Agia Galini

The name of Agia Galini means ‘the bay of peace’; which seems to be really corresponding. Originally a fishing village with a port, the Agia Galini resort is a perfect place for spending a calm family holiday. It will engage your attention with its beauty at the first sight: the terraced village is built on a slope of a canyon leading to the local port. Among the buildings, you will find both new small hotels and pensions and the original old edifices. There are also the original paved streets on which you can walk Agia Galini all through. For a video of the resort and a complete overview of hotels, see the bottom of the page.

Although Agia Galini can be reached easily both by car and bus, in the resort itself there are no cars at all. Unlike in other resorts, the access way doesn’t lead through the resort but all around it, ending in the port. The beautiful landscape in the surroundings offers a very nice panorama - Agia Galini is located in a small bay surrounded by hills and rocks both in the east and in the west, and if you look towards the interior, you will see the highest mountains of the island with its highest peak, Mount Psiloritis (2 456 m). The hills and rocks on both sides of the bay are more than 200 m high, yet there is an almost  1 000 m high peak just behind and so the view is really splendid. 

What to do in Agia Galini?

In terms of relaxation and bathing, Agia Galini offers everything you can imagine, including peace and loneliness on tiny beaches hidden in small and romantic bays in the surroundings, but also fully equipped beaches with tavernas, beach bars, and a variety of water sports. Those who like to go shopping and enjoy social life won’t be disappointed either - there are plenty of little shops all over the resort, tavernas offering peace and a nice sit-down but also interesting programme till late evening hours.

History of Agia Galini

The name of Agia Galini is most often derived from a story from the Byzantine era, according to which the ship of the Byzantine emperor was hit by a storm and so he was forced to drop anchor in this very bay. He got off the ship and on the coast he prayed to the Mother of God so that the sea would calm down, promising to build her a church in the place. And as the sea did calm down like by magic, the emperor kept his promise and let build a church that has been preserved till nowadays in the local cemetery.

In the bay of Agia Galini, a wreck of a Roman ship was found, too, from which archeologists extricated a great number of bronze objects, coins and small statues, among others, all of which are exhibited in the archaeological museum in Rethymno.

And, on the top of that, the eastern part of Agia Galini where the rivulet Plati empties into the sea was the place where Odysseus got stuck on his way home from Troy to Ithaca.

Location

The resort is located on the south coast of Crete in the northern part of the Messara bay with a beautiful view on Agia Galini. The whole area can be found about 50 km driving on the main road to the south of Rethymno. If you are travelling to Agia Galini from the west, the best is to go on the main road leading from  Rethymno to the south. This road then continues further to Mires and Gortys where it divides into two roads, the first one continuing further to Heraklion, and the second one leading to the south ending in Ierapetra. See the distances or the main roads on the map.

Video from Agia Galini Resort

Video

Where else to go on Crete?

Some of the most visited resorts are: Adelianos Kampos, Agia Fotia, Agia Galini, Agia Marina, Agia Pelagia, Agios Nikolaos, Achlia, Amoudara (West of Heraklion), Analipsi, Anissaras, Bali, Damnoni, Erimoupoli, Ferma, Fodele, Galini, Georgioupolis, Gouves (Kato Gouves), Heraklion, Hersonissos, Chania, Ierapetra, Kavros, Elounda, Kalamaki, Kissamos, Kokkini Hani, Kolymbari, Lygaria, Makrigialos, Maleme, Malia, Matala, Mirtos, Missiria, Paleochora, Panormos, Perivolia, Pigianos Kambos, Plakias, Platanias (Chania), Rapaniana, Rethymno, Sissi, Skaleta, Stalida - Stalis, Stalos, Stavromenos and Stavros,