CalmBeach Greece

Beaches in Rethymno

All 49 beaches in Rethymno, in one list. 33 of them are not exposed to the meltemi, which gives them the better odds on a windy day. Open any of them for live wind and waves.

The beaches

Pick by what you are looking for

  • Meltemi options

    The coves that face away from the prevailing wind — the shortlist for a windy day.

  • Family beaches

    Organised, not hard to reach, and recorded as shallow in our data.

  • Snorkeling

    Rockier seabed and clearer water, where there is something to look at underwater.

  • Organized

    Sunbeds, umbrellas and somewhere to eat or drink nearby.

  • Sunset

    West-facing, so the sun goes down over the water in front of you.

  • Sandy
  • Beach bars
  • All beach guides →

Good to know

Which beaches in Rethymno are more sheltered from the wind?

33 of the 49 face away from the meltemi, meaning less open water in front of them for a wave to build across when it blows. It is not a guarantee — the same beach changes character when the wind turns. Check the live reading before you drive out.

Which side of Rethymno is windier?

When the meltemi blows (from N/NE), the beaches facing north are the most open to it: none of the 11 is sheltered from it. The more sheltered side faces south: all 26 of its beaches have land between them and the wind. When the wind turns, the picture turns with it, so check live wind and waves before you go.

How is this list ordered?

By which beaches have the best conditions at that hour, so the order changes through the day: a beach that leads in the morning can drop down the list in the afternoon, once the wind picks up. When there is no live weather data, they are listed by how well known each one is — not by a score of ours.

When is the sea calmest here?

Across 49 of the beaches on this page, the open water in front of them is typically 0.47 m in June, 0.46 m in July and 0.43 m in August when the meltemi is at its strongest, and 0.46 m in September. August is the calmest month of the season. We calculate these figures ourselves from European Copernicus wave-model data at 4.2 km resolution. They describe the sea offshore, not the shelter of an individual cove — a bay protected by a headland will usually be calmer than this.

How warm is the water, month by month?

Off 49 of the beaches on this page the sea is typically 19.4 °C in May, 22.2 °C in June, 24.5 °C in July, 25.6 °C in August and 25.4 °C in September — ideal at the height of summer, mild in June. In October it is still 23.9 °C — warmer than June. August is the warmest month. Satellite measurements, 1995–2024, from a sea cell about 5 km offshore; shallow bays usually run warmer than this.

When does the meltemi blow in Rethymno?

Over the last 20 summers, the hardest week in Rethymno starts around 17 July: 61 days in 100 had wind of 5 Beaufort or more. When it blew hard, it came from the north 100% of the time — the meltemi. In a week's holiday between 26 June and 20 August, strong wind on about 4 of the 7 days. Once it starts, it lasts about 3 days. Even then, the most sheltered side was the west coast, with beaches fit for a swim such as Stavri, Polyrizos and Fotinari. These are typical figures from 20 summers of European reanalysis (2006–2025), not a forecast for any single day.

How busy does it get, month by month?

August is the peak: on an average night there are about 43,017 people staying here. In October it drops to 47% of that peak — about 21,084 people, while in May it sits at 55%. From official overnight-stay figures 2024-2025: it counts whoever sleeps in the area, not day trippers or cruise passengers. It is a historical average, not a forecast for this year.

Weather and sea conditions change. CalmBeach uses the app view for live beach recommendations.

View Rethymno in CalmBeach Greece