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Rethymno is one of the four prefectures of Crete. It is situated between the prefectures of Chania and Heraklion, abutting the Cretan Sea in the north and the Libyan Sea in the south.
Due to the hot summers and the long periods of rainfall, which lasts from autumn almost to April, the climate can be characterised as "temperate Mediterranean". Its capital, which has the same name as the prefecture, is situated 58 km from the town of Chania and 78 km from the town of Heraklion. The central part of the town of Rethymno is built on the cape of the northern shore of the prefecture.
From Athens there are regular flights to the airport of Chania, from where buses of Olympic Airways and municipal buses take visitors to Rethymno. There are regular schedules from the mainland port of Piraeus directly to the port of Rethymno. Taxis travel all around the prefecture, while urban and municipal buses run regular schedules throughout the prefecture.
Ideal for alternative tourism, Rethymno is a land of contrasts, where the wild mountainous terrain interchanges with fertile plains and an imposing rocky coastline interrupted by long stretches of sandy beaches, revealing a landscape of unique beauty at every turn. The prefecture's terrain is mainly mountainous with small but interesting morphological changes such as imposing gorges, a large number of caves, lush valleys and small rivers. Areas of flat land can be found primarily in the northern coastal region as well as between massifs. Equally restricted is the number of rivers. The Geropotamos, or Avlopotamos from the mountainous area of Mylopotamos flows into the sea west of Panormo, and the Megalo Potamos flows into the lagoon at Preveli.
Mountains and mountain ranges dominate the morphology of the prefecture. In the east rises Mount Ida, or Psiloritis. Rising at 2456m above sea-level, it is the tallest of the island of Crete, its massif covering approximately 1/5 of the total territory of the prefecture.
Τhe mountains of Rethymno prefecture provide plenty of opportunity for alternative tourism activities. They are exceptionally rich in caves, boasting some 850 in all. Many of these caves are of particular interest archaeologically, historically, folkloric or even just of natural beauty. The most famous caves of the prefecture are those of Gerani, of Simonelli, west of the town of Rethymno, of Aghios Antonios near the village of Patsos in the district of Amari, of Melidoni, as well as the cave of Ideon Andron, of Moungri Sison, of Sfendoni near the village of Zoniana and others.
Gorges of extraordinary beauty traverse the mountains and mountain ranges of the prefecture: The ravine of Kourtaliotis, which is 3 km long, ends at the famous Lagoon of Preveli; the ravine of Kotsifou, which starts at the village of Kannevos and ends near the village of Sellia; the gorge of Patsos, in the Amari district; the gorge of Prasses, which ends at the village of Platanias at the north coast east of the town of Rethymno; the gorge of Arkadi and a number of smaller ones.
In addition to the trees and plants, which can also be found in other regions of Greece and the wider Mediterranean area, there are a large number of plants endemic to the island. This can be explained by the geological isolation of the island, which has facilitated the development of local species since ancient times. Out of an estimated number of 2000 species of plants 160 are endemic and grow exclusively on the island.
Of particular interest is the flora of the gorges, which reveals a splendid array of wild flowers and shrubs, many of which are rare species and endemic to the island. They have been preserved from human intervention, because access to this area is difficult and therefore the environment has maintained its original wildness. Here you can see the entire spectrum of species referred to in the above-mentioned areas, since the gorges start in the mountainous and semi-mountainous area and end up at sea level. Furthermore, if you are lucky, you might also come across the famous Cretan Diktamo (Origanum dictamus).
Μuch of the same facts can be applied to the fauna as to the flora, since the development of the fauna depends on environmental factors as well as altitude and temperature.
A plethora of churches and monasteries was built in the Prefecture of Rethymno during both the early Christian and the Byzantine period. Byzantine churches amount to an estimated 300 and 30 monasteries. Early Christian and Byzantine churches are not only of great architectural interest, they also display magnificent interior embellishments: mosaics in early Christian basilicas and frescoes in Byzantine churches. The mosaics usually present geometric forms and motifs taken from the realm of flora and fauna. The frescoes in churches, which were built after the 11th century, depict motifs of narrative character. The techniques used as well as the materials change according to the period of time. This became most obvious during the period of the Cretan Renaissance, more precisely from the 15th century and henceforth, when Byzantine iconography and traditional techniques were complemented by elements of the Renaissance of western countries.
Since 1987 the famous Renaissance Festival has been organised by the Municipality of Rethymno each summer. Due to the fact that both the architecture and literature of the Renaissance have worked as a pedestal for the development of the town of Rethymno, it seemed only natural that the town should become the main sponsor of a variety of manifestations aiming at the promotion of both the Cretan and European Renaissance. Over the course of the years all the works of Cretan playwrights have been performed as well as a large variety of plays by Shakespeare, Moliere, Goldoni and others. Furthermore musicians from all over the world came to Rethymno to perform a wide range of music, starting from the period of the Renaissance to modern times. On a similar note street performances of the "Comedia del arte" could be seen in the narrow streets and alleys of the old town. Dancing performances, exhibitions of paintings, speeches and cinema complete the framework of the festival activities.