LOTUS EATERS TRAVEL

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16 FANTASTIC THINGS TO DO IN RETHYMNO: A DETAILED GUIDE.

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Most visitors arrive in Rethymno with a rough plan.

A wander through the old town, an afternoon on the beach, a visit to the Venetian fortress and perhaps a day trip or two around Crete. It doesn’t have the fame of Chania or the big-ticket sights of Heraklion, and that’s perhaps part of its appeal.

Rethymno is somewhere that quite quickly wins you over. The old town is a joy to get lost in, with bougainvillea-clad alleyways, hidden squares and more excellent restaurants than a town of this size has any right to possess. Beyond the historic centre lies a long sandy beach, whilst gorges, pretty seaside villages and mountain scenery are all within easy reach.

Compact, walkable and effortlessly charming, Rethymno strikes a lovely balance between city break and beach holiday.

In this guide, we’ll share our favourite things to do in Rethymno, from sunset cocktails and romantic tavernas to historic sights, easy day trips and a few spots that made us want to stay longer than planned.

Here are 16 fantastic things to do in Rethymno.

1/ Tour Rethymno Fort

Rethymno’s great fortress (google pin here)is both a monument to human determination and a reminder that even the grandest walls don’t guarantee safety.

It was built by the Venetians in the late 1500s after pirates raided Rethymno – a huge number of workers and animals from across the island were brought in to help construct the fortress. Despite this, the fortress didn’t prevent a takeover from the Ottoman empire years later.

Today, the fortress serves only as a visitor attraction, rather than protecting the city. And it offers some of the best views of Rethymno from up high. Tickets cost €5 and in summer months it stays open until around sunset.

2/ Wander the old town

Whilst Rethymno old town is small, there’s more than enough to keep you entertained for a few hours of wandering. The small alleyways filled with cafes, restaurants and shops offer the curious traveller everything they need. We loved exploring, finding ourselves in new streets, walls coloured with bougainvillea.

Whilst the alleyways and meandering streets provide the most entertainment, be sure to also spend some time in the squares of Rethymno. We loved visiting Mikrasiation Square at night, when local kids would play and we even saw impromptu dancing couples.

3/ Pause by the harbour

The delightful Venetian harbour (google pin here) is one of the most pleasant areas of Rethymno. Lined with a selection of restaurants and cocktail bars, it is ideal if you want a bite at lunch or a pre-dinner drink. By night, this is a lovely romantic area to stroll too.

Tip: The selection of the restaurants on the harbour can be a bit mixed. Check Google Reviews before dining and avoid any with waiters that are a little too keen to get you through the door.

4/ Sunset cocktails

Is it really a holiday without a sunset cocktail?

We loved getting dressed up and heading out for pre-dinner drinks in Rethymno. Bonobo Bar on the harbour is a great location. For something a little different, we loved Chaplins Rock Bar, which does a fantastic happy hour from 19:00 until 20:00. Away from the water, Olive Tree Bar & Café has tables outside in the evening and really friendly service.

A warm evening, a chilled glass of wine and the sound of the harbour coming to life – this was one of our favourite daily rituals in Rethymno.

5/ Take a boat cruise

Taking a boat cruise in Greece is always a good idea. From Rethymno, there’s a huge variety of tours and trips you can take. From sunset sailings with drinks, to more high octane speed boat tours, and even a sailing to nearby pirate caves.

6/ Enjoy a food tour

If a day in a Cretan town like Rethymno isn’t for devouring new foods, then I don’t know what is. And Rethymno is the perfect size town for a food tour.

This, well rated food tour, offers the chance to try local street food, wine and spirits, as well as sitting down at some traditional tavernas. Book for your first day and then you’ll have some instant favourite haunts to return to.

7/ Spend the day at a beach club

Rethymno has a long sweeping sandy beach, it goes on for around 12km. Most visitors walking from the old town end up paying for sun loungers at the first bar they come across, but it’s well worth walking a little further.

A few kms from the old town will bring to a quieter section of the beach, where you can find beach clubs that don’t charge for sun loungers. Instead, you just pay for food and drinks that you consume. We loved Kobi Beach, which is family run. But there are lots more along the beach offering great food and sunbeds included.

8/ Try water sports

The reasonably calm waters around Rethymno provide a chance to try some water sports. Get in with Popeye Watersports, which offers banana boating, jet skis and various other speed boat adventures.

