RETHYMNO

Rethymno is the capital of the county of Rethymno on the north coast of Crete. In the old town, you can roam around the city and observe the Venetian and Othoman preserved elements, such as old manor entrances and wooden Turkish balconies (kiosks). As the old town isn't very big, in two hours you will have covered most of it's alleys.


Some of the main sightseeing are:

-The Venetian harbor, filled with fishing boats and lined with taverns. It's lighthouse is a more recent addition, built by the Egyptian conquerors.

-The Venetian fortress or Fortezza, the citadel of the city, is a well preserved fort built by the Venetians on the old Byzantine one. According to one theory, the hill on which the Fortezza is built was once, in a time lost in the mists of history, an island joined to Crete by a narrow strip of land. Over the centuries the channel silted up and the hill became part of the Cretan mainland. It houses the modern theater of the city, small churches and an Othoman mosque and warehouse. Fortezza offers panoramic views of the city, of the coast on the west and of the White mountains.

-The Nerantze mosque or Gazi Hussein Mosque, was a Venetian church dedicated to Santa Maria and later on, it became an Augustinian Monastery. However, when the Turks dominated the town in 1657, their leader, Gazi Hussein Pasha, turned it into a mosque with the highest minaret in town.

-The Rimondi fountain, built in 1626 during the Venetian rule. Named after the Venetian governor of the period, A. Rimondi, it continually threw water from three springs that had the form of lion heads and provided an important water source for the inhabitants of the Old Town.

-The Loggia of Rethymno used to be the meeting place of the noble people of the town to discuss economic and political issues. It also acted as a hosting place for many business and entertainment activities of the Venetians.

-The Guora Gate (Porta Guora or Grand Gate) is the main entrance of the old Venetian city walls that protected the city of Rethymno. The gate was built in the years of Rector Rettore Jocopo Guoro (1566-1568). It is 2,60 m. wide, built with carved stones with skew acnes, creating a semicircular arc on the top.



Must do:

-Visit the traditional phylo pastry workshop of Yiorgos Hatziparaskos in Vernardou str. 30

-Visit the open market area on Thursdays (4 Martyrs sq.) and Saturdays (near the bus station)

-Stroll along the beach of Rethymno on the 3 kilometers long pedestrian road



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BEACHES

The province of Rethymno hosts some of the most special coasts of the island. The busier beaches can be found on the north coast, parts of which have been highly developed. You’ll find wilder scenery, quieter beach villages and much less tourist development on the south coast of Rethymno. Naturally, by having your own car, your exploration chances will broaden significantly.


Some of them on the north coast are:


-Episkopi beach is bounded on the west by the river Mouselas and west by the river that runs in the gorge of Petres and the beaches of Petres. It is a long beach, 3.5km long, which is sandy, shallow and mostly wavy, like most beaches in North Crete. It is well organized, since there are many hotels, restaurants, taverns, bars and all the amenities one could need

-The sandy beach of Rethymno is located just 1km east of the city centre, next to the Venetian port. It's a lovely beach with golden sand and crystal clear shallow waters, very well organized and close to all amenities of the city.

-Bali has four beaches, which are formed in sandy coves with nice greenish waters. The beaches are almost always calm, since the direction of Bali is western. They all are suitable for children and well organized. Moreover, water is cool because of the several springs that carry fresh water into the sea.

-Spilies or “Tou Maliou to Riaki” (i.e. Maliou stream) is located 15km east of Rethymnon city, in a quiet area, just a few kilometers east of Skaleta and west of Geropotamos. It is quite unknown to most visitors, though it is very close to the highway that connects Heraklion and Rethymno. It is formed in a small rocky bay with a pebbly beach and crystal clear deep waters, protected by vertical cliffs.



Some on the south coast are:

-Preveli beach, below the graphic Preveli monastery, is certainly the most famous beach in southern Crete, accepting thousands of visitors every summer. During the 60s and 70s, it was a favorite destination for hippies. On the banks of the river there is a large colony of Theophrastus palm trees, which give the region a sense of an African landscape.

