Plakias Resort

Plakias is a tourist resort with several kinds of beautiful beaches, including Plakias, and Plakias West. Originally, Plakias was a fishing settlement and today it ranks among the most beautiful resorts on Crete.

What to do in Plakias?

Given its location and the general layout, Plakias offers both comfort, nice sit-downs in tavernas and romantic walks on the illuminated colonnade, but also lots of lively entertainment and lightlife. An interesting thing about Plakias are the turtles that can be found in the concrete brook bed emptying into the sea close to the port. Once you get tired of the place, you get go for a walk towards the east to the beach and the resort of Damnoni. There is even a small train operating between Plakias and Damnoni, yet its service depends on the season and the number of tourists in the resort.

Plakias beaches

In Plakias there are all kinds of beaches, including those fully equipped ones with many people but also beautiful places where no one will disturb you, providing enough privacy for perfect relaxation. The resort can be enjoyed also by the lovers of undersea life, especially on the Plakias West beach, also given the many rock formations under the water surface, varied fish species and more sea animals. If you like diving and snorkelling, you should definitely visit the beach on the wet of Plakias. Just below the water surface, there are rocks stretching far into the sea, forming tunnels and intended surface, and there are lots of fish, as well as nice warm water and no huge waves. 

Plakias surroundings

From Plakias you can make different kinds of trips: in the resort surroundings, there are several historical sites as well as natural places of interest where you can get on foot - e.g. the three watermills close to the Souda bay (an about 45 minute walk west of Plakias). For those who prefer public transport, there is a choice of all-day trips by train in the surroundings of the resort. And if you have the possibility to rent a car and travel a bit further, you should visit especially the beach and the Preveli monastery (east of Plakias) or the fortress of Frangokastello (west of Plakias). You can also go to the Preveli beach by boat.

The Plakias resort is an ideal point of departure to get to know the beauties especially of south Crete, whether by a rented car or a scooter, or the local public buses.

Interesting links on Plakias

History of Plakias

The name of the resort is derived from the Greek ´Plaka´, which is a name for a rock on the east side of the bay in the shape of slab. In this rock, a tunnel has been carved, through which you can walk to the premises of the former fortification that was built to defenf the bay. There is a beautiful view on the whole bay including the resort with the wall of mountains in the background.

Plakias location

The Plakias resort is located on the south coast of Crete approx. 40 km of Rethymno, 120 km of Heraklion and 95km of Hania. For more distances on Crete, see the link.

If you travel to Plakias from north or west Crete, the easiest way is to drive up to Rethymno and then about 40 km south to Plakias. From Rethymno there is also a regular bus transport, If you travel to Plakias from the south, the fastest option is to drive on the main road through Timbaki and Agia Galini to Spili, and there turn to the left to Plakias.

Where else to go on Crete?

Some of themost visited resorts on Crete 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.