The best time to visit the Fortezza of Rethymno
The months
April, May and June, then September and October. The temperature lets you walk the full circuit of the walls without planning your day around the sun, the sea is swimmable at either end of that range, and the town is working normally rather than in high-season mode. If someone asks me for one month, I say May or late September.
July and August are the hot ones. The Fortezza sits on an open hill with rock underfoot and nothing over your head. At 14:00 in August the stones give the heat back at you. It is still worth doing; it is not worth doing at two in the afternoon.
November to March is my own favourite time on the hill, with the reservation that it comes with conditions. The site is green, almost empty and cheaper to visit around. Opening hours are shorter in winter and they move season to season, so check the board at the gate or the municipality before you go, and confirm any tour before you travel because some do not run. The current position is on the opening hours page.
The time of day
Two windows. The first hour after opening, when the site is empty and the temperature is sensible, and the last two hours before closing, when the western bastions face the sunset over the Cretan Sea. Photographers should take the second one. Anyone with children should take the first.
Middays in high summer are the reason people come down saying the Fortezza was disappointing. It was not the fortress.
The wind
Rethymno is windy, and people are surprised by that. The north coast catches the meltemi through July and August. It makes the heat bearable, which is a gift on an exposed hill, and it makes the sea choppy, which matters if your afternoon plan is the beach. It is not a reason to change your month. It is a reason to hold onto your hat on the ramparts and to check the flag at the beach, as I explain on the safety page.
There is no useful shade inside the walls and no café worth planning your visit around. Carry water in, whatever the month. In July and August, carry more than you think.
How long to allow, by season
The site itself takes 1.5 to 2 hours properly and about 45 minutes at a march, in any month. What changes with the season is how much of that you want to spend standing still on a bastion. In May you will linger. In August you will not. Plan the rest of the day around it using how long you need.
Book the shoulder months early
May, June, September and October are when the local tours fill first, because that is when the people who chose their dates carefully are here. Compare what runs when on the all-tours page.
Inside the wallsFortezza ticket includedFortezza: Explore the Fortress of Rethymno with a Certified Guide
Old town classicRethymno: Guided Walking Tour in the Old Town Area
Beach & townDay Trip to Preveli & Damnoni Beach & Rethymno City Tour
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to visit Rethymno?
May or late September. April to June and September to October are all warm, open and comfortable on the hill. July and August work if you go at 08:00 or after 18:00.
Is it always windy in Rethymno?
Not always, but often. The north coast catches the meltemi through July and August. It takes the edge off the heat and it makes the sea choppy, which is worth knowing before you plan a beach afternoon.
What time of day is best for the Fortezza?
The first hour after opening or the last two before closing. Early is cool and empty; late gives you the western bastions against the sunset over the Cretan Sea.
Is the Fortezza open in winter?
It is open, with shorter hours that change season to season. Check the board at the gate before a November to February visit, and see the opening hours page for what I can and cannot promise you.