Plakias

Tours

Discover 3 of the most famous beaches on the south coast of Crete. Travel through the wild Kourtaliotis Gorge where you will stop to see the magnificent waterfalls and the springs of the river Preveli that flow inside the gorge and which result in the river at Preveli Beach. The first stop in the south is at the sandy beach Damnoni, where the boat is waiting to take you to Palm Beach Preveli at the south-end of Kourtaliotis Gorge, at the mouth of the river Preveli. Enjoy some time for a splendid swim in the crystal clear waters of the Libyan Sea, sunbathe and relax, and embark on a short hike through the tropical forest. Visit the south of Crete and stop at the viewpoint above where you will be able to enjoy a breathtaking view and take some fantastic pictures. Hop on the boat to take you to Preveli, a unique mixture of the sandy beach and the green river which is flanked by palm forests and rocky surroundings. Here you will have time to enjoy the refreshing Libyan sea and the Cretan Sun. Continue to the sandy beach of Damnoni, where the boat is waiting to take you to Palm Beach Preveli at the south-end of Kourtaliotis Gorge, at the mouth of the river Preveli. Enjoy some time for a splendid swim in the crystal clear waters of the Libyan Sea, sunbathe and relax, and embark on a short hike through the tropical forest. Hop back on the boat and return back to the sandy beach of Damnoni. The next stop is the small resort Plakias, situated in a natural bay. Here you can have lunch, go for another swim or do some shopping. We will take another road to return to Rethymno, driving through the impressive Kotsifou Gorge.

Following pick-up at your hotel. Sit back and enjoy the dramatic scenery of the Kourtaliótiko Gorge as you make your way to the beautiful beach of Preveli. Get breathtaking views of the blue waters of the Aegean Sea contrasting with the lush green of the palm forest and lagoon. The first stop is Damnoni beach. From here you will take the boat over to Palm beach. Take some free time to soak in all the beauty of the clear blue waters combined with the lagoon and palm forest. Enjoy time to purchase lunch and refreshments in Damnoni and admire its beautiful clean beach. After Damnoni we will visit the small fisher village Plakias. Journey back to Rethymno and get dropped off at your hotel on arrival.

Visit Preveli beach, the Kourtaliotiko gorge, with hotel pickup and drop-off in Rethymno or Chania on a private or shared tour. Cruise aboard a boat on the Libyan sea, swim in crystal-clear waters, and relax on a sandy beach.  Start your tour from your accommodation where your guide will meet you. Take a short scenic drive through to Damnoni beach where your personal boat driver awaits. Find yourself in Preveli after a short, picturesque boat ride. Enjoy a swim in the Libyan Sea at Preveli beach and feel free to explore the Kourtaliotiko gorge and marvel at the mountainous terrain. Connected to Preveli beach is a series of springs and waterfalls that lead into the gorge which can also be visited. Discover a mixture of sandy beaches, lush forest, and mountains. Return to your accommodation on a route through the Kourtaliotiko gorge.

Discover the raw beauty of Crete on this guided day tour from Rethymno to Preveli. Take the opportunity to visit Preveli Beach, the Kourtaliotiko gorge, cruise aboard a boat on the Libyan Sea, swim in crystal-clear waters, and relax on a sandy beach. Relax ─ your tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Rethymno or Chania. Start your tour from your accommodation where your guide will meet you. Take a short scenic drive through to Damnoni beach where your personal boat driver awaits. Find yourself in Preveli after a short, picturesque boat ride. Enjoy a swim in the Libyan Sea at Preveli Beach and feel free to explore the Kourtaliotiko gorge and marvel at the mountainous terrain. Connected to Preveli Beach is a series of springs and waterfalls that lead into the gorge which can also be visited. Discover a mixture of sandy beaches, lush forests, and mountains. Return to your accommodation on a route through the Kourtaliotiko gorge

