Is Rethymno safe?

Yes. Crete has low violent crime and Rethymno old town is comfortable to walk at night. The ordinary care you would take in any crowded summer street, with your bag and your phone, is enough. Swimming at Rethymno beach is fine, with one rule: when a red flag is flying, stay out. The north coast gets wind, and the flag is the sea telling you the truth.

Violent crimeLow

Old town at nightComfortable to walk

Main riskSummer-crowd pickpocketing

BeachFine, watch the flags

WindMeltemi in Jul–Aug

Tap waterSafe to drink

Crime

Crete has low violent crime, and I say that as someone who walks home through the old town at one in the morning. What exists is opportunistic: a bag left over a chair back in a crowded street in August, a phone on an outside table. Keep the habits you would keep anywhere with a crowd in it and you will not think about this again for the rest of your trip.

Walking at night

The old town is small, well used and lit, and people are out late because Cretans eat late; dinner starts around 21:00, so the streets are busiest when visitors from northern Europe expect them to be emptying. Walking from the harbour back through the lanes at midnight is a normal thing to do. The route up to the Fortezza is a different matter, not because of danger from people but because the ground is rocky and uneven and the site is closed anyway; do that climb in daylight, as described on the entrance page.

Swimming

Rethymno beach starts at the edge of the old town and is fine to swim from. The one thing to respect is the wind. The north coast catches the meltemi through July and August, which makes the water choppy and can put a current across the shore. When a red flag is up, that is not a formality. Take it as read and have a long lunch instead. More on when the wind blows is on the best time to visit.

On the hill

The real hazards at the Fortezza are heat and footing. The ground is rocky, uneven, unpaved and uphill, there are no lifts or ramps, and there is almost no shade. Closed shoes, water and a hat solve nearly all of it. Read what to wear before you climb; it is a short page and it is the practical half of this one.

Insider tip

The tap water is safe to drink in Rethymno, including for brushing your teeth. Filling a bottle before you climb costs nothing and removes the most common reason people cut a visit short.

A few words

"Yassas" is hello, formal or to more than one person; "yassou" to one person, casually. Thank you is "efharisto". Using them is not a safety measure, but it changes how a conversation starts, and in a town this size that is worth something.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Rethymno, Crete safe for tourists?

Yes. Violent crime is low and the old town is comfortable to walk at night. The usual care with bags and phones in crowded summer streets covers the realistic risk.

Is it safe to walk around Crete at night?

In Rethymno old town, yes, and the streets are busy late because dinner starts around 21:00. Use the same judgement you would use in any busy town after dark.

Is it safe to swim at Rethymno beach?

Generally yes. The north coast gets wind, so the sea can be choppy, and a red flag means stay out of the water. See the tap water page for the other question visitors always ask about Crete.

Is the Fortezza dangerous to walk around?

No, but the ground is rocky, uneven and uphill and there is almost no shade. Heat and footing are the risks, not the site. Closed shoes and water deal with both.