SENTIDO Aegean Pearl is steps away from the sandy beach at Rethymnon, a town on the north coast of Crete. The hotel is a short drive to the east of the town centre, towards the end of a promenade that stretches several kilometres along the seafront to Rethymnon's marina. There's a main pool area at the front of the hotel, edged by palm trees, plus two smaller pools. Two of the pools have dedicated children's sections. The spa, which is shared with the neighbouring SENTIDO Pearl Beach, has an indoor pool, whirlpool and a Finnish sauna. It also offers fitness and massage programmes, as well as beauty therapies. The hotel has a varied programme of evening entertainment such as live music and DJs, folklore nights with Cretan and Greek dancing, magic shows and belly dancers. During the daytime you might like to try a cooking lesson, learn about herbal teas, or take a guided walk in the surrounding countryside. The town of Rethymnon has a centre that dates back to the Renaissance, with Venetian and Moorish architecture and narrow alleyways now filled with shops, cafés and bars. A highlight is the Venetian Fortezza, a walled fortress with a hidden chapel. Beneath its walls you can walk around the old harbour, perhaps stopping for some freshly-grilled fish at one of the many tavernas. At the end of the breakwater stands a 17th-century Turkish lighthouse, while a few steps away is the Venetian Loggia, once a meeting place for local nobility that was later turned into a mosque.