Missiria - characteristics and facilities

Several formerly small fishing villages scattered along the coast east of Rethymno have gradually grown and merged into one whole section known as "East Rethymno". This long area of beautiful sandy beaches stretches from Rethymno to Skaleta. The village of Missiria lies about 4 km east of Rethymno, in a picturesque and flat coastal area.

The village gets its name from the Arabic word "Misr", a suburb of Cairo with very fertile soil. The area around Rethymno is also very fertile and is one of the most important vegetable producers on the island of Crete.

Missiria lies within walking distance of the town centre of Rethymno and provides visitors with very good tourist facilities for their holiday. There are beautiful, well-equipped hotels here and the pleasant atmosphere of the resort is particularly accentuated by the abundance of greenery between the hotels and buildings. Tall palm trees, many of which are even taller than the surrounding buildings, are a typical feature of Missiria and lend the resort a subtle exotic touch.

In addition to the many hotels, guesthouses and other accommodations, there are also excellent restaurants and taverns, quaint cafes and, for nightlife enthusiasts, several bars and discos. Overall, Missiria is much livelier than the surrounding resorts further east of Rethymno. Of course, there are shops with a variety of goods, a pharmacy, car rentals and day and night entertainment centres (e.g. mini golf).

Missiria - travel and trips around the area

The North Cretan highway connecting Rethymno and Heraklion passes through the resort, but the beachfront hotels are not affected by traffic noise. Thanks to the local highway, it is not a problem to rent a car and go on a trip to the nearby and more distant surroundings. There are also regular bus services from Missiria to Rethymno and the neighbouring resorts of Perivolia, Adelianos Kampos, Pigianos Kampos, Sfakaki etc.

There are also good transport links southwards from the resort, so you can visit the southern coast of Crete, for example the bay with the beautiful resorts of Kalamaki and Matala, quite easily. Matala beach in particular and the local caves carved out of the rocks can be an interesting excursion. If you like historical and architectural sights, southeast of Missiria is the famous Venetian monastery of Arkadi.

The coastline around the resort and Missiria beach

The area east of Rethymno is particularly popular for its beautiful sandy beaches, and Missiria is no exception.

Missiria beach is mainly sandy, sometimes with small pebbles mixed in. The main advantages of the beach are its crystal clear water and shallow shoreline, which often attract families with children. However, the bay of Rethymno is open to the northerly winds (called meltemi), so you will often experience a rolling sea surface.

The beach is well organised for tourists, with plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas available for visitors, and there are several beach showers, changing rooms and toilets. There are also beach bars right on the beach, and if you want to experience a bit of adrenaline, we recommend going to the local water activities centre and trying some unusual sports for yourself.

Giant sea turtles

A local attraction of Rethymno Bay are the giant sea turtles, which come out of the sea at night between May and September and lay their eggs in the sand on the beach. The eggs then hatch into small turtles and go back to the sea. The turtles are an endangered and protected species, so conservationists work on the local beaches to mark the turtle nests, thereby letting tourists know to be careful and cautious around them. The turtles are not to be picked up, however, as it is important for their continued development that they get back to the sea on their own. However, if you see one during the day, you can shade it with your body so that the strong Greek sun does not exhaust it too much.

(The main nesting ground for these endangered turtles is the Greek island of Zakynthos - so you can learn more about them here - Turtle Island.)

Who is the centre suitable for?

The holiday resort of Missiria is a livelier and better equipped resort compared to the surrounding villages, but still much quieter than the nearby resort of Rethymno. This, together with the beautiful sandy beach, makes it an ideal destination for a family or romantic holiday.

With good transport links, it's easy to get to any of the larger resorts and enjoy the local historical sites, entertainment or major shopping.

More touristic destinations of Crete

Close resorts: Adelianos Kampos, Pigianos Kampos, Rethymno

Most favourite resorts of Crete: Adelianos Kampos, Agia Marina, Agios Nikolaos, Heraklion (Iraklion), Hersonissos, Chania, Ierapetra, Kalamaki (Matala), Malia, Platanias (Chania), Rethymno, Stalis

Resorts, beaches, sights or trips - clearly listed on the map of Crete.