Discover one of the most famous beaches on the south coast of Crete. Travel through the wild Kourtaliotis Gorge where you will stop to see the magnificent landscapes and the springs of the river Preveli that flow inside the gorge and which result in the river at Preveli Beach. Visit the south of Crete and stop at the viewpoint above where you will be able to enjoy a breathtaking view and take some fantastic pictures. Enjoy a full-day excursion from Heraklion to Preveli Beach on a bus trip with a local guide. Discover South Crete's Grand River, Kourtaliotikos Gorge, and a colony of Theophrastus palm trees. Sunbathe on the sandy beach, swim in the turquoise waters, watch for wildlife, or hike regional trails.  Begin your tour with a bus ride from the north coast to Preveli Beach, where you can swim in the turquoise Mediterranean water or stroll along the beach. Look for a rock shaped like a heart, known as The Stone of Lovers, and marvel at the steep cliffs and misty hilltops of nearby Kourtaliotikos Gorge.  Continue your tour by hiking along the banks of the Grand River to discover the Forest full of Theophrastus palm trees. Hike further up the river trail to a canyon and beach where you can further swim, hike, or sunbathe, before heading back down the path to the bus and returning to Heraklion. 10:45 Arrival at Preveli – free time 15:00 Departure from Preveli 16:50 Arrival in Heraklion Route: 210 km Duration: app. 7hours

Preveli is a famous beach on the south side of Crete Island. The local legend says that the mythological king Odysseus stopped in Preveli on the way to his homeland, Ithaka. What makes Preveli beach so famous is the palm forest surrounding the river, which comes from a gorge and ends up in the sea. The exotic beauty of nature attracted in the 60s and 70s hippies from around the globe who used to live here and make huts under the palm trees. Due to the sensitivity of nature around Preveli Beach, the area is protected by the Natura 2000, and it is a natural reserve. We pass BUT WE DONT STOP from Kourtaliotiko gorge.Kourtaliotiko gorge is believed to have been used as a natural fortress by the ancient Minoans, who lived on the island of Crete more than 4,000 years ago. In the Middle Ages, the gorge was used as a route for transporting goods between the towns of Plakias and Koxare.In modern times, Kourtaliotiko gorge has become a popular tourist destination, with visitors from all over the world coming to explore its rugged landscape and take in the stunning views. The gorge is also a popular spot for outdoor activities such as hiking, rock climbing, and photography. Despite its popularity, the gorge remains an important part of the local culture and traditions, and efforts are being made to preserve its natural beauty and cultural significance for future generations. We have one stop for coffe in Damnoni beach in an idyllic bay just a few kilometres from the more famous resort of Plakias. It is about 35 km south of the city of Rethymno, on the southern coast of the island, on the southern coast of the island. At beach of Damnoni we will take the ferry to Preveli.Another advantage of visiting Damnoni is that it is relatively uncrowded for most of the year.

The starting point is Dive2gether diving school in Plakias. Here you will meet the guide(s) and other participants and you will fit a wetsuit, mask, and snorkel. All this equipment will be packed in big rucksacks with enough space to add your personal belongings. You will need to bring: a towel, water shoes, and a small water bottle which you can refill at the springs. Before we leave for the Kourtaliotiko Gorge one of the guides will show you a video of the trip, so you are well-prepared before we leave the shop. There is a service for safekeeping your valuables in the shop. Our guides take a professional underwater camera and take pictures of the full tour in and out of the water. Finally, you will be asked to visit the toilet and fill your water bottles before we go. Using the diving school's vans our driver will drive us to the Kourtaliotiko Gorge and drop us off at the staircase of 300+ concrete steps bringing us to a beautiful Greek chapel and finally to the bottom of the gorge where we enter the water. Because of the many steps, this trip is not recommended for people who have knee problems. At the water level, we put on our wetsuits, take our masks and snorkels out of the bag, and put on our water shoes. We will put our dry clothes in the bags and leave those bags unattended as we continue our trip through the water. Walking through hip-deep water along the side of the river we reach the first water springs and get a chance to drip fresh spring water straight from the spring!! Amazing experience! Further on we reach the 'laguna' where many waterfalls make for a unique nature and lush natural wonder. Here is where we offer a crash course in snorkeling, explaining how a wetsuit does not only keep us warm, it also offers us float. Mask and snorkel are tested for proper function. In the deeper water, our guide will attach a safety floating swimmers’ line, so all feel safe and comfortable. We swim, splash, and have a great time amongst the amazing waterfalls. When we get too cold, we go out of the water and into the sun and enjoy the fresh fruits the guide brought. Then it's time to head back to our pick-up station. Once back at the diving school, we watch the pictures which you may choose to purchase for an additional charge. This will be an adventure you will never forget!! ☼

