Rimondi Grand Resort & Spa ★★★★

The North Cretan Coast is one of my favourite major roads. Travelling from Chania in the west towards Heraklion in the east, you can easily thunder past Rethymno with just a tantalising glimpse of its fortress and domed mosques meeting the sparkling sea. But it is certainly worth turning off the highway. Those glimpses of ancient edifices are whispers of one of this city's major assets: the history still reverberating through the streets of its old town. It is here you can best bear witness to Crete's eventful past, and see the beauty of the architecture left behind by its historic Ottoman and Venetian rulers.

It's a laid-back city; the pace is in line with the clement Cretan weather, but you'll still find oodles of vibrancy and character. Just outside town is the Rimondi Grand Resort & Spa ****. It's designed with the contemporary traveller in mind: a modern, stylish building with a gorgeous infinity pool and rooms that either connect you to the olive groves surrounding the property or the endless blue sea beyond.

We met the friendly staff and booked into a junior suite. It was lovely, spacious and clean, with wooden floors and exposed brick walls adding a rustic quality to the otherwise modern ambience. Modern art adorned the walls and there was a large sofa and coffee table close to the French doors, which led onto our furnished and sunny terrace. In the separate bedroom, we made a point to lie on the bed before bed-time to check out the famous Greek Coco-Mat, and agreed it was extremely comfortable. We appreciated the feather pillows and crisp linen. Our bathroom had a rainfall shower and was elegant in porcelain and wooden details.

We headed out to the pool, as soon as we had unpacked, and jumped in. Cue a few hours soaking up the generous Cretan sun, and we knew we had arrived in the Mediterranean. The bar offered an array of drinks, we had some good coffee and later tried a cocktail or two. The hotel restaurant had a stylish interior and atmospheric terrace to dine al fresco on that famous Mediterranean cuisine.

The area around Rimondi Grand Resort and Spa is also graced by stretches and stretches of sandy beaches, and the sunsets are spectacular. We loved the rhythm of having a late breakfast at the hotel, followed by a trip out to the beach, back for a siesta and pool break, and then either dinner in the restaurant or heading out again to explore the numerous tavernas.

We also loved wandering the warren like streets of the old town, criss-crossing to the harbour. They are particularly characterful and treasure their wonderfully preserved signs of bygone days. Arabic script can still be seen, as well as the domes of the mosques. There’s also the expected Greek charm: flower-strewn streets, colourful paintwork, winding narrow roads and little tavernas with music, tables and people spilling out onto the pavements. We were totally charmed by Rethymno but also loved escaping back to our little enclave of luxury and peace at the Rimondi Grand Resort and Spa.