Rethymno daytrip from Matala and Agia Galini

Rethymno lies pinched between the Mediterranean Sea and the foothills of the White Mountains on Crete's northern coast, and if its history doesn't have you making a beeline for it, its looks will. Its reputation as one of Greece's most beautiful towns is well deserved. You'll get some top tips from the guide on your bus to Rethymno, but after drop-off, the full day is yours to explore. Wander through a honeycomb of cobbled alleyways, find the three-lion-headed Rimondi Fountain in the heart of the old town and keep an eye out for the scattering of domes and minarets which hint at the town's Ottoman influence. But no visit to Rethymno is complete without visiting the harbour, then climbing the Paleokastro Hill to look out to sea from the Venetian Fortress – the pride of the town.