Rethymnon

Rethymnon is manageable in a way Heraklion is not and Chania is not — not as bustling, not as romantic, but perfectly balanced. The Fortezza looms above the city on a low hill, a 16th-century Venetian fortress that has watched over the town for four and a half centuries. Climb the Fortezza in the late afternoon and sit on the ramparts while the sun sinks into the Cretan Sea and the Old Town spreads out below like a red-tiled map. The Old Town itself is a grid of narrow streets so perfectly preserved that it feels like a film set, The Rimondi Fountain in the main square, the Venetian Loggia, the Neratze Mosque with its single minaret, the Turkish baths — every building tells a story of conquest and coexistence. The Venetian harbour, with its small fishing boats bobbing at the quay, is the perfect place for an evening ouzo. and the harbour tavernas, several run by third-generation keepers, end the meal with raki and halva. That is Rethymnon in a nutshell: it does not shout. It welcomes.

Rethymnon has been inhabited since the Minoan period, but unlike Heraklion and Chania, it was a relatively minor settlement until the Venetian era. The Venetians captured the area in the early 13th century but did not begin serious development until the 16th century, when they built the Fortezza, largely in the late sixteenth century, to protect the city from Ottoman attacks. The fortress, one of the largest medieval fortifications in the Mediterranean, was built on the site of an earlier Byzantine acropolis and contains within its walls a cathedral, a mosque, a cistern, and the remains of a governor's palace. The Venetian period also saw the construction of the Rimondi Fountain (1626), the Loggia, and the elegant townhouses that still line the streets of the Old Town. In 1646, the Ottomans captured Rethymnon after a brief siege, and the city remained under Ottoman rule for over 250 years. During this period, the Ottomans added minarets to the Venetian churches (the Neratze Mosque, originally a Venetian church, is the most visible example), built the public baths, and established a characteristically Ottoman quarter around the fortress. The city was liberated and united with Greece in 1913. During World War II, Rethymnon was the site of fierce fighting during the Battle of Crete in 1941, and the German occupation left deep scars. The University of Crete was established in Rethymnon in 1973, bringing a young, energetic population that has revitalised the city's cultural life. Today, Rethymnon is one of the best-preserved Renaissance cities in the Mediterranean, with a beautifully restored Old Town that draws visitors from around the world.

Rethymnon has the longest continuous beach in Crete — the 12-kilometre stretch of sand that runs from the city eastward to the resort of Skaleta. The town beach, just west of the Old Town, is wide and sandy with sunbeds, umbrellas, water sports, and a row of beach bars — it gets busy in summer but the water is calm and shallow, ideal for families. The eastern beaches, beyond the town, are quieter: the beaches at Platanes, Adelianos Kampos, and Skaleta are all long, sandy stretches with tamarisk trees providing patches of shade and a string of tavernas serving fresh seafood. For a proper swim away from the resort strip, head to the south coast beaches of Preveli and Agios Pavlos. Preveli (also called Palm Beach) is one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete — a wide crescent of pebbly sand at the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge, with a freshwater river flowing through a native palm forest (Phoenix theophrasti, the Cretan date palm) into the sea. Agios Pavlos, further west, is a wild beach with dramatic limestone cliffs and crystal-clear water, popular with naturists and those who want to escape the crowds entirely. For a sunset swim, the beach at Georgioupolis, about 25 km west of Rethymnon, offers a long stretch of sand at the mouth of the Almyros River, with a small lake and a backdrop of the White Mountains.

Rethymnon's cuisine is robust, mountain-influenced cooking from the fertile valleys and high plateaus of central Crete. The signature dish of the region is gamopilafo (literally "wedding pilaf") — a creamy rice dish slow-cooked in lamb or goat broth, flavoured with lemon and black pepper, served with tender pieces of slow-braised meat. The dish is traditionally prepared for weddings and festivals, but it appears on taverna menus across the region. Another Rethymnon classic is katsikaki stamnakorizo — young goat slow-cooked with rice, wild greens (horta), and a splash of lemon in a clay pot. The cheese culture in Rethymnon is dominated by graviera (the hard, nutty cheese aged in caves around the Mount Ida region) and the soft, tangy xinomyzithra. The olive oil from the valley of Amari, south of Rethymnon, is considered some of the finest in Crete — fruity, peppery, and bright green when freshly pressed. The seafood on the north coast is excellent: grilled octopus, fried calamari, and the local fish — barbouni (red mullet) and tsipoura (sea bream) — simply grilled with olive oil and lemon. For dessert, try the local kalitsounia — small cheese pies made with mizithra and drizzled with honey, or the traditional xerotigana — thin, fried pastry sheets rolled into coils and drizzled with honey and chopped walnuts. And for a drink, order a glass of raki (tsikoudia) — the Cretan pomace brandy, served chilled, always accompanied by a small plate of olives or cheese.

Rethymnon is at its best in spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October). The temperatures are warm but not oppressive (22–28 °C), the sea is calm and swimmable, and the Old Town is pleasant to walk without the summer crowds. Summer (July to August) is hot (30–36 °C) and the beaches are crowded, but the evening breeze off the sea makes the Old Town comfortable after dark. Winter (November to February) is mild (10–16 °C) and quiet — many hotels close, but the city has a peaceful, authentic character and the mountain villages behind Rethymnon are covered in green.

Rethymnon has no airport of its own: the town lies between Crete's two international airports, roughly 60 km by road from Chania (CHQ) and 80 km from Heraklion (HER), with KTEL buses on both routes taking about an hour and a half. Rethymnon does have its own port at Skaleta, east of the Venetian harbour, but ferry services are seasonal rather than dependable — Sea Jets runs summer sailings from Piraeus and from Cyclades ports such as Santorini and Mykonos. Most visitors therefore arrive through Chania or Heraklion and drive or take a bus across the island.

The Fortezza is best visited in the late afternoon, when the light is golden and the heat has faded — the view of the sunset from the ramparts is one of the best in Crete. The Old Town is compact and walkable; the main entrance is through the Porta Guora on the eastern side. The Venetian harbour is the most atmospheric place for an evening meal, but the prices are higher than the tavernas on the streets just inland — walk one block back from the water for better value. The municipal beach is free and well maintained, with public showers and changing rooms. For Preveli Palm Beach, drive to the Monastery of Preveli, then walk 1.5 km down the path to the beach — the walk is steep but the view from the clifftop is spectacular. The beach is pebbly, so wear water shoes. The bus from Rethymnon to the Arkadi Monastery takes about 40 minutes; the monastery is open from 9 am to 7 pm in summer (shorter hours in winter). The olive oil from the Amari valley is available at the farmers' market (laiki agora) on Saturday mornings in the square behind the Neratze Mosque. And one more thing: the locals in Rethymnon are rightly proud of their raki — when a taverna owner offers you a glass at the end of a meal, accept it, raise it, and say "stin ygeia mas" (to your health).