Cidade Turismo
Greece

Before you go

Your trip to Rethymno.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

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Rethymno – Creta Destination Creta about 80 km from Heraclião

How to get there

  • Aeroporto Internacional de Chania Ioannis Daskalogiannis (CHQ) Akrotiri · 70 km
  • Aeroporto Internacional de Heraclião Nikos Kazantzakis (HER) Heraclião · 80 km
  • Estação de ônibus KTEL de Rethymno 1 km

Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.

Confirm before you buy. Rethymno has no airport or ferry from Piraeus: you arrive via Heraclião, about 80 km away, or Chania, about 70 km, with a one-hour flight from Athens and then a KTEL bus, taxi or car along the northern road. The bus takes around an hour and a half from Heraclião and an hour from Chania, with frequent departures during the day.

How many days

One day for the old town, the Fortezza and the harbour. Two days to include the monastery of Arkadi and Preveli, which lie in opposite directions. Those staying at a beachfront resort often use Rethymno as a base for a week in the middle of the island.

When to go

From May to October, with the sea good for swimming and the old-town tavernas keeping tables on the street late into the evening. July and August are the hottest and busiest months. In April and October the town is quiet and the weather is good for walking and visiting the monasteries. At carnival, in February or March, Rethymno holds the largest parade in Crete.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

Not for the town itself, which is small and pedestrianized in the old part. The monastery of Arkadi has KTEL buses with limited schedules; Preveli is accessible by car or on an excursion. Anyone who wants to visit both and the mountain villages around, such as Margarites and Argyroupoli, will need a car for a day or two.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Rethymno
  1. Morning
    Fortezza

    Climb up to the Fortezza at opening time, before the heat. Walk the walls, the mosque of Sultan Ibrahim and the bastions, with views over the town and the sea. Allow an hour and a half.

  2. Afternoon
    Old town

    Have lunch near the Rimondi fountain and walk through the old town: the Loggia, the Neratze mosque with its minaret, rua Arkadiou and the Venetian portals. Visit the Museu Arqueológico, housed in the former church of São Francisco.

  3. Late afternoon
    Venetian harbour and lighthouse

    Descend to the small port, with the Egyptian lighthouse at the tip, and follow the waterfront to the start of the long beach to the east.

  4. Evening
    Old town tavernas

    The lanes between the Rimondi fountain and the harbour are where the tavernas cluster, with tables on the street. Try the dakos and lamb with estamnagathi.

2 days in Rethymno

Day 1

  1. Morning
    Fortezza

    The Venetian fortress, with walls, a mosque and a view.

  2. Afternoon
    Old town and Museu Arqueológico

    Rimondi fountain, Loggia, Neratze and the museum in the church of São Francisco.

  3. Late afternoon
    Port and beach

    Venetian port with the lighthouse and a walk along the waterfront.

  4. Evening
    Old town

    Dinner in the tavernas of the lanes.

Day 2

  1. Morning
    Monastery of Arkadi

    By car or KTEL bus, it's 23 km to the monastery of Arkadi, with its Renaissance façade and the ossuary of the dead of 1866. Allow an hour and a half for a visit.

  2. Afternoon
    Preveli

    Cross the island to the south via the Kourtaliotiko gorge to the monastery of Preveli, and descend to the beach with the palm grove and the river. An afternoon for swimming.

  3. Late afternoon
    Plakias

    Coffee or a swim in Plakias, the nearest beach village, before returning via the mountain road.

  4. Evening
    Rethymno

    Dinner in the old town.

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

How to get to Rethymno?

Via Heraclião or Chania, which have an airport and ferries from Piraeus. From there, KTEL buses run along the northern road: about an hour and a half from Heraclião and an hour from Chania. By car the route is direct along the same road.

Is Rethymno worth stopping for or can it be seen in passing?

It's worth at least a full day for the Fortezza and the old town, which is the best preserved in Crete. Those travelling from Heraclião to Chania can stop halfway and spend a night.

How to go from Rethymno to the monastery of Arkadi?

By car it's 23 km and about 40 minutes on a mountain road. There are KTEL buses from Rethymno with limited departures per day; check at the station. Organized tours also go there.

Is Rethymno's beach good?

The town's beach starts by the harbour and stretches for several kilometres to the east, with sand and facilities for sunbeds and umbrellas; it is where the resort hotels are. For prettier beaches go south to Preveli and Plakias, or west toward Chania.

What is the Rethymno carnival?

The largest carnival in Crete, with parades of groups and floats through the town's streets, held in February or March according to the Orthodox calendar. The town fills up that weekend.

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