9/ Dine out and dine out again

Rethymno is an absolute dream if you enjoy heading out for supper. We had such a long-list of restaurants we wanted to try and didn’t get to sample as many as I wish we could have. The winding streets of the old town are filled with restaurants that just ooze decadence and romance.

The restaurants were undoubtedly our biggest memory of Rethymno. We loved Othonas taverna, Lemonokipos Restaurant (both super romantic) and Μεζεδοπωλείο Αστέρας (a relaxed and local place.)

10/ Visit a museum or gallery

If you need a break from the beach and sunshine, Rethymno has a handful of excellent museums and galleries.

The Archaeological Museum of Rethymno (google pin here) houses finds from across the region, including artefacts dating back thousands of years. The Ecclesiastical Museum (google pin here) offers an insight into Crete’s religious heritage, whilst the Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete (google pin here) showcases work by Greek and international artists.

You don’t need to spend hours in them all, but they’re a wonderful way to understand the many layers of history that have shaped the town.

11/ Notice Rethymno’s history

One of the nicest things to do in Rethymno is simply to slow down and look around.

You’ll stumble across Venetian doorways, Ottoman minarets, ancient stone walls and elegant fountains tucked away in little squares. One of the prettiest is the Rimondi Fountain, built in 1626.

Rethymno feels like a city that has never quite decided which era it belongs to. And that’s exactly what makes it so charming.

12/ Head out of the old town

Most tourists will spend the entire time inside the walls of the old town – which makes total sense, because this is where the majority of points of interest are. But, it’s well worth heading out of the old town, especially if you’re finding it a little crowded in there.

We loved wandering the shaded Municipal Park, there’s even a pleasant café in there. Bars and cafes overlooking the Church of the Four Martyrs are friendly and reasonably priced. Whilst the Escuela book cafe, is a great spot for a morning frappe.

13/ Sample Greek bakes

No visit to Greece is ever complete without sampling a few baked items. A spinach and feta pie is a great way to start the day, as locals do. During our stay, we found two “go to” spots – the first is a tiny hole in the wall bakery in the backstreets of the old town (google pin here). Whilst the second, Niktaris Bakery, is just outside of the old town walls and offers a more modern bakehouse experience.

14/ Hike Mili Gorge

If you need a good stretch of the legs and fancy seeing a bit of nature, Mili Gorge is the ideal spot to visit for a few hours. It’s a 4km trail through a former mill village, now derelict in a nearly tropical looking gorge.

You can take the bus, or drive. We chose to take the bus there and walk back to Rethymno. Find our guide to Mili Gorge here.

Tip: If you want a more challenging walk, it’s possible to hike Samaria Gorge from Rethymno. There are tour companies offering transport to and from the start of the hike. This is one of the most famous hikes in Crete and well worth it, if you’re an adventurous type.

15/ Visit Chania for the day

Rethymno sits around 60km from Chania, one of two large cities in Crete. You can drive in just over an hour, or take an easy bus (a 90 minute hop). Personally, I’d recommend the bus – trying to park in Chania could be a little overwhelming, and riding the bus means you can enjoy a few cocktails in Chania.

Chania is similar to Rethymno, but much larger. It has a wonderful mix of history, culture and beaches and is well worth a wander.

You can find our guide to the best 16 things to do in Chania here.

16/ Explore nearby beach towns

We had plans to visit a number of beaches and small towns near Rethymno. I’ll come clean and admit that we instead spent most of our time in the town itself, which kept us endlessly entertained.

That said, if you’re spending longer in Rethymno, there are some excellent day trips nearby.

Spilies Beach is a beautiful remote-looking cove that can be reached by bus and is perfect for a quieter beach day. Bali, meanwhile, is a pretty little seaside town with several sheltered bays, making it ideal for swimming and a leisurely lunch.

One of the best things about basing yourself in Rethymno is that you can happily spend days in town and still have plenty of places nearby to discover.

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More on Rethymno

• Where to stay in Rethymno
• Rethymno or Chania, which should you visit?
• Visiting Mili Gorge from Rethymno

Elsewhere in Crete

• A detailed guide to Kissamos
• Best beaches near Chania
• 16 wonderful things to do in Chania
• A guide to visiting Elafonisi beach

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Written by Emma

Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.

British travel writer and long-distance hiker, native to Kent. Emma has walked the Camino de Santiago more than ten times, completed trails across Europe from the Corfu Trail to the Fisherman’s Trail, and covered thousands of kilometres on foot. She always writes from first-hand experience. Her goal? Inspire just one person to go on their first long-distance hike.

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