Begin your day with pickup at the designated pick up location and head towards Damnoni. Make a stop at Spili or Asomatos village on your way for a coffee break in order to enjoy the beautiful historical village. Continue on your journey, as guide will collect the money in order to bring you the ferry tickets. Arrive at Preveli beach where you will be able to stay there for 3 hours and explore the Kourtaliotis Gorge, the Palm Tree Forest, or relax at the beach. Explore outside of Chania and see a gorge, river, lagoon, a palm forest, and wonderful sand beach all in one trip. See the beach, located near the exit of Kourtaliotis Gorge. Experience one of the most famous beaches in the South of Crete. Admire the area behind the beach, where begins the second largest palm forest of 40 hectares, which hosts the endemic Cretan palm tree of Theophrastus, protected by the Natura 2000 Network. Follow the marked path (and it is advisable not to step off it) and enjoy pictures full of greenery and listen to the sounds of running water. Immerse yourself in the beautiful nature and admire the natural scenery. Make a stop at the end of the river, which forms a small lake at its exit to the sea with year-round water. Take the chance to have a refreshing swim in the large swimming pools that form every now and then. Enjoy the beach in its natural state, as there are no sunbeds or umbrellas. Stop at the canteen where you can get the essentials if you need to. Depart from Prevali beach and head to Damnoni where you will catch the bus and head to the village of Plakias as you will have free time to have lunch and drink at one of the taverns. Make a brief photo stop on the return journey and enjoy the stunning view of Kourtaliotis Gorge, before being dropped back off at your pickup point.

Embark on a horseback riding adventure along the stunning landscapes of Damnoni, Ammoudaki, Klissidi, and Ammoudi. Traverse the scenic path and encounter the picturesque rural roads that lead you eastward along the coastline. Begin your journey at the Horse Riding Center, where you will embark on a memorable experience through olive groves towards Damnoni beach. As you traverse the scenic path, encounter the picturesque rural roads that lead you eastward along the coastline. Ride through the charming small beaches of Ammoudaki and Klissidi, providing a unique perspective of the coastal beauty. The views of the coast and the Libyan Sea are truly awe-inspiring, creating a sense of tranquility and connection with nature. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and scents of the Mediterranean environment. Whether you are a seasoned rider or a beginner, this trip offers a perfect blend of exploration and relaxation along the enchanting East Coastline.

Discover three famous beaches along the southern coast of Crete. Traverse the wild beauty of Kourtaliotis Gorge, stopping to admire its stunning waterfalls and the springs of the Preveli River that flow into Preveli Beach. Begin your journey at Damnoni beach, where a boat awaits to take you to Palm Beach Preveli. Enjoy a swim in the clear waters of the Libyan Sea and take a short walk through the forest. Head to a scenic viewpoint for breathtaking views and then board a boat to Preveli. Experience the mix of sandy beaches and lush greenery surrounded by palm trees and rocky cliffs. Return to Damnoni beach for more relaxation before heading to the small resort town of Plakias for lunch, swimming, or shopping. Finally, make your way back to Rethymno via the impressive Kotsifou Gorge.