Rethymno

Rethymno lies midway along the north coast of Crete, between Chania and Heraklion, and holds what many consider the most complete old town on the island. Its lanes have kept their Renaissance grain almost intact: carved Venetian doorways, overhanging wooden Ottoman balconies, minarets and small hidden squares crowd together on the headland below the fortress. It is a town made for wandering on foot, with a lively year-round life sustained in part by the University of Crete campus here.

The old town is crowned by the Fortezza, a huge star-shaped Venetian citadel built in the sixteenth century on the low hill of Palaiokastro, one of the largest fortresses the Venetians raised anywhere. Its ramparts enclose a mosque, chapels and wide sea views, and the walk around the walls at sunset is a highlight. Below, the little Venetian harbour shelters fishing boats and a squat Egyptian-era lighthouse, its quay lined with fish tavernas. At the town's centre the Rimondi Fountain of 1626 still runs from lion-headed spouts, while the tall minaret of the Neratze Mosque, once a church, rises above the rooftops.

Step out of the old town on its eastern side and the character changes at once. Rethymno beach, a broad band of sand backed by a palm-lined promenade, runs for several kilometres along the coast, gathering hotels, cafes and sunbeds as it goes. It gives the town a rare double life: historic port on one side, easygoing seaside resort on the other.

Rethymno is also a good base for the mountainous interior. The road climbs south towards the Amari Valley and the slopes of Mount Ida, past traditional villages, the frescoed monastery of Arkadi, a potent symbol of Cretan resistance, and the myth-laden Melidoni Cave. Reached by bus along the north-coast highway or by car, and within easy day-trip range of both Chania and Heraklion, Rethymno rewards a stay of a few days, best in late spring or early autumn when the old town is warm but unhurried.