Travel Eye on Rethymnon (Crete)

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Overview:

Rethymnon is mostly associated as a university town, and the island's third largest, it is thought of locally as the intellectual centre of Crete. A place fashioned by a history of turbulent upheaval, it offers an interesting mixture of ancient and modern, meeting the demands of today's tourism with charm and elegance.

The old town, measuring a compact ¾ ml E to W and ½ ml N to S, shows signs of its Venetian inheritance in its stone archways and fountains but principally in the remains of an extensive 16th-century fortress, which dominates the area and looks out over the bustling waterfront with its palm-lined promenade and bright, multicoloured boats.

There is also a definite Eastern flavour, a legacy of the Turkish occupation of the island, with 3 mosques, including the Neratzes Mosque with its towering minaret, and the wooden Turkish balconies on many of the houses. Beyond the centre, tourist development has extended along the coast on both sides of the town, particularly to the E, where it has incorporated smaller village resort areas. Anyone could be forgiven for mistaking the hugely popular package tour resort town of Rethymnon for a sort of Cretan-inspired theme resort, but the best thing about the town is that its picturesque historic heart is actually genuine.

The old town is just that, old, its winding alleys overhung with pretty wooden flower-bedecked balconies flaunt historic Venetian and Turkish architectural influences. Fortunately a recent mad spate of tourist development has left the old town untouched, so it can now delight the many snap-happy visitors and serve as a bustling venue for tavernas, restaurants and souvenir shops. To the east is one of Crete's longest sandy beaches, which has become the target of developers and is lined with apartment blocks and hotels. 

Locality:

About midway along Crete's N coast. 12 mls E of Georgioupolis. 50 mls W of Heraklion and its airport. 40 mls SE of Chania and its airport. Faces N on a promontory jutting into a small bay. The fertile Amari Valley and Nida Plateau stretch out behind, with olive groves, forests and agricultural plastic greenhouses, and the town is bounded by the rocky mountains which characterise the region.

Entertainment/Attractions/Things to do:

Long, curved stretches of good, wide sand and some shingle, fronting the promenade and stretching for around 12 mls to the E of town; said to be some of the best in Crete, bathing is good and generally safe with most water sports available. Beaches have plenty of loungers and parasols, and usually a public-access snack bar provided by beachfront hotels and apartment blocks. A rocky coastline to the W with some strong currents. Good restaurants with excellent (but not always cheap) seafood around the harbour. Many local-style tavernas and restaurants at the hotels.

The inner harbour sports an array of touristy restaurants and fish tavernas, many of which are expensive for what they are; the Samaria taverna and O Zefyros are more reasonably priced and two of the best here. Better value can be found in the streets around the Rimóndi fountain where there are some old-fashioned cafes serving local fare including delicious helpings of traditional yoghurt and honey. These include Kyria Maria, Agrimia and Zanfoti Kafenío, all overlooking the fountain.

In the daytime beach and water based activities including water-skiing, diving and windsurfing. Many visitors enjoy exploring the town, taking in the fortress, mosques, churches and archaeological museum. A wine festival is held at the City Park every July.

Excursions are easily made to Heraklion, Hania or the monastery of Arkadhi. Something for most visitors, whether seeking history and culture, top-of-the-range luxury or basic accommodation and the beach. A good base for exploring W Crete. Very good choice of hotels in all classes, along with some holiday complexes and apartments. Frequent bus services to neighbouring resorts, Chania, Heraklion and Aghios Nikolaos, which makes exploring relatively simple. A minitrain runs around Platanes and town-centre seafront areas. Ferries to mainland Greece and some smaller islands. Many car- and bike-hire outlets.

Night time boasts a good selection of bars (some with music), tavernas, discos and bouzouki nightclubs, concentrated at the harbour and in the old town.
Daily boat excursions are the latest activity in Rethymnon, taking tourists to the beautiful beaches at Bali or Marathi, and include lunch at a local taverna with unlimited wine. Evening cruises are also a popular activity.