better.