Rethymnon beach

Rethymno beach is the organised town beach of Rethymno, a strip of golden sand and shallow, clear water on the city’s seafront. Rethymno beach sits about 500 metres east of the old town and next to the Venetian port, so you can walk there from the centre in a few minutes without a car. It marks the westernmost end of Rethymno Bay’s long beachfront, which runs east from the harbour toward Skaleta. Entry to the sand is free, and you pay only to rent a sunbed and umbrella. The beach stays busy through the day yet rarely feels packed, and the seafront promenade, Eleftheriou Venizelou, runs alongside it for an evening walk.

Where Rethymno beach is

Rethymno beach lies on the north coast of Crete, at the edge of Rethymno town. Rethymno beach is a short walk east along the seafront from the old town and the Venetian port. From there you can keep walking east past the town beach toward the suburbs of Perivolia and Platanes and on to Skaleta, because the town beach is the western end of the bay’s continuous sandy beachfront.

Facilities and services

Rethymno beach is a well-organised beach, with amenities lined up along the sand and the promenade behind it. Entry to the beach is free, and you pay only for a sunbed and umbrella. The services along the shore include:

• Sunbeds and umbrellas for hire
• A seasonal lifeguard service
• Beach bars, cafes and restaurants on the seafront
• Showers and changing rooms
• Water sports
• Blue Flag status

The beach is wheelchair accessible, sits on a paved road, and is served by local buses, so you can reach it without a car.

Swimming and conditions

Rethymno beach is a safe choice for swimming, and its shallow, clear water suits families with young children. The sea faces open water, so the surface can turn choppy when the wind picks up, and calm mornings are the easiest time to swim. In peak season the sand fills quickly, and arriving early is the surest way to find shade and a quiet spot.

Loggerhead turtles at Rethymno beach

Rethymno beach is a nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). Rethymno Gulf is one of Greece’s 3 most important nesting areas for the species, with more than 400 nests recorded here each year. During nesting season, roped-off patches of sand mark protected nests where eggs have been found, so keep clear of the marked areas and leave them undisturbed.

Beaches near Rethymnon beach

Several more sandy beaches line the same bay on either side of Rethymno beach, listed below by distance.

• Pervolia beach (2.1 km): a long sandy beach fronting the Pervolia, Misiria and Platanias suburbs, part of the bay’s beachfront, with food, drink, lodging and Caretta caretta nesting.
• Koumbes beach (2.6 km): the one beach on the western side of the centre, a sand-and-fine-pebble shore with views of the Fortezza fortress, a lifeguard, umbrellas, showers and water sports, about a 20-minute walk from the centre.
• Misiria beach (2.7 km): a sandy suburb beach on the same bay, named after its fertile farmland, with a wide choice of dining and lodging and loggerhead nesting.
• Platanes beach (3.8 km): a long, well-kept sandy beach on the same beachfront in front of the suburbs, with food, drink, accommodation and Caretta caretta nesting.

The wider Rethymno bay, beach by beach

Rethymno beach opens a single run of sand that continues about 13 kilometres east from the town harbour to Skaleta, and 7 more named beaches sit along it within 8 kilometres of the town. Loggerhead turtles nest on the whole of that shore rather than on the town beach alone. Only one of the group, Koumbes, lies on the western side of the city, so a walk or drive east keeps you on the same continuous beachfront.

• Pervolia beach lies 2.1 kilometres east, the first stretch of sand past the town beach, fronting the Pervolia suburb with food, drink and rooms behind the shore.
• Koumbes beach sits 2.6 kilometres west, the only beach on the city’s western side, made of sand and fine pebbles and looking back at the Fortezza fortress a few hundred metres east. Its name comes from the Turkish word “Kubbe”, meaning dome, and the municipality has added walkways and a lifeguard service along it.
• Misiria beach is 2.7 kilometres east, a suburb beach on the same 13-kilometre strip, with a wide choice of places to eat, drink and stay.
• Platanes beach lies 3.8 kilometres east, where shallow, light-blue water meets sunbeds and lifeguards in season. The sand here runs in front of the Pervolia, Missiria and Platanias suburbs, which together carry the name Platanes.
• Adelianos Kambos beach sits 5.5 kilometres east, further along the same bay.
• Pigianos Kambos beaches lie 7.1 kilometres east, on the stretch beyond Adelianos Kambos.
• Kamari beach is 7.3 kilometres east, the furthest of the group from the town beach.

FAQ

Where is Rethymno beach?

Rethymno beach is on the north-coast seafront of Rethymno town in Crete, about 500 metres east of the old town and next to the Venetian port. It is the westernmost part of Rethymno Bay’s long beachfront.

Is Rethymno beach good for swimming?

Yes. The water is shallow and clear, which suits both swimmers and children. The surface can get choppy on windy days, so mornings are usually the calmest time to swim.

Is Rethymno beach family friendly?

Yes. The shallow, clear water, the seasonal lifeguard and the cafes and facilities along the promenade make it a practical choice for families with young children.

Is Rethymno beach free?

Yes. Entry to the beach is free, and you pay only to rent a sunbed and umbrella. Food, drinks and water sports along the seafront are charged separately.

What facilities does Rethymno beach have?

The beach is organised with sunbeds and umbrellas for hire, a seasonal lifeguard, showers, changing rooms, water sports, and beach bars, cafes and restaurants along the seafront. It also holds Blue Flag status.

Which beaches are near Rethymno beach?

7 beaches lie within 8 kilometres of Rethymno beach. Pervolia sits 2.1 kilometres east, Koumbes 2.6 kilometres west, Misiria 2.7 kilometres east, Platanes 3.8 kilometres east, Adelianos Kambos 5.5 kilometres east, Pigianos Kambos 7.1 kilometres east and Kamari 7.3 kilometres east.

Is there a beach west of Rethymno town?

Koumbes is the one beach on the western side of Rethymno, 2.6 kilometres from the town beach. Its sand and fine pebbles face the Fortezza fortress, and it has a lifeguard service, tourist amenities and walkways along the coast.

How do you get to Rethymno beach?

Walk east from the old town and Venetian port along the seafront, take a local bus, or drive in on the paved road beside the beach. The beach is also wheelchair accessible.

Why are parts of Rethymno beach roped off?

Rethymno beach is a nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta. Roped-off patches of sand mark protected nests where eggs have been found, so swimmers keep clear of them.

When is the best time to visit Rethymno beach?

The beach is busiest in peak summer, when it fills quickly during the day. Arriving early in the morning is the surest way to find shade and a quiet spot, and mornings also tend to have the calmest water.

Getting there and getting around

Reaching Rethymno beach is simple, on foot from the old town and the Venetian port, by local bus, or by car on the paved road beside the sand. A car makes it easy to reach the quieter beaches further east along the bay and the villages inland on your own schedule. You can compare rates and pick up a vehicle for the trip through our car rental in Crete page.