-Ammoudi is a beach complex located 32km south of Rethymno and 4km east of Plakias. To get here, you have to drive by paved road from the village Lefkogia.

-Skinaria beach (or Shinaria) is located 33km south of Rethymno, 3km south of the village Lefkogia, in the east part of the wider Plakias area. The beach is relatively unknown to most locals, but for its few visitors it remains a heaven and some of them regard it as one of the best beaches of Crete.

-Agios Pavlos sandhills is one of the best kept secrets in Rethymno aside from Akoumiani Gialia or more popularly known as Triopetra beach to tourists and locals alike. It is considered as among the best beaches in Crete.

-Ligres is located 51km south of Rethymno and 7km south of the village Kerames, at the foot of the imposing mount of Siderotas. It is actually the northbound part of the beachfront called Akoumiani Gialia.

-Korakas beach:At the exit of the river that runs in the canyon of Rodakino, 2km south of the village, there are many beautiful and tranquil beaches. To visit them you should take the road that leads to Korakas. Despite the fact that it has a great beachfront, Rodakino is not highly developed and still retains its traditional character and harmony.

-Agia Galini is one of the most popular seaside resorts of southern Rethymnon, situated next to the exit of the Amarianos River, 61km south of Rethymno city and 68km southwest of Heraklion. This small town is bustling with life during the summer months and provides all the necessary touristic amenities.




Source:
https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/beaches-of-crete/central-crete-beaches-rethymnon

Places to eat

The old town of Rethymno has to offer many places with a good genuine taste. According to the locals, the places for eating fall into four categories. Restaurants. Then taverns, with simpler food and environment. Then kafeneia (coffee places), mainly where locals have a drink and order small mezes. Finally cook houses, where one can grab a homemade quality meal.


Some recommended restaurants are:


-Thea Thalassa,simple tastes, mainly sea food, fair portions, nice environment
-Agrimia, cretan dishes, a bit more elevated, sea food, very centrally
-Raki Baraki, local eclectic dishes from good raw materials
-Pigadi, qualitative family restaurant
-Prima Plora, mainly sea food, very good quality, at the edge of town
-La Boheme, with Italian and Greek cuisine


Recommended taverns:


-Asteras kafeneio, in the Sohora square, beloved by locals
-Knossos taverna, on the Venetian port, by the water
-Nyn kai Aei, a family tavern
-Drimos tavern, near St. Anthony's gorge, 18km out of Rethymno
-Patsos tavern, near Patsos gorge, 22km out of Rethymno
-Moschovolies, at Meronas village, 30km out of Rethymno
-Taverna Babis, at Kournas village, 28km out of Rethymno
-Athivoles, at Chromonastiri village, 9km out of Rethymno


Recommended Kafeneia:

-To gnosto simeio
-Chalikouti
-Arambas
-Platanos kafeneio
-Manelis
-The Café in the Prefecture


Recommended cook houses and street food:

-Stella's kitchen***
-Samaria
-Maria's home cooking
-To Sefteri
-Souvlaki Nikos***, for pita souvlaki
-Ta Gourounakia, for pita gyros
-Sintrofi, grilled dishes and pita souvlaki
-BarBQ, for pita souvlaki
-Plateia, for pita gyros
-Wok Spot, noodle bar
-Hodogkas, hot dog


Recommendations for breakfast:

-Pantermo, pirate deli
-Sweet Break, juices & breakfast located in a lovely square
-Meli Melo, for loukoumades
-Le Jardin, café inside the public garden
-Kookoo, for brunch
-Barrio, for brunch

MUSEUMS

As many civilizations have passed from Crete, the visitors can gather valuable information the museums of Rethymno have to offer. From findings, interesting presence starts from the neolithic age. Though most of the museums are not as big as others, in all oh them one can observe pieces from the first societies present in the island and the footprint of it's multiple conquerors.
(Minoans > Greeks > Romans > Byzantines > Venetians > Arabs > Othomans > Nazi Germans)


