Yiali Tzamisi (Yialou mosque) is the only surviving mosque in the town and is located in the Old Port of Chania, directly opposite the Egyptian Lighthouse. It was dedicated to the first commandant of Chania, Kioutsouk (small) Hasan (as many call it), and is one of the few remaining examples of Islamic art of the Renaissance. Built in the second half of the 17th century, the striking cubic building, which attracts the admiration of onlookers, is overlapped by a semi-spherical dome with no drum. In the west and north wing there is an open passage, as with all mosques. In about 1880 it was enclosed with neoclassical style arches. Yiali Tzamisi, which functioned as a mosque until 1923, is the work of an Armenian architect. Its use has been changed many times, occasionally housing the Archaeological Museum, EOT Tourist Information Office and the Museum of Folk Art.

The Public Garden of Chania hosts many types of trees, shrubs, fruit-bearing and ornamental plants, as well as a small zoo with animals from Cretan fauna. On its huge premises you will also find the public children’s library, the public cinema and a municipal cafe.

While the coast is very hot and crowded during summer, a short drive into the mountains brings you to peaceful rural villages where time has stopped. Lying 27 kilometers southwest of Réthymnon, Argyroupoli is especially cool and fresh due to countless small waterfalls rising from underground springs. Nestled amid lush greenery and trees, Argyroupoli has a rich history dating back to Roman times – it was also much loved by the Venetians, and later became the center of Cretan resistance against the Turks. Today, it is particularly known for its excellent tavernas specialising in roast lamb, with open air dining on stone terraces under the trees and close to the waterfalls.

The Orthodox Church played an important role in liberating Greece from Turkish occupation. Set amid the rural foothills of Psiloritis (Mount Idi), 23 kilometers southeast of Réthymnon, this fortress-like 16th-century monastery is surrounded by high stone walls. Today, it’s a wonderfully peaceful place, with a delightful Baroque church and a rose garden, but it has not always been so. In 1866, the monastery became the central meeting place for Cretan revolutionaries, with the Abbot as chairman. During an uprising against the Turks, some 900 locals (mainly women and children), who had taken refuge here, chose to blow themselves up rather than surrender. Outside the monastery, their skulls are displayed in glass cabinets, as a haunting monument to their bravery.

Chania’s historic importance stemmed from its location as a port, and still today, the deep, curving harbor, which gained its present appearance under the Venetians in the 14th century, is its main tourist attraction. Filled with wooden fishing boats and ringed by a promenade lined with seafood eateries and cafés, it buzzes with visitors in summer, and is totally enchanting by night. To the east of the old harbor, note the mosque, erected by the Ottoman Turks after they took Chania in 1645. Beyond the mosque, stand the arsenals, where the Venetians repaired their galleys, and a yachting marina. This entire stretch of coast is protected by a breakwater, and on its tip stands a lighthouse – it was designed by an Egyptian architect in 1839 and is strangely reminiscent of a minaret.

On Crete’s isolated south coast, built into a remote hillside overlooking the Libyan Sea, Preveli Monastery lies 36 kilometers south of Réthymnon and is only accessible via a winding road through the mountains. Dating from the 17th-century, the monastery features a church and a small museum displaying icons and ecclesiastical paraphernalia. Outside stands a Memorial for Peace and Resistance, erected in 2002. During the Battle of Crete, in 1941, the monks at Preveli gave supplies and shelter to the Allies. The monument is composed of a large headstone, with an unusual statue of a priest (holding a machine gun) and a soldier (one of the Allies) standing to each side. From here you have absolutely stunning views down onto the sea.

Rising 2,456 meters, Psiloritis (also known as Mount Ida) is the highest mountain on Crete and the second highest in Greece, after Olympus. The mountain was sacred to the ancients – the king of gods, Zeus, was supposedly born here. Various adventure sports agencies arrange one-day tours from Réthymnon and Heraklion. Most take you to a decent starting point and then begin a hike through the dramatic, rocky landscape, following a clearly marked path to the summit, which is crowned by the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It normally takes three or four hours to reach the top, and you’ll need to be reasonably fit, wear good walking boots, and bring plenty of water. The view from the summit is breathtaking – it overlooks the entire island as well as both the north and south coasts.

The Samaria National Park is exceptionally rich in plant and animal life. In the gorge you will find unique species protected under international law. It is said that there are 450 plant species in the gorge. In Samaria you can admire the forests of huge pine and cypress trees, a picture from Crete’s past, when thekri-kri, the wildgoats of Crete inside Samaria gorge island was covered by forests famous for their timber, ideal for building strong ships. Inside the gorge you may even meet its famous inhabitants, the wild goats of Crete, which the locals call “agrimia” and tourists call “kri-kri”.