Villas inside and out

Crete is the largest and longest of the Greek islands and ranks fifth by size in the Mediterranean. With its 1,000km of coastline and beautiful beaches interspersed with rugged and varied landscape, Crete is steeped in 6,000 years of history.

As the regional capital of Rethymnou, Rethymnon was built by the Venetians during the crusades and today has a population of just under 32,000. With its massive fortification works Rethymnon attracted many artists and scholars. The fortress fell to the invading Turks in 1646 to become part of Ottoman empire.

The surrounding area is dominated by the tow high mountain ranges of Psiloritis and Lefka Ori. If you tire of the sandy beaches then these are a must for the nature lovers.

The Chanion district boasts one of the most beautiful towns on the island. Chani a used to be the capital of Crete and is large with a population of 53,000 and an international airport. Referred to as the Venice of the East, and once known as Kydonia, Chania has had a long and somewhat battered history. Inhabited since Neolithic times, it has a Venetian lighthouse, old arsenals and remains of once important castles.

Crete is famously rugged with a landscape dominated by the Lefka Ori, White Mountains, but sandy beaches in the South West, West and North are spectacular.