Day 1: Athens to Rethymno
Day 2: Exploring Rethymno
Day 3: Rethymno Fortress
Day 4: Arkadi Monastery
Day 5: Preveli Monastery
Day 6: Rain and Waterfront
Day 1: Athens (Αθήνα) to Rethymno (Ρέθυμνο)
Our day began at the Holiday Inn near Athens airport. (A convenient place for an overnight stay.) Our flight to Chania was full; the crew was serious about gate checking larger carry-ons, to some travelers’ consternation.
We had a rental car reserved from the airport Auto Rentals Crete was there at arrivals with a sign. We hopped in our car and drove a couple of minutes to their office to complete the paperwork. That was complicated by the fact that when we drop off the car in Chania we’ll be staying in the old town. She was able to find nearby parking where we could hand the car back.
After a few minutes we were on the road. Our car made lots of pinging noises. Turns out it’s an EU regulation that the car ping when approaching or exceeding the speed limit, or when the speed limit changes. Once we figured out that it wasn’t because there was a problem with the car it was just a bit annoying.
We got lucky with parking. We didn’t find a spot on our first pass, but one had opened up by the time we made our second pass. We had a nice thorough check-in with lots of sightseeing and restaurant tips, plus an introduction to the room. It’s a beautiful place.
We hit the supermarket down the street for beverages and snacks. We had dinner reservations at Lemonokipos, under the twinkling lights on the trees. Afterwards we took advantage of our terrace.
Day 2: Exploring Rethymno
An excellent breakfast buffet — with eggs cooked to order — was included in our room. It varied slightly each day and included fresh juice, coffee, baked goods, yogurt and condiments, cold cuts and cheese, and dakos salad, a Cretan specialty.
We meandered through the old town to the Venetian port, where we saw a sunken boat. Someone was not having a good day. We worked our way from there around the marina to the town beach, which looked nice enough though we ended up not spending any time there. Along the way we made dinner reservations at Raki Ba Raki, which was broadly recommended.
It was hot and sweaty walking around so we were glad to get back to our cool room with shade, a terrace, and cold water. We properly unpacked, had showers and a beer, and headed to dinner.
It was a little chaotic but fun sitting at a table in the narrow street. The menu had some interesting twists and it was a little cheaper than last night. After dinner we had one more beer on the terrace and went to bed early. We’re still recovering from jet lag.
Day 3: Rethymno Fortress
Our first stop today was the fortress, right on the edge of the old town. It’s a slight uphill walk to get there. There isn’t a whole lot to see inside but it’s nice to walk around, if hot, and there are great views of the surrounding area. The walls reminded us of the old forts in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
After that we walked down to the central park because we thought there would be shade, and there was. Green and lush, with art scattered throughout. There’s colorful bougainvillea everywhere.
It’s enjoyable just walking the streets of the old town, So much architectural detail, and plants slotted in wherever someone can find room.
We ate around 4:00 PM at Ovelos. We were the only customers until just before we left, when it looked like staff family and friends showed up. Plus a cat that looked like a lion. But was a pussycat when a little girl showed up, ready for cuddles.
Day 4: Arkadi Monastery
One reason we rented a car was the possibility of day trips from Rethymno. Our first was to the monastery at Arkadi. It was a nice drive through the mountains and the monastery was interesting and not at all crowded. We’d thought about extending the trip to Margarites, a village famous for pottery, but decided not to.
While we were out and about with the car, we stopped at a Lidl for dinner snacks, wine, and beer. We were once again lucky and found a parking spot right away when we got back. Here are some more of the narrow “streets” in the old town, which is a pedestrian zone.
Day 5: Preveli Monastery
Another day, another monastery. This time the Preveli monastery on the south coast. While Arkadi is most famous for the revolution in 1866, Preveli is more famous for World War II. The drive there was especially scenic and there’s a famously pretty nearby beach too. (We didn’t hike down to the beach.) We saw actual priests at this monastery.
Steve says the photo below is the ultimate Greece photo: old walls, a photogenic cat, and mopeds. We watched the cat almost fall off it’s perch.
Day 6: Rain and Waterfront
It rained today! We walked along the waterfront near the fortress — which is also the area where we parked the car — and scouted for restaurants that would work in the rain. That’s one thing about restaurants that have most of their seating outside: What happens if it rains?
With the threat of rain we didn’t wander too far from home. We did boring but necessary things like packing to move to our next location. Easier because we have a car, but complicated by the 5 minute walk to the car. We had tea on the terrace and went back to Ovelos to try their beef souvlaki. Here’s some more of the picturesque narrow streets.
Essentials
Sleeping
There are small hotels like the one we stayed at in the old town, with other options spread along the town beach and beyond. We wanted to be in the old town for the atmosphere and to be walking distance to places to eat. Casa dei Delphini was a bit of a splurge and totally worth it. Beautiful building, lovely hosts, a great location, and an excellent breakfast. There’s a variety of room types, each with quirky historic features. We chose a junior suite; all of the rooms look gorgeous.
Read about how we find accommodations
Eating
There are numerous tavernas and restaurants around the old town. There were also two decent sized supermarkets within a few minutes walk, convenient for beverages and snacks. We didn’t do any cooking, though we did have a kitchenette.
- We ate at Lemonokipos our first night. (I like to make reservations for at least our first night at a location and I could make them online.) We shared a bottle of local wine and ate tirokafteri (a spicy feta dip), chicken souvlaki, and shrimp giovetsi (tomato, cheese, and shrimp sauce with orzo). All the food was good, as was the service. We had raki and a moist gingerbread-like dessert from the house. It’s a calm setting under lemon trees (hence the name) right off the main square.
- Raki BaRaki was broadly recommended by our host and online. It was a little chaotic but fun sitting in the narrow street. We had sourdough bread, taramasalata, moussaka, and sfakiani, a local dish kind of like Greek fajitas, and house wine. The menu was creative and it was less expensive than Lemonokipos. We go for the house wine if they have it (and most Greek restaurants do). We’re not wine connoisseurs.
- We ate twice at Ovelos, which was recommended by our host. We each had pork souvlaki and chips and two 500ml draft craft lagers for €44. Bargain! On our second visit we had beef souvlaki. The beef was good, but the pork was better. Less chewy, more flavor. Portions were reasonable. We got raki and vanilla ice cream from the house.
Read about how we find places to eat and drink
Getting Around
We rented a car from AutoRentals Crete — who we were very happy with — so we would have the freedom to do day trips plus get from place to place. There’s no parking in the old town near our hotel. Our hosts provided information about both free and paid parking nearby. We were able to find free parking every time. Having a tiny rental car (Fiat Panda, all we needed) helped. Walking the old town was easy and fun, though the narrow streets can get crowded.