Plakias

Surrounded by mountain ranges in its north part and by the gorgeous Libyan Sea in its south, Plakias region is located at 30 kilometers distance south to the city of Rethymno. It was only a few decades ago when Plakias numbered just 10 local houses before it started to gain great touristic attention.

The first reference to the village of Plakias was in 1961 when a census of the area recorded six fishermen as permanent residents. The history of the surrounding villages of Myrthios and Sellia dates back to the 10th century when the Byzantine emperor Nikiforos Fokas the second built roads and bridges in order to connect the two villages and establish their communication. The region features vast rural areas and it is believed that a settlement lived there since the Minoan years.

The sandy beach of Plakias reaches 1300 meters in length and it is considered as one of the most beautiful beaches of the wider region, where there are several other stunning beaches within walking distance (Damnoni, Ammoudi, the little Ammoudi and Schinaria). The rich coastline of the region is beautifully embellished by numerous scattered small taverns in the background of the beach, most of them situated on the western part of the Plakias where everyone can enjoy fresh local specialties, overlooking the southern coasts of Crete. In fact, the World Tourism Day is hosted and organised in Plakias every September, with the celebrations including traditional dancing, singing and of course local culinary delights in the main square of the village.

Furthermore, the world heritage site of the island, the Monastery of Preveli, stands 8 km east of Plakias and comprises a cultural and historical monument of significant magnitude. Due to its isolated position, the monastery played a pivotal role during the resistance in World War II.