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This corner of the south coast

Plakias sits between two gorges with the Libyan Sea in front of it. You can do very little here extremely well — or drive twenty minutes and find a different beach every day for a fortnight. These are the places we send people.

The walk from the hotel into Plakias An illustrated map of Plakias bay. The hotel sits at the quiet eastern end of the beach, fifty metres above the sea. A path follows the sand west for about ten minutes to the village, its tavernas, shops and little harbour, where the bus to Rethymno stops. The road to Preveli and its palm beach leaves to the east. The hotel 50 m from the sea Plakias village tavernas · shops · harbour ≈ 10 minutes along the sand Bus to Rethymno Plakias beach Preveli & the palm beach
Illustrated orientation map; see the Explore guides for detail.
  • The long sandy beach at Plakias with the village beyond

    Plakias village

    The ten-minute walk, the tavernas worth the wait, the bus to Rethymno, and where to buy bread.

  • A quiet stretch of sand and clear water near Plakias

    The beaches

    Plakias is the easy one. Damnoni, Souda, Schinaria and Ammoudi are worth the short drive.

  • The coastline east of Plakias, where the Kourtaliotis river reaches the sea

    Preveli & the palm beach

    A river, a palm grove and a monastery above the sea — the one excursion nobody regrets.

  • The mountains and gorges inland from Plakias

    Gorges, lakes & villages

    Kotsifos and Kourtaliotis gorges, the springs at Argiroupoli, and Crete’s largest lake.

  • The coast of South Crete seen from the air

    A little history

    The monastery at Preveli, the Venetian harbour and the Fortezza at Rethymno.