One of the most picturesque spots in Rethymno. It is protected from the waves and the enemies by a long pier with a high stone wall, built by the Venetians in the 13th century, which still survives today, almost intact. Overlooking the entrance of the Venetian harbour, on the edge of the old pier, the 9m-high lighthouse is the second largest remaining Egyptian lighthouse in Greece, after that of Chania.
The lighthouse was built in the 1830s, when the Turks gave Crete to the Egyptians, at the same place where the old Venetian lighthouse was built around the 16th century. The lighthouse is not operating today and the entrance to admire the view from the top is not allowed, for safety reasons. The houses inside the port that we see today, were built by the Turks, but the Venetian Customs building still exists at the entrance of the harbor, opposite the lighthouse.
Today, the quay along the harbor is lined by fish restaurants and cafes and there are almost no fishing boats docked there. The new port of Rethymno is outside the Venetian harbor, separated into two parts, along its western and eastern much longer piers.
Location: Venetian Harbor
