Rethymno Crete Greece
Frequently Asked Questions
By tender. Rethymno has no deep-water terminal: ships anchor offshore and land passengers almost at the foot of the old town. Everything after that starts and ends on foot.
The old lanes and the lighthouse jetty on a short call, the Fortezza and a taverna break on a half day. With a full day, add the beach or an excursion to Arkadi monastery, about twenty kilometres away.
The sixteenth-century Venetian citadel crowning the hill above the rooftops. Its ramparts trace a vast stone star where you wander freely among bastions, powder magazines and a domed mosque left by the Ottoman occupation. The climb takes about ten minutes.
Because Venice governed it for three and a half centuries before the Ottomans. The result shows on every corner: a Venetian facade topped by a Turkish wooden balcony, a church next to a mosque. It is the most coherent old centre in Crete.
The Venetian basin, the most photographed spot in town: an arc of taverns pressed against the water, colourful boats and the jetty leading to the lighthouse. The full circuit takes minutes; early in the morning the place still belongs to the fishermen.
Yes, a long sandy beach starts directly east of the centre, between rows of parasols and family taverns. An hour is enough to dip your feet before reboarding.
Comfortable shoes: the polished pebbles of the lanes are a little slippery underfoot, and the climb to the Fortezza runs over uneven paving.
Kalitsouni, the Cretan pastry filled with mild cheese and drizzled with honey, sold in the bakeries of the centre. Grocers also line up olive oil, raki and natural sponges.
A Venetian fountain with three lion heads, set on a small square in the old centre where terraces compete for shade. It makes a good resting point on the way down from the Fortezza.
The euro and Greek, with English well established in a town used to visitors. Cards work in most shops of the old centre.
