The Municipality of Rethymno belongs to the region of Crete and its current form, according to the Kallikrates plan, includes the former municipalities of Arkadi, Lappaion, Rethymnon and Nikiforos Phokas.
The municipality currently has 397.48 km2 and a population of 55,525 inhabitants, according to the 2011 census.
The seat of the municipality is the seaside town of Rethymno, which is considered to be the city-museum of the island. Rethymnon has one of the largest sandy beaches of Crete, reaching 12 km with a multitude of luxurious hotel facilities, where every year thousands of tourists from all parts of the world are welcomed.
The trademark of Rethymno is the castle of Forteza, which was built by the Venetians from 1573 to 1583, understanding the importance of the position occupied by the city. Today, the walls, the tanks and the administration that existed during those years are preserved. There is also a small church and a mosque that reveals the use of the fort by the Ottomans since 1645. Fortezza has for many years been hosting the Renaissance Festival of the city with numerous events in the summer months. At the foothills of the fortress, the old town spreads with Venetian and Turkish buildings. Of particular interest in architectural and sculptural sight is the Rimondi Venetian fountain (1626). The historic Loggia building, located in the old town of Rethymnon, near the Venetian harbor, was the center of the city's social life during the Venetian domination. Apart from the Venetian years, the Ottoman element of the Ottoman domination is also intense. In addition to the numerous Turkish private homes in the old city, the mosques of Kara Mousa Pasha are also preserved with most of its bathroom, the Neratze Mosque, the Great Door and Veli Pasha, and the hammam with two halls covered with semicircular domes.
Southwest of Rethymno, at a distance of 22 km, is the historic Arkadi Monastery, a symbol of sacrifice and heroism of the Cretans for their liberation from the Turkish yoke. The date of its founding is unknown, although some of it dates back to the 14th century. In 1866, the defenders of the Monastery, led by Abbot Gabriel, preferred to blow up the gunpowder and find death rather than surrender to the Turks.