Plakias – Holiday in a former fishing village

Plakias (Πλακιάς) is a small, former fishing village on the Greek island of Crete, which has been living from tourism for many years now. Plakias is located on the south coast of Crete, the district capital Rethymno is about 35 kilometers away. Around the town, which is situated in a wide bay and gently enclosed by mountains, there are large areas of olive trees.
The perfect place for a relaxing holiday.

Arriving at Plakias

Coming from the north, you pass through the breathtaking Kourtaliotiko Gorge and are impressed by the opening expanse of the bay of Plakias. The sea shines to the horizon in a unique blue.

The bay of Plakias

Larger view of the map

The former fisherman village

Plakias offers all the amenities of a small town to residents, travellers and holidaymakers from all over the world, without being hectic or crowded.

Beside the official buildings like school, town hall and of course churches there are various large, well assorted supermarkets, an organic food shop, shops for holiday needs, small galleries and shops offering art, jewellery or fashion articles. Two pharmacies and a doctor’s office are available to help with any problems you may have.

Also useful: a laundry, the post office, a diving school, various agencies offering excursions and tours in the area and throughout Crete, bicycle rental, car rental and some ATMs. Unfortunately, these do not always work or are simply empty for a few days.

Food and drinks in Plakias

Of course the physical well-being is well taken care of: Greece is rightly known for its delicious cuisine, the food on Crete is also very healthy. Many taverns of different price ranges, souvlaki and gyros grills and cafés with breakfast, coffee specialities and ice cream have a varied and well-prepared offer.

The taverns in the small mountain village of Mirthios and Sellia above Plakias are sensational. The mountain village of Mariou also has an excellent tavern. In Plakias there are fruit and vegetable shops, bakeries, an organic shop with local products and butchers.

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Accommodations in Plakias

Stella Studios Plakias

The offer of hotels in Plakias is manageable, but there are many very nice and inexpensive studios and apartments, if desired also with family connection. Are you looking for a hotel or other accommodation for your holiday? Read here about hotels, apartments and studios in Plakias.

Mild spring, hot summer, mild autumn, moderate winter

When the warm wind blows slightly in the evening, the air smells of wild herbs like thyme and oregano. And it is warm in Plakias almost all year round, at least warmer than in northern Europe with better weather overall. The climate table for Crete provides information on this.

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Beaches and coves near Plakias

Bathing, swimming and also diving is very popular in Plakias and especially in the hot summer a refreshing pleasure.

The beach in the bay of Plakias consists partly of fine gravel, at the eastern end there are also sand dunes. In many places the water remains shallow for a long time, so that even children can splash and swim in the water without danger.

In the smaller bays, on the other hand, there are good waves when the sea is rough.

The beach of Plakias

At the coast to the west and especially to the east there are many small beaches, most of them idyllic and depending on the season almost lonely. The extensive beach of Damnoni offers beach chairs and parasols as well as three recommended taverns.

In summer the water gets up to 25 °C warm, in winter it even has 15 °C. With the exception of a few weeks in winter, it is always travel time for Plakias.

There’s an extra nudist beach called the Pigs Bay. There are different statements about the meaning and origin of this name.

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Relax and entertainment

Tourism naturally plays a major role in Plakias. Fortunately, this is not (yet) comparable with the tourist centres on the north coast of Crete or even with Mallorca. On the contrary – those who come to Plakias are looking for peace and relaxation and find it here, especially in spring and autumn.

Beach Bar

If you like some evening entertainment, this is the place for you in the high season from July to mid September. There are small discotheques and bars, of course also on the beach.

Excursions from Plakias

From Plakias you can make many different excursions.
Plakias is suitable for a holiday on the spot as well as a starting point for travelling and exploring the whole of Crete.

A hike on foot to Preveli Monastery and Preveli Palm Beach for example, or by rental car to the mountain village of Spili, Matala, Rethymno or Chania. Organized day tours also allow exciting hikes through the impressive Samaria or Imbros Gorge. The area around Plakias can also be easily and inexpensively explored by bus. Buses take you to the monastery and palm beach of Preveli and to the beautiful town of Rethymno on the north coast.

Those who enjoy geocaching can combine the search for caches with excursions.

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