There are few things as pleasurable as taking a walk around Rethymnon old town (Palia Poli). More than any other of Crete’s historic cities, it has managed to retain much of its original Venetian and Turkish heritage.
The town sits midway between the major cities of Heraklion and Chania but maintains its own very individual character. If Heraklion, 50 miles to the east, exhibits the restless metropolitan swagger of a capital city and Chania, 37 miles west, a pride in its distinguished past, Rethymnon displays a unique serenity.
Built by the Venetians as a staging port between its two larger neighbours, its smaller size makes it more intimate and less inhibiting. Although you can wander for hours in the narrow streets and alleyways you will never be far from the wonderful harbour, lined with fish tavernas and cafes, where tourists and university students alike while away hours chatting or feeding fish in the crystal clear water.