Museums in town:


-Historical and Folk-Art Museum of Rethymnon, 90m from the hotel

-Archeological Museum of Rethymnon, 200m from the hotel

-Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete, 300m from the hotel

-Paleontological Museum of Rethymnon, 800m from the hotel

-Stagakis Cretan Lyra Workshop and Museum, 600m from the hotel



Museums out of town:


-Museum of Ancient Eleftherna***, 23km out of Rethymno

-Military Museum of Chromonastiri, 9km out of Rethymno

-Arkadi Monastery, 20km out of Rethymno

-Preveli Monastery Museum, 35km out of Rethymno



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Excursions

East of Chania and west of Heraklion, Rethymno is often chosen in Crete for it's "strategical" point by those who love exploring. Despite of saving a lot of road time, Rethymno has many valuable day trips and excursions to offer inside it's county. It’s a great idea to rent a car and explore on your own, but organized tours can be a great solution for a more relaxing experience.


-Argyroupoli, Ancient Lappa, Cretan Gastronomy Center: Argyroupoli village is located 21 km away from Rethymnon town. It is a traditional village famous for its springs. It has vast vegetation, small waterfalls, and small springs. There are a lot of restaurants serving a very tasty lamb called “antikristo”. Near the village lies ancient Lappa, a town in ancient Crete. It is famed also for The Church of the Holy Five Virgins that is carved into one of the many Roman tombs in the area.

-Arkadi monastery: Located 23 km away from the town of Rethymnon, it is one of the most important historic monuments in Crete. During the revolution of 1866-1869, 943 Greeks, mostly women and children, decided to sacrifice themselves by blasting the powder keg, instead of surrendering to the Turks, after a three days battle.

-Margarites: A stunning destination, filled with character and history that is well worth a visit. Explore pottery workshops, village cafés, and the range of local churches here including the Renaissance church of Archangel Michael, Agios Ioannis, and the monastery of Christ the Saviour and Agios Gedeon.

-St. Anthony's gorge: A cool place of peace and tranquility sits 18km from Rethymno. Be sure to have your trainers or hiking boots on to fully explore here as you’ll be crossing quaint wooden bridges, climbing rickety wooden ladders, and scrambling over rocks to reach the hidden caves and waterfalls. If you only packed flip-flops you can still visit to admire the view from the start of the trail and see the church built into the rock face.



Gorges:


-The gorge of Myloi located near Rethymno is an easy one hour walk through a green gorge. The gorge starts at "Chromonastery" and ends up at the village "Xiro Chorio". There is a small river in the gorge and the deserted traditional "Myloi" village, where one can see samples of traditional architecture, old churches and caves. The Byzantine church of Saint Antonios is near "Myloi".

-The gorge of Prasses starts south from the village "Prasses". It offers a three-hour walk through spectacular rocks. Some parts are difficult to access, making the walk even more interesting. It ends up at the village "Platania", located in the northeast seaside of the city of Rethymno

-The gorge of Patsos is easy to access and it is an excellent destination for small excursions and picnics since it combines swimming and walking. It takes three hours to cross the the green gorge and in some parts you have go through the water. The marked path is lost towards the end but if you continue walking, you will reach the village "Myrthios".

-The Arcadian gorge starts at the Arcadi Monastery and ends up at the village "Pikri" through a beautiful walk where the visitor can admire important remains of Venetian architecture.



Caves:


-The cave of Melidoni is located approximately 1,800 meters northwest of the homonym village Melidoni of Mylopotamos, at an altitude of 220m and on the south side of Kouloukonas Mountain.

-Sfentoni cave in Rethymno prefecture is located 1 km to the northeast of Zoniana , at site Myronos, on the southern slopes of Chalepa.

-Ideon Andron is a cave in Rethymno prefecture on the eastern slope of Mount Psiloritis at an altitude of 1.530 meters, 74 km far from the city of Rethymno.