In Rethymno, you can enjoy the breathtaking sight of an endless sandy beach that meets on one side the blue sea and on the other the enchanting view of the city. The beach of Rethymno is 12 km long, starting from the historic center and extending to the eastern part.

Do not miss Laiki (open air market). Laiki is one of Rethymno’s basic trademarks where you can buy fruits, vegetables and other local products. Local producers bring their finest, fresh goods every week.

Rethymno beach welcomes every year the egg-laying of the sea turtles Caretta-Caretta. Be the one who participates in releasing an injured sea turtle, or experience the hatching and survival baby turtles during an excavation and celebrate their first journey into the ocean.

The Carnival of Rethymno is a cultural event of creativity organized by the Municipality of Rethymno along with the valuable support of numerous volunteers. Every year during the Carnival, Rethymnians, as well as visitors participate in the famous Rethymno Carnival.

The Cretan Diet Festival, one of the oldest constitutions of Rethymno, showcase awarded Cretan products, especially the local wine. The Festival is organized the first week of July. It’s a week full of tastes, colors, and music. 

During Venetian times, it was a church. In 1657, the temple was turned into a mosque, the central mosque of the city. The minaret was built in 1890. Today the Mosque Neratze hosts the City Conservatoire.

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete is based in the heart of the old historic town, under the Venetian wall and the Fortezza castle. It has a permanent collection of approximately 700 works by contemporary Greek artists which covers a wide range of the contemporary Greek art world from 1950 to date.