Crete’s Petradi Beach Hotel in Rethymnon is a 3 star establishment 20 minutes walk outside Rethymnon town centre.  Its location is perfect for excursions West to Georgiopouli and Chania, East to Heraklion and Knossos, and South to Plakias and Preveli.

I particularly enjoyed being able to walk to and from Rethymnon, we usually hire a car, but it’s wonderful to be able to wander into town and enjoy a drink or two without it costing a small fortune in cab rides when it’s time to hit the hay.

THE BEACH
The sea isn’t cold, there are spots where it’s well-warmed by the sunshine, and the sand and rock underfoot slopes gently into the depths - with no sudden shelving.  In the shallows, the sea is beautifully clear and you can watch the tiny fishes swimming around your legs and feet.  It’s also enjoyable to wander along the soft sandy beach, and easy-to-climb (or, if you’re me, inelegantly clamber over) rocks, towards Rethymnon. Although, I don’t advise doing what I did, which was to take ages longer than intended and get a sun-burned back!

RETHYMNON
Rethymnon has plenty of modern shops, restaurants and bars, but it’s the Old Town that has all the charm.  It is vibrant and colourful, with tightly crammed buildings housing its inhabitants, whose lives spill out onto the streets from the multitude of balconies.

The streets of Old Rethymnon throng with locals out for an evening, and holidaymakers looking for their dinner and souvenirs.  In the evening, there are wandering minstrels, usually children playing accordions.  It’s only my personal opinion, but I think that people give them money just to shut up and go away - you’ve got to really like accordion music.

HOTEL FACILITIES
The Petradi Beach Hotel offers double rooms, as well as split level apartments with self catering facilities. The apartments have a sitting room on the first level, with a sleeping platform above.  All rooms and apartments have a balcony or terrace, and many offer a sea view.

The hotel has its own swimming pool with an adjoining toddlers’ pool, and is adjacent to a soft sand beach where sun loungers are available free of charge.  Situated conveniently by the pool and the beach, there is a bar that sells hot and cold drinks and snacks, beer and ice-creams.

The Petradi Beach Hotel is very relaxed and the staff are friendly and helpful - between them they speak various European languages, of which I personally heard English, German and French.  The hotel offers internet access from a PC in Reception.

HOTEL FOOD
The Petradi Beach Hotel presents a mouth watering spread for breakfast that should satisfy all tastes and appetites.  There’s plenty of it and it’s all fresh and delicious - various breads, toast and croissants, eggs, bacon, cake, ham, cheese, fresh yogurt, honey, fruit yogurts, fresh fruit and juice, cereals and of course the usual beverages.

Breakfast can be enjoyed in the basement breakfast room or on the attractive terrace overlooking the sea and the Venetian Fortezza in Old Rethymnon, so you can multi-task by sightseeing while you stuff your face!

In the evening, it’s delightful to dine on this terrace, and I highly recommend their Seafood Linguine, made with a dash of Ouzo to impart a delicate bouquet of anise.

HOTEL INFORMATION
The Petradi Beach Hotel is my kind of holiday hotel, being far enough from town to avoid the hustle and bustle, but close enough to walk there when that’s what I crave.

Petradi Beach Hotel and Apartments
Stamathioudaki 79
Rethymnon
Crete
Greece 74100

Telephone:  +30 2831035340
Email:  info@petradi-beach.gr
Website: http://www.petradibeach.gr

All this talk of food is making my tummy rumble, so I’m off to find a snack.

Posted in: Crete Holidays, Crete Hotels, Crete Towns |