Rethymnon area Holidays

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.

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.

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.