Fortress
Crete’s third largest city is well worth a visit, not least for the huge and impressive Fortezza (Venetian Fortress), which dominates, but also to explore the back streets of the old town where every nook and cranny is teeming with shops, selling everything from clothes to fridge magnets.
Old Town
Rethymnon old town is fairly compact with most of the sights, hotels, tavernas and shops all wedged in the narrow streets between the Fortress and the harbour with the beach front to the east.
The old houses are particularly well preserved here and you will see Venetian and Ottoman styles, including some very fine examples of the Turkish period, with the characteristic propped wooden upper storey. So when you are walking along Arkadiou look up from the shop fronts and you will see some beautiful buildings and many, many more in the back streets too.
Places of Historical Interest
Apart from the Rimondi Fountain you should also look for the seventeenth century Venetian Loggia and the Nerandzes Mosque. A street plan will help you get your bearings but the area is relatively small so even if you get lost you won’t have walked that far, however, it may feel like you have in the heat of the day!
(you can only get this clear a photo in the winter as normally it is packed out with people)
The Archaeological Museum, which used to be a prison at one time, is worth a visit with some interesting finds from all around the Rethimnon area.
The inner harbour is very picturesque and you will have to run the gauntlet of waiters who work in the waterside fish tavernas trying to get you to come in. Don’t trust them if they offer you free wine, nothing in life is free, they will only add the cost to your meals.
Restaurants
The whole water front harbour and beach area has wall to wall restaurants, so many that it becomes difficult to choose. The ones directly on the harbour tend to be fish restaurants and the ones along the beachfront road range from burger restaurants to cocktail bars.
One restaurant we can recommend is called Achinos, as you walk round the harbour front there is almost a 90 degree bend, the restaurant is almost on the corner. It’s not your ‘run of the mill’ fish restaurant but is a bit more upmarket, with comfortable modern furniture and a wonderful upstairs terrace.
We had the beef carpaccio, €9.50, which just melted in your mouth, Santorini fava beans with roasted onions and Santorini capers, €5, (we have fava most times when we eat out but never like this one) and an Arugula salad – not just any rocket salad as this one had soft mysithra cheese mousse, strawberries in balsamic, lemon sorbet and crispy shredded filo, €6. It may sound weird but it was amazing. All washed down with a lovely bottle of chilled local Rose, €17. Freshly baked bread with finely chopped tomatoes oil and bottled water came to an extra €3.50. I deeply regretted not taking photos of the dishes to share with you but I was too busy eating!!
There are many other restaurants, tavernas, music bars along Elertheriou Venizelou (the road along the beach) where the lines of palm trees give a very exotic feel and plenty of bars selling an amazing array of cocktails.
How to get there
Rethymno is on the north coast of Crete, west of Iraklion and east of Chania. Get onto the highway come off at Spilia junction. Drive down the hill quite a way, past a church on your left then when you get to a large left hand turn where there are 2 tall palm trees on the junction and a sign saying Old Harbour, Bus Station and Parking. Turn left here.
There is a large car park all along the right hand side from where you can walk into the old part of town in 10 minutes but if you want to get closer to the old harbour carry on driving all the way round the old fort, you will see that there is parking on the front all the way to the harbour itself where there is also a car park, it will cost around €6.50 for 6 hours but you will have to get there very early in the morning to get a space.
If you are returning to Chania, when you drive out of Rethymon, you drive up a steep hill and get to a very busy junction. The signpost says Chania turn right. If you actually turn directly right you could end up in Lidl’s car park having to turn round! The road which looks like it’s directly opposite you is a small road which, if you take it, you’ll find runs directly alongside the National Road, we’ve taken this one by mistake but not to worry if you carry on till the end it does allow you to join the National Road. The slip road you actually need is, as you come up to the top of the hill, left and immediately second right. Good luck!
Weblinks
If you do decide to go to Rethymno for the day you might think about adding in a stop at Arkadi Monastery, which is about 15 km south from Rethymnon, or add a visit to either Margeritas Pottery Village or Spilli. Maybe a morning visit to outside Rethymnon and back to the city for late lunch.