Preveli & the palm beach

A freshwater river runs out of the Kourtaliotis gorge, through a grove of palm trees, and straight into the sea. That is Preveli, and it is the one place we send absolutely everybody.

The palms are the real thing — a natural stand of Cretan date palms, not a planting — and the river is cool and shallow enough to wade up between them, out of the sun, while the sea works away at the shingle behind you. There are small waterfalls further up if you keep walking. It is genuinely unusual, and photographs make it look busier and smaller than it feels.

The catch, and it is a real one: you cannot drive down. The beach is reached on foot from a car park on the cliff above, by a stepped path that is steep in both directions and unforgiving in the middle of the day. Go early, take water, and wear something better than flip-flops. At the bottom there is a small taverna, with umbrellas and sunbeds to hire.

A fire went through the palm grove some years ago and the trees have been coming back since — you will see the evidence. It is still worth the walk.

The monastery

Preveli Monastery stands on the cliffs a little further on, in one of the finest positions on the island. There are indications of a monastery here as far back as the tenth century. What you visit today is really two: the lower monastery, now abandoned, and the Piso Monastery of St John the Theologian, which is still inhabited and open to visitors. Its small museum holds icons, ritual objects and relics.

Modest dress is expected — shoulders and knees covered — and the view from the terrace alone justifies the drive, even if you skip the beach entirely.