Rethymno Town

General information

Rethymno Town: Rethymno is the capital and the commercial centre of the prefecture of Rethymno located 80 km east of Heraklion and 60 km west of Chania. It counts on 20,000 inhabitants most of whom are engaged in trade and tourism. As Rethymnon has a university, it stays lively all year round.

The beautiful town of Rethymno stands on the site of the ancient city of Rythimna that many excavations have revealed. The town combines an old time aristocratic appearance with a modern aspect, captivating all visitors with its traditional layout and rich cultural heritage.

The old town is built around the impressive Venetian fortress Fortezza, retains its elegance and unique architecture with the arches, the beautiful churches and the Turkish fountains. Various elements are participating to the charm of this attractive town including the arched doorways, the Hellenic and Roman remains, the municipal gardens and the beautiful Venetian buildings.

The modern town of Rethymno offers a vast range of tourist facilities and lies around the natural bay. There you will find many seaside taverns and restaurants, on the busy waterfront as well as all types of accommodations and local shops.

In the heart of the town lies the picturesque Venetian port, the most romantic spot in Rethymno. Ferries depart for the harbour of Piraeus and the nearby port of Souda. In high season, the streets of Rethymno town thrive with activity from the tourists that arrive from different parts of the world.

The most important sightseeings that visitors shall visit in Rethymno is the Municipal Garden, the Mosques, the Archaeological Museum and the Venetian fortress that dominates the town.

Hotels in Town

We have made a selection of the best hotels in Town.
Recommended by Greeka

Nautilux

Luxury

Nautilux is a luxurious five-star hotel that showcases rooms and suites with modern furnishing, refreshing pools, all-inclusive restaurant facilities, a full-fledged spa, and access to the nearby Rethymnon Beach.

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Recommended by Greeka

Thalassa Boutique

3 stars

Welcome to an exclusive beachfront experience in the heart of Réthymno city. Thalasses Boutique Hotel is situated in building with 150 years of history, fully renovate from the ground up in 2017 just to redefine the level of comfort and customer service.

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Recommended by Greeka

Casa Moazzo

4 keys

Casa Moazzo' s mission is the provision of luxury hospitality, under the auspices of the recently renovated premises, strongly preserving the historical Venetian Cretan element. Casa Moazzo' s goal is to immerse its visitors in the spirit of the town & its outstanding natural surroundings; to ...

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Things to See & Do in Town

Check out the things to see & do in Town during your stay and explore what the area has to offer.

Town Map

Explore our interactive map of Town.

Reviews

4.5/5.0
4 Reviews
  • olli.lampinen 19 Sep 2012
    Great historical monument
    I visited the Venetian Fortress in Rethymno at date 10.04.2012 together with my wife. The Fortezza is built close to the sea on a low hill. The name of the hill is Paleokastro, which means old castle. This Fortezza was built between 1540 and 1570 by the Venetian maritime power as a bulwark against Turkish pirates. The Old Fortress is a significant historical monument. It shows the difference over centuries. This beautiful Fortress is a fusion of medieval European and Moorish architecture. The Fortezza is visible from every part of the Old Town and in the nights with lights it is very fine. Inside of the Fortezza we saw Venetian walls, Turkish mosques and Greek churches. The view is amazing. It is very pretty and impressive to all different directions. Our visit to this historical place was very interesting. If you visit Rethymno, go to this place you will like it.
  • olli.lampinen 14 Sep 2012
    Fine city much history

    I have visited Crete 12 times and have always been living in the nice city of Rethymno. My last visit, together with my wife, was in April 2012. The city is full of beautiful buildings and there is a unique and attractive atmosphere. The local people are very friendly and they meet you always in a nice way. The 20 km long sand beach is fantastic. You can go there for hours and swim if you want. The Old Town of Rethymno is very nice. There are hundreds of small shops and restaurants. At some points the streets are very narrow leading up from the fine old Venetian Harbour. The streets and the buildings have a architectural mix of Venetian and Turkish style. From the big Venetian Fortezza you can have a nice overlook of the city and the panoramic view of the sea. We were visiting many nice villages close to Rethymno. A fine place was the village of Spili 30 km south from Rethymno. We were also visiting the Arkadi Monastery. Arkadi is nowadays a museum. There is much of history behind Arkadi. We went also to the nice Agia Irini Monastery 5 km to south east from Rethymno. This monastery with 8 nuns was a very nice place with a fine garden. On a distance of some kilometers from Rethymno is a War Museum. We went there and saw the collections of weapons, uniforms, tanks and aircrafts. Go there if you visit Rethymno, it is a very intresting museum. In the evenings you can walk at the nice Beach Road and went in to a restaurant for a cup of coffe and listening on good music. We will go back to Rethymno, it is a very nice place. If you travel to Crete go to Rethymno I am sure that you will like this place.


  • fedoarv 10 Dec 2011
    Unique historic town
    As much as I love Crete from the people to their whole way of life, I have to say that Rethymnon Town is definitely the winner. I was there two years ago visiting a friend, I stayed for a week only to realize that this is the perfect place to stay. The town is loud, actually vibrant is the right word to say with quiet alleys and picturesque corners. At the center, you will see plenty of Venetian buildings and traditional stone houses in the wider area, beautiful taverns hidden in the corner streets and local shops with unique atmosphere.

    Strolling down the streets of the old town in the evening was very relaxing, we heard local people playing the lyra and others singing, one of the most unique aspects of the Cretans. The town has vivid nightlife, bars and clubs are found at the center. For food, I recommend the Lemon Tree Garden, a terrific tavern with beautiful surrounding and authentic Cretan recipes. Don't miss to visit the scenic beaches of Panormos and Agios Pavlos.
  • michelleb 10 Dec 2008
    Many parking problems
    I love Rethymnon town. It is easy to find your way around, lots of shops and historical interests. The down side was having to pay an extortionate amount to park my car in the City. The food in the hotel was not good, I had paid extra per day for either lunch or dinner and it was not nearly worth the money, I would have been better off going elsewhere. Generally I know the City has a lot to offer where local cuisine is concerned and can be found at very reasonable prices. The Irish pub is a must visit place. It is run by a Greek but is a fantastic little place to see although I can not give directions as I just came across it. Sort out the parking arrangements for the city, they sell hourly tickets only in the kiosks and cost 70 cents per hour. Because I was staying at a city hotel I had to get loads of these and display them in my car. A ridiculous system and expensive.

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