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    • Rethymnon Area
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    Rethymnon area Holidays

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    Offering up some of Crete's best beaches, plenty of cosy tavernas, and a heap of ancient sights, a holiday to Rethymnon is the real Greek deal.

    Classic Crete

    Open countryside, hilltop villages, beaches – the Rethymnon area’s got the lot. Most of the action’s strapped to the north coast, where big and little towns cosy up to Blue Flag beaches. There are nearly 20 of them in total, so expert-approved sunbathing’s a cinch. Further inland, the bumpy landscape's spotted with traditional must-sees, like the wine-making village of Archanes and the picturesque Arkadi Monastery.

    Culture and castles

    Rethymnon itself has a bunch of different strings to its bow. It’s punched into the centre of Crete’s north coast, and has a belting sandy beach strung out at its feet. Sunbathing’s just the tip of the sun-soaked iceberg, though, and the town comes into its own when sightseeing talk starts. Potter around the old town’s cobbled streets, and you’ll come across the colossal Venetian fortress, the lion-fronted Rimondi Fountain and a glut of pretty townhouses.

    Gorge on nature

    Crete’s Samaria Gorge is numero uno when it comes to natural scenery, but there’s a lesser-known contender in the Rethymnon area, too. The Kourtaliotiko Gorge features steep craggy cliffsides, with waterfalls, cave-dwelling birds and a cute chapel nuzzled in between. It’s also known by locals as the ‘crackling gorge’, as winds that rush through the canyon create loud clapping and whistling noises.

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    At a glance

    • Visit the waterfalls of Kourtaliotiko Gorge
    • Tuck into meze at a marina-front restaurant
    • Gaze at Rethymnon’s mighty Venetian fortress

    Destinations in Rethymnon Area

    Top Destinations

    • Rethymnon

      Rethymnon holidays are like an ice-cream cone with a double scoop of flavours. One minute you'll get the tang of a beach holiday, and the next you'll taste some of Crete's top historic sites.

    • Panormo

      Panormo holidays have the family-friendly formula sussed. It's nice and quiet, and stocked with a toddler-approved beach.

    • Sfakaki

      Holidays to Sfakaki have got sandy beaches and classic Cretan countryside, plus a sprinkling a local friendliness.

    • Platanes

      Holidays to Platanes are all about kicking back on a golden Greek island beach – and maybe spotting a sea turtle or two.

    Top things to See and Do in Rethymnon area

    • BEACHES
    • SHOPPING
    • NIGHTLIFE
    • FOOD & DRINK
    • Sandy swathes to stony stretches

      With Crete being the largest of the Greek Islands, you’d expect it to deliver on the beach front. And it doesn’t disappoint. The island is edged with sandy sweeps and pebbled bays, and the Rethymnon area has some cracking ones. Most of them tick off things like comfy loungers, watersports and beachfront cafés, but there are also a handful of quieter coves where you can escape the crowds.

    • The big beach

      Topping the list when it comes to popular patches is Rethymnon Beach. If you like your beaches supersized, this one will do nicely – it stretches out for more than 12 kilometres. Thanks to its town centre location it gets pretty busy, but if you want a little more elbow room, just head towards the west end where things are a bit quieter. Facilities-wise, this place has everything you could need – loads of sunbeds, watersports galore and enough tavernas to keep you fed all summer.

    • The secret beach

      On the other hand, head for Gerani Beach if quiet coves are more your thing. It’s a pebbled beach in an off-the-beaten-track spot about 10 minutes’ drive from Rethymnon. You’ll find a few parasols and a little taverna dishing up drinks and snacks, but other than that it’s a pretty back-to-nature place. And although there aren’t any watersports to speak of, the underwater rocks make for great snorkelling. It gets a little breezy in summer, thanks to the Meltemi winds, so it’s a good spot if you like to keep cool.

    • Bargain Buys

      If you want to scratch the shopping itch without breaking the bank, head to Rethymnon’s town’s Thursday morning market. It takes place on Odos Dimitrakaki Street, near the municipal gardens. The stalls are loaded with everything from leather purses to T-shirts.

    • Mid-Range Buys

      Rethymnon town is choc-a-bloc with olive wood shops. You’ll find some of the best on Odos Arambatzoglou. Bowls, cooking utensils and pestle and mortars are the most common items to ring through the tills. If you’re into pottery, take a trip to Margarites. This tiny village, 40 minutes from Rethymnon town, is full of workshops where they use traditional methods to create everything from storage jars to plates.

    • Designer Buys

      Rethymnon town does a good line in jewellery shops. We’re not talking mass-produced stuff, either. Many of the shop owners design and make the pieces themselves. Make a beeline for Ethnikis Antistaseos Street to find some of the best stores.

    • Laid-back evenings

      Restaurants come thick and fast in Rethymnon town. If you want sea views, head to Eleftheriou Venizelou – the road runs parallel to the beach. Alternatively, take your pick from the tavernas in the old town. M. Vernadou Street is a good place to start the search. For a bit of light entertainment after dinner, you’ll find some live music joints on Radamanthys Street.

    • Lively evenings

      Rethymnon town is a university town, so clubs are a given. The area between the Rimonid Fountain and the Venetian harbour is the nerve centre. Clubs here play a mixture of commercial dance and Greek pop music. Most Greek students don’t show their faces until after 11pm and the clubs only start getting busy around 2am.

    • Graviera

      Made from a combination of sheep and goat’s milk, this cheese is the bedrock of loads of traditional Cretan dishes. Its crumbly consistency and nutty taste mean that it’s served in salads as an appetiser, fried to make saganaki, and baked inside gratins.

    • Sfakia pies

      These aren’t ordinary cheese pies. Take a bite and you get a hint of aniseed – that’s thanks to the slosh of ouzo that goes in to the pastry mix – before you taste the soft and sweet myzithra cheese inside. These circular bites can be served as a meze dish or snack.

    • Dakos salad

      Dakos salad monopolises the starter list in the menus of Rethymnon town. The dish is a bit like bruschetta and it’s made by piling tomatoes on top on traditional bread rusks called paximadia. Then comes lashings of olive oil, freshly picked oregano and cheese.

    • Katafi

      Katafi pastry is a dead ringer for shredded wheat. The pastry starts life as a dough, then it’s rolled out and cut into vermicelli-thin strands. It earns its dessert status when it’s stuffed with a gooey mixture of egg, nuts, syrup and sweet spices.

    • Tsikoudia

      In most Cretan villages, there’s a local who’s licensed to produce tsikoudia. The clear spirit is made from the skins of grapes and it’s knock-your-socks-off alcoholic. Most locals keep a bottle in their freezer and sip it slowly with dishes.

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    Our destinations in Rethymnon Area

    • Rethymnon

    • Panormo

    • Sfakaki

    • Platanes

    Popular holidays

    • Family holidays in Rethymnon area
    • Luxury holidays in Rethymnon area
    • All inclusive holidays in Rethymnon area
    • Last minute holidays in Rethymnon area
     
     

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