Rethymnon is the third largest city in Crete. It is spread out around a curving bay with a sweeping stretch of beach, a modern harbour and an old Venetian port.
Its narrow meandering streets leading from the sea have an architectural mix but Venetian and Turkish styles predominate with rounded stone arches of the Venetians topped by the wooden overhanging balconies of the Turkish.
Many of the town centre streets are too narrow for traffic which makes more pleasant walking.
The city is overlooked by a huge Venetian Fort offering panoramic views of the sea.
