Planning a trip to Rethymnon

Fast Facts

Several banks in both the old town and the new city have ATMs and currency-exchange machines. The hospital is at 7-9 Trantallidou in the new town (tel. 28310/27-491). For Internet access, try Caribbean Bar Cafe (behind Rimondi Fountain) or Alana Taverna (on Salaminas near Hotel Fortezza). The tourist police (tel. 28310/28-156) share the same building with the tourist office along the beach. The post office is east of the public gardens at 37 Moatsu (tel. 28310/22-571); its hours are Monday through Friday from 8am to 8pm, Saturday from 8am to noon. The telephone office (OTE) is at 40 Kountourioti; it's open daily from 7:30am to midnight.

When to Go

Rethymnon Renaissance Festival

Rethymnon's cultural festival offers mostly musical and theatrical events from July to early September. Productions range from ancient Greek dramas to more contemporary artistic endeavors (and now include folk and rock concerts). Most performers are Greek. The majority of performances are staged in the Fortezza itself; there's nothing like listening to 17th-century music or seeing a Renaissance drama in this setting. For details, inquire at the tourist information office.

For Wine Lovers

Rethymnon's annual wine festival takes place for about 10 days starting near the end of July. It's centered on the public gardens, with music and dancing to accompany the samplings of local wines. The modest affair is a welcome change from larger, more staged festivals elsewhere.

Getting There

Rethymnon lacks an airport but is only about 1 hour from the Chania airport and 1 1/2 hours from the Iraklion airport.

By Boat -- Rethymnon does have its own ship line, which offers direct daily trips to and from Piraeus (about 10 hr.).

By Car -- Many people visit Rethymnon by car, taking the highway from either Iraklion (about 78km/50 miles) or Chania (72km/45 miles). The public parking lot at Plateia Plastira, at the far western edge, just outside the old harbor, is best approached via the main east-west road along the south edge of the town. But unless you plan to take some side trips en route to Rethymnon, taking the bus there might be the best way to go from either of those other cities.

By Bus -- If you don't have your own vehicle, the bus offers frequent service to and from Iraklion and Chania -- virtually every half-hour from early in the morning until midevening. In high season, buses depart Rethymnon as late as 10pm. The fare is about 15€ round-trip. The KTEL bus line (tel. 28310/22-212) that provides service to and from Chania and Iraklion is located at Akti Kefaloyianithon, at the city's western edge (so allow an extra 10 min. to get there).

Getting Around

Rethymnon is a walker's town. Bringing a car into the maze of streets and alleys is more trouble than it's worth -- in fact, it's next to impossible. The sights you'll want to see around town are never more than a 20-minute walk.

To see the countryside of this part of Crete, unless you have unlimited time to use the buses, you'll need to rent a car. Among the many agencies with offices in Rethymnon are Motor Club (tel. 283l0/54-253), Budget (tel. 28310/56-910), Europeo (tel. 28310/51-940), and Hertz (tel. 28310/26-286).