Plakias
Encyclopedia
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, in the Rethymno Prefecture
Rethymno Prefecture
Rethymno is one of the four regional units of Crete, Greece. Its capital is the city of Rethymno. Today its main income is tourism. The countryside is also based economically on agriculture and herding.-Administration:...
, about 30 kilometres south of the city of Rethymno
Rethymno
Rethymno is a city of approximately 40,000 people in Greece, the capital of Rethymno peripheral unit in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity , even though was never a competitive Minoan centre...
. It is part of the municipality Foinikas
Foinikas
Foinikas is a former municipality in the Rethymno peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agios Vasileios, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,946 . The seat of the municipality was in Sellia....
. It is surrounded by mountains to the north and the Libyan Sea
Libyan Sea
The Libyan Sea is the portion of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the African coast of ancient Libya, i.e. Cyrenaica and Marmarica...
to the south.
The name in Greek means "Flat" , because the town stands on an Alluvial fan of material that has come down the Kotsifou gorge directly to the north .
This material has been formed along the sea's edge into a long fine gold sand beach , which shelves very gradually out into the bay , making it good and as safe as can be for swimming , so very suitable for family holidays .
Initially a fishing jetty and a few houses, Plakias developed in the last few decades into a tourist resort. The first official notice of Plakias was in 1961, when it was mentioned in a census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
as the permanent home of six fishermen. The recorded history of surrounding mountain villages like Myrthios and Sellia
Sellia
-Places:Greece*Sellia, Chania, a village in the municipality of Vamos, Chania*Sellia, Rethymno, a village in the municipality of Foinikas, RethymnoItaly*Sellia, Calabria, a comune in the Province of Catanzaro...
goes back into the 10th century, when the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas (961 AD) built roads and bridges in order to link those villages , and there are some fragments of wall remaining from a fortified area on a hill top just northeast of the present main town .
In fact , the whole local area is immediately obvious as geographically suitable for a settlement , having plenty of agricultural space , and there has doubtless has been a settled community there more or less contiously since Minoan times .
Plakias has a 1300 metre long sandy beach and there are several other beaches within walking distance (Souda, Damnoni, Ammoudi and Skhinaria). The south-eastern end of the beach, near the Kakomouri headland, is used by nudists. As the town is effectively not on the way to anywhere else , there is next to no through traffic , keeping the resort a little quieter and less dusty than usual sometimes in Greece !
Parking along the main town road is difficult in high season , but there is a big free parking area just east of the main town .
There are plenty of places to eat along the sea front , the biggest cluster of tavernas is at the west end .
To the east (8Km)is the historic Monastery of Preveli
Preveli
Preveli is a location on the south coast of the Greek island of Crete, in the Rethymno Prefecture, notable for its historic monastery.-Preveli Monastery:...
, which, due to its isolated position, played an important role in Cretan revolts against occupying forces such as against the Nazis in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Plakias is home to the Youth Hostel Plakias, famous among international backpackers
Backpacking (travel)
Backpacking is a term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel. Terms such as independent travel and/or budget travel are often used...
as the 'most southerly hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
' in Europe , set in a garden in Olive groves behind the town .
Also World famous are the cafe "Nufaro", (known universally as "Joe's bar") , and the very traditional taverna "Niko's Souvlaki" , which is hidden up a side street - you have to visit both to see why !
"World International Tourism Day" each September is celebrated with a big evening festival , with a free buffet meal and free traditional music+songs+dancing shows in the main "square" .
There are two roads down into Plakias through the mountain range which lies to the north, both of which run through spectacular gorges - to the north of Plakias, the Kotsifos Gorge
Kotsifos Gorge
The Kotsifos Gorge is a gorge on the southern side of the western part of the island of Crete. It is situated west of the mountain of Kouroupa, north of the town of Plakias, and on the road between Sellia and Angouseliana. It is noted for the high number of Cretan endemic plant species that grow...
, and to the northeast, the Kourtaliotiko Gorge
Kourtaliotiko Gorge
The Kourtaliotiko Gorge , also known as the Asomatos Gorge, is a gorge on the southern side of the western part of the island of Crete.It is situated where the Kourtaliotiko River flows southwards between the mountains of Kouroupa and Xiron....
. A good coastal motor track runs west beyond Souda to Rodakino beach , Frango-kastello and Sfakia . There are plenty of walks locally , and bolder walkers will enjoy the high green country beyond the coastal mountain range north of town . Plenty here for the mountain biker or cycle tourer too .
Six or so buses a day to/from Rethymnon bus stn , some of these go via Preveli monastery .Plakias bus stop is on the seafront taxi rank .