Greece - Korina Miller [386]
Moni Preveli & Preveli Beach
With a spectacular location high above the Libyan Sea, 14km east of Plakias and 35km from Rethymno, the well maintained and historic Moni Preveli ( 28320 31246; www.preveli.org; admission €2.50; 8am-7.30pm Jun-Oct) stands in tranquil isolation above one of Crete’s most famous beaches. Like most Cretan monasteries, it was a centre of anti-Ottoman resistance, and was burned by the Turks during the 1866 onslaught.
History repeated itself after the Battle of Crete in 1941; after many Allied soldiers were sheltered here before being evacuated to Egypt, the Germans plundered the monastery. Preveli’s museum contains a candelabra presented by grateful British soldiers after the war, along with valuable ecclesiastical objects.
Below the monastery lies the celebrated Preveli Beach, a highly photogenic stretch of sand also called Palm Beach (Paralia Finikodasous). It’s at the mouth of the Kourtaliotis Gorge, from where the river Megalopotamos slices across it and empties into the Libyan Sea. The palm-lined riverbanks have freshwater pools good for a dip, while rugged cliffs begin where the sands end.
A steep path leads down to the beach (10 minutes) from a car park 1km before Moni Preveli. Alternatively, drive 5km down a signposted dirt road from a stone bridge just off the Moni Preveli main road. It ends at Amoudi Beach, from where you can walk west along a 500m track over the headland to reach Preveli.
In summer, four daily buses go from Rethymno to Preveli (€4.10, 40 to 45 minutes).
Spili Σπλι
pop 640
A pretty mountain village with cobbled streets, rustic houses and plane trees, Spili (spee-lee) is 30km southeast of Rethymno, but much closer to Plakias and Preveli.
It has two ATMs and a post office, and its medical clinic also covers this part of southern Crete.
Spili’s unique Venetian fountain spurts pure spring water from 19 lion heads. The village sees tourist buses during the day, but quietens down by evening. If you’re looking for a bucolic inland base for operations, there are good sleeping and eating options here.
The bus stop is south of the square. Check email at Café Babis, near the fountain.
SLEEPING & EATING
Heracles Rooms ( /fax 28320 22411; heraclespapadakis@hotmail.com; s/d €29/40; ) Has spotless, nicely furnished rooms with window screens, fridge and air-con, plus great mountain views.
Costas Inn ( 28320 22040; d incl breakfast €35) These well kept, pleasant rooms have ceiling fans and some amenities. Some offer a fridge.
Yianni’s ( 28320 22707; mains €4-7) Past the fountain, Yianni’s has a courtyard setting and excellent traditional cooking; try the delicious rabbit in wine, mountain snails and house red.
Panorama ( 28320 22555) This excellent traditional taverna, run by Pantelis Vasilakis and his wife Calliope, lies on the eastern outskirts. Try the homemade bread and Cretan specialities such as kid goat with horta (wild greens).
GETTING THERE & AWAY
From both Preveli and Plakias (following different roads) it’s a little over 20km and a 30-minute drive from either place to Spili. There are four daily buses from Rethymno (€4, one hour).
Return to beginning of chapter
AGIOS PAVLOS & TRIOPETRA ΑΓΙΟΣ ΠΑΥΛΟΣ & ΤΡΙΟΠΕΤΡΑ
Idyllic, pristine and very remote, the beaches of Agios Pavlos and Triopetra have long been popular with yoga and meditation groups. However, if you’re driving, they aren’t particularly hard to access, via the village of Kato Saktouria (along the Spili–Agia Galini road), about 53km southeast of Rethymno. Surrounded by sand dunes and dramatic, red-rock cliffs, the coast here is certainly one of Crete’s most beautiful places, ideal for escapists; the permanent local population is somewhere in the low single digits.
Agios Pavlos, the ‘major’ settlement, consists of a sandy cove overlooked by a few rooms, one shop, and tavernas. Better beaches are on the subsequent sandy coves, about a 10-minute walk over the western cliffs; like Plakias, strong summer winds are common.