DK Travel : Crete : Places of interest

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Rethymno

Rethymno is Crete’s third largest town (after Irakleio and Chania) and its most attractive, with an inner harbour overlooked by a huge, brooding Venetian fortress (the Fortetsa), streets of old-fashioned Venetian mansions, and a palm-fringed esplanade along a sandy beach. Thanks to its nearby beaches, Rethymno has become a fully fledged resort town, with holiday hotels east of the city centre, lots of shops, and plenty of good restaurants, lively bars and cafés. It also has a colourful early morning street market (see Rethymno & A Morning in Rethymno).

Market stall, Rethymno

Nerandzes Mosque, Rethymno
Rethymno Archaeological Museum

From the square, bear left past the fountain, along Mesolongiou and Himaras, to the Rethymno Archaeological Museum, which displays Minoan coffins and burial goods, as well as Neolithic and Roman finds (see Rethymno Archaeological Museum).
Rimondi Fountain

Turn right again on Arabatzoglou, which leads down to Petihaki, a small square crammed with cafés. Stop for a drink and snack at Zanafoti, an old-fashioned café close to the 17th-century Rimondi Fountain, built in 1627 to supply part of the old town with fresh drinking water.
Samaria Gorge

Taking its name from the tiny Venetian church of Santa Maria (close to the now abandoned Samaria village), this is probably the most dramatic stretch of scenery in Crete. The gorge is one of the deepest and longest in Europe, cutting its way through the Lefka Ori from the Omalos Plateau to the Libyan Sea, and narrowing to a width of only a few arm widths at its narrowest point. The gorge is within the Samaria National Park, a refuge for many rare birds, plants and mammals (see Samaria Gorge).
San Marco and the Loggia

On the southeast side of the square, the former Venetian Cathedral of San Marco, dedicated to Venice’s patron saint, became a mosque and is now an exhibition centre and conference hall. Leave the square by 25 Augoustou and walk past the Loggia. If this Venetian town hall looks suspiciously modern, blame restoration after earthquake and bomb damage.
Siteia

Siteia looks surprisingly modern but was founded in the 4th century, when a flourishing Byzantine city stood here. Its fortunes waned after the 14th century, when it was damaged by earthquakes and sacked by corsairs. It was not until the late 19th century that Siteia became an important farming centre, surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. It has a picturesque harbour overlooked by a Venetian fortress, a Folk Museum with a collection of traditional costumes (see Siteia Folklore Museum), and an Archaeological Museum (see Siteia Archaeological Museum).

Market, Siteia
Siteia

Siteia, once a Byzantine city, was destroyed in the 14th century, then rebuilt by a far-sighted local pasha (Ottoman governor) in the late 19th century (see Siteia). It has a picturesque harbour overlooked by a Venetian fortress, a Folk Museum and an Archaeological Museum. Stop here for coffee, a cold drink or a snack at Zorbas, an old-fashioned café and taverna on the harbour.
Sougia

Sougia is perfect for anyone in search of peace, quiet and isolation. Tourism is very low-key, with just a scattering of small pensions and guest houses, tavernas and cafés. The town’s beach is long and pebbly, and the water is sparklingly clear, while an hour’s walk away are the ruins of the ancient city-state of Lissos, including a temple to Asklepios, the god of healing, which dates from the 3rd century BC.
Spinalonga

The fortifications covering this small, rocky island in the Gulf of Mirabello were built by the Venetians in 1579 to control the approaches to this superb natural harbour. Superior sea power allowed Venice to hang onto Spinalonga for half a century after the fall of the rest of Crete to the Turks, and it was surrendered only in 1715. Used as a leper colony in the first half of the 20th century, its buildings are now very dilapidated, but the grim walls may still give the visitor an eerie thrill.
The Fortetza

From the museum, cross Katehaki to the Fortetza, built in 1573 by the Venetians (see Venetian Fortress (Fortetza) & Venetian and Turkish Castles). This massive for-tress was built in response to the threat of Turkish invasion, but in the end it proved no match for the might of the Ottoman Empire.