Villages & Towns

Mirthios

Rethymno, Rethymno · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

A pretty hill village above Plakias.

Mirthios is a small village on a hill above Plakias, at 443 m. It has traditional architecture and great views over the bay.

Mirthios is a picturesque village with narrow lanes, flowers and great views over the bay of Plakias. It has several tavernas and rooms, and it's a quieter alternative to Plakias. A path leads down to Plakias in about 20 minutes.

Mirthios is popular with walkers and travellers looking for a quiet base near Plakias. The village has a youth hostel, a few tavernas and rooms with great views. Paths lead from the village to the Kotsifou gorge and other villages nearby.

The area around Rethymno town mixes a lively Venetian old town with a long sandy coast and quiet villages in the hills. To the east, the beach runs for kilometres past Platanes and Adelianos Kampos, where loggerhead turtles nest in summer. Inland, villages such as Chromonastiri, Myloi, Atsipopoulo and Maroulas have old Venetian houses and tavernas with views. The Arkadi monastery and ancient Eleftherna are less than half an hour away. Try the local snails, staka with eggs and the town's famous pastries.

Around Rethymno

Nearest town: Rethymno, about 12 km by road
Nearest airport: Chania airport (CHQ), about 57 km by road

Rethymno sits between the mountains and two seas, and it is the easiest region to combine with the rest of the island. Its old town and Fortezza are among the best preserved on Crete, with Venetian doorways, Ottoman wooden balconies and a long sandy beach right next to the centre. More about Rethymno