Holiday villas in Rethymno, Crete
The middle of the island, which is the quiet advantage: an old town that people actually live in, mountain villages ten minutes behind it, and both airports within reach.
50 villas in Rethymno
Popular areas in Rethymno
About villa holidays in Rethymno
Rethymno is the part of Crete that gets driven past, and the people who stop tend to come back. The old town is the reason: Venetian and Ottoman streets that are still a working town rather than a set, with the Fortezza above it and a long sandy beach running east from the harbour.
Our villas are mostly inland and along the north coast. The villages around Arkadi, up behind the town, are olive groves and stone houses with views back down to the sea, and the monastery there is the one piece of Cretan history that still means something locally. Along the coast, Bali and Panormos are small harbour villages built around swimming. Geropotamos, Pigianos Kampos and the hamlets between them put you a few minutes from the water with nothing much around you, which for a lot of guests is the point.
The south coast is the day out. Preveli, where a palm lined river meets the sea, and the beaches around Triopetra and Agios Pavlos, which stay empty in weeks when the north coast does not. It is an hour or so over the mountains and worth every minute of it.
There is no airport here, and it works in your favour: Chania is about an hour to the west, Heraklion about an hour and a quarter to the east, so you can book whichever flight is better rather than whichever is closer.
Late spring and September are the sweet spot. The sea is warmest in September, and the mountain villages are pleasant in July and August when the coast is at its hottest.
Frequently asked
Which part of Rethymno should I stay in?
The villages around Arkadi, inland behind the town, are olive groves and stone houses with the sea in the distance. Bali and Panormos on the north coast are small harbour villages built around swimming. Geropotamos and Pigianos Kampos put you a few minutes from the water with very little else around, which for many guests is the point.
Which airport should I fly into for Rethymno?
Either, and that is the advantage of being in the middle of the island. Chania is about an hour to the west and Heraklion about an hour and a quarter to the east, so you can book whichever flight suits rather than whichever is closer.
Is the south coast worth the trip from Rethymno?
It is the day out most guests remember. Preveli, where a palm lined river meets the sea, and the beaches around Triopetra and Agios Pavlos, which stay quiet in weeks when the north coast does not. It is about an hour over the mountains.
What is there to see in Rethymno besides beaches?
The old town is Venetian and Ottoman streets that people still live in rather than a preserved set, with the Fortezza above it. Arkadi monastery, inland among our villas, is the piece of Cretan history that still carries weight locally.
When is the best time to visit Rethymno?
Late spring and September, with September the warmest the sea gets all year. The inland villages stay pleasant through July and August when the coast is at its hottest, which is a reason to look uphill for a high summer stay.