Rethimno, despite being Crete's third largest city, has a sense of tranquility.The old town is almost as well preserved as that of Chania's but the houses are more modest and the harbour smaller.Rethimno does not have the hectic pace of capital Heraklio because traffic is moslty banned from the old town.No car will interrupt your view of the Venetian harbour when you sit down to enjoy some fish.Most of the old town houses are still owned by the original families.
 The whole province has the same feel as the city.It is situated between the two massifs of the White mountains and the Psiloritis, wide valleys lead from the north to the south coast with its seaside resorts of Plakias and Agia Galini. These two places are a nice middle ground. Although they attract many tourists, these tourists do not stay in the large hotels, but in the small hotels,flats and guest houses.The long sandy beaches east of Rethimno are a paradise for water sport fanatics and the beautiful country side is perfect for hikes and mountain bike trips for the whole family.From Rethimno, Plakias and Agia Galini there are also a number of boats to take tourists out to the isolated beaches of the area.If you are looking for peace, you will find it here.The coast between Agia Galini and the palm canyon of Preveli is not called Crete's yoga coast for nothing -many believe that the earth's forces are particulary strong here.

  Rethimno is a friendly atmospheric little town.Its old town area is in good condition with lot of minarets and mosques, narrow alleys and wide squares houses with typical tourkish wooden bays and parts of the city wall still intact.The old town takes up a peninsula, with a massive fortress at the tip.A modern harbour basin is situated on its south eastern side, followed with the picturesque Venetian harbour.A 12km long sandy beach streches from the harbour pier.This strech of beach continues to be the developed with hotels,guest houses and apartments.Behind the city wall, wich is now market by a main road, lies the sprawling new town.
  Rethimno is dominated by holidaymakers keen to spend time in the hotels close to the beach and only come in the town to eat or shop, as well as those who prefer to stay in the historic old town in cozy guest houses or the modern urban hotels.For both types, the city has it's attraction.Rethimno also has a number of cultural activities.The university of Crete has a campus here and it is also home to the philisophy faculty to the city is seen as intellectual centre of the island.Rethimno also has a theater, a philarmonic society and an adult education college exclusively for women.During the summer months there are guest performances by local and foreign music and theatre groups.
  The peninsula of Rethimno wa probably only settled in the late Minoan era.The city was called Rithymna and was on sidered by the Venetians to be the island's most important city after Heraklion and Chania.In 1645, 24years before Heraklion, Rethimnon was conquered by the Turks.