Rethymno

Rethymno sits on the north coast of Crete, roughly midway between Chania and Heraklion, on the site of the ancient city of Rhithymna. The 2021 census counted 38,759 residents in the wider municipal unit, with about 35,763 living in the town itself, making it one of Crete's four regional capitals. Its Old Town, largely built during 16th-century Venetian rule, is still regarded as one of the best-preserved historic quarters on the island.

The Venetians left the strongest mark on the townscape, from the harbour to grand civic buildings, before the Ottomans took Rethymno in 1646 during the long Cretan War and added mosques and fountains of their own, including the 17th-century Rimondi Fountain. Above the old harbour rises the Fortezza, a large hilltop fortress built by the Venetians in the 1570s that today houses an archaeological museum and gives sweeping views over the rooftops and the Sea of Crete.

For sailors, the coast around Rethymno offers little natural shelter, so the town's harbour — protected and equipped with water, power and free WiFi for visiting boats — makes it a popular stop for gulet charter guests exploring Greece, who anchor here to wander the Venetian lanes before continuing east or west along Crete's northern shore.