With its soft breeze, charming historic buildings and serene community, Rethymno creates a rhythm for life. It’s population of 40,000 people make it Crete’s romantic city, and the third largest on the island. It was founded during the Minoan period, the first of the Europeans, who were prominent enough to mint their coins, the crest of the city, the two dolphins forming a circle, was taken from the same coins. The average yearly temperature of Rethymno is around 17°C, and its long stretch of beaches contour where Psiloritis meets the Aegean. It is on these mountain ranges that the Highest peak in Crete stands tall at 2,456 metres. In antiquity, a significant historical event took place, nestled between the east and west peaks of Psiloritis is the Idaion Andron cave on the plateau of Nida, and it is said that there was the birth of the father of Gods, Zeus.
Rethymno currently has seven family owned wineries. It is the birthplace of the Cretan white grape variety Vidiano, the most prominent white varietal of Crete. The prefecture cultivates 1214/ha of the red grape variety named Liatiko, out of the almost 2672/ha total on the entire island.