| fiogf49gjkf0dSince the early 1980s, 
    RETHYMNON
     has seen a greater influx of tourists than perhaps anywhere else on Crete, with the development of a whole series of large hotels extending almost 10km along the beach to the east. For once, though, the middle of town has been spared, so that at its heart Rethymnon remains one of the most beautiful of Crete's major cities (only Hania is a serious rival) with an enduringly provincial air. A wide sandy beach and palm-lined promenade border a labyrinthine tangle of Venetian and Turkish houses lining streets where ancient minarets lend an exotic air to the skyline. Dominating everything from the west is the superbly preserved outline of the 
    fortress
     built by the Venetians after a series of pirate raids had devastated the town. 
 
 
  Other useful information 
								for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): 
 
 
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