Crete, Episode 2

Some of my friends made me dream (and warm) with their holiday pictures (Tahiti, Maldives, Cape Verde), so I thought that a bit of sunshine and scenery would be great!

Remember in the first article about Crete, I talked about the capital city Heraklion.

If Santorini is my beloved island because of my solo wedding, Crete also has a certain charm and today we are heading to my favourite city, further west, still on the north coast, to Rethymno.

Rethymno is the third largest city in Crete with more than 55,000 inhabitants.
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It was built during the Minoan period and as Heraklion, this city has experienced a succession of cultures and civilizations (Byzantine, Roman, Venetian, Ottoman) as evidenced by some vestige.

It’s a charming city that I particularly like because it’s very pleasant to wander through the cobbled streets of the old town. There’s a sweet life here, a mixture of ancient city and seaside resort.
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It’s a lively town with trendy shops, and for party goers, Rethymno is a student town so it provides an attractive nightlife with many bars and clubs.

​The main attraction is undoubtedly the fortress, it’s still called by its Italian name the Fortezza because it was built by the Venetians in the 16th century, but the Ottomans seized it in 1646.
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Thus the St. Catherine Chapel coexists with the mosque of Sultan Hibrahim, two monuments still preserved.

​The view from 1307 metre length of ramparts also offers a breathtaking view of the sea and the city.

After so much stroll, beach is relaxing, and if Bali is the famous name of an Indonesian island, Crete also has a beach with this name.
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It stretches between Heraklion and Rethymno and has four distinct beaches: Livadi, Vankotopos, Limani and Karavostasi.

​​A small video from the sky to enjoy this beautiful beach.

I hope you enjoyed this little Cretan getaway, there will be others this year, Crete is an island full of gems and next time we’ll talk about mythology!

Have a lovely weekend!
Love & Joy,
​L.