Renowned for its beautiful beaches, charming villages and rugged interior terrain, the island of Crete draws nearly one quarter of all visitors to Greece. Crete's coastline boasts close to 100 miles of beaches - sandy and mostly developed along the northern coast; quieter, more pebbly but less tourist-driven along the south.

Although beautiful beaches abound, one of the most popular stretches of sand is Rethimno, nestled along the center of the island's northern coast. The wide, sandy beach and palm-lined promenade offer visitors a place to relax after exploring the town's tangle of streets, which wind through aging buildings tinged with Turkish and Venetian influences. With minarets, mosques and a Venetian fortezza, the old town has managed to remain virtually untouched amid massive development on its outskirts.

Rethimno's town beach is ideal if you want to stay close to the action, but for cleaner water and less-crowded sand it's best to head out of town and explore the province of the same name. In the north, try Bali Beach, a fishing village turned resort that has retained much of its charm. On the south coast, Ayia Galini beach and Plakias have grown into mini-resorts, but exploring the rest of the coast will yield no end of small, secluded beaches.