Preveli Beach(Foinikas)

Located in southern Crete, Preveli Beach – also called Paralia Preveli and Preveli Palm Beach – is an almost 200 meters -long beach with dark brown sand, a considerable amount of pebbles, and a wonderful backdrop of oceanfront mountains.  There is a unique rock formation that looks like a heart or a mushroom in the beach’s eastern part.  Preveli Beach has been listed as one of the best beaches in Crete by the online edition of Lonely Planet magazine – in addition, it has also been named as one of the eight best beaches in Crete by the online edition of the Condé Nast Traveller magazine.  As an interesting fact, local legends state that the mythical Greek hero Odysseus visited the area around Preveli Beach after the Trojan War.

Although Preveli Beach does not have lifeguards, it has a few amenities including a restroom, a shower, and a changing room.  Preveli Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, hiking, wildlife watching, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, canoeing, surf-skiing, boating, jet-skiing, paddleboarding, water-skiing, parasailing, and wakeboarding.  Preveli Beach is ideal for slightly less-experienced swimmers because the water here is usually calm.  In addition to swimming in the sea, visitors also sometimes wade in the nearby Lake Preveli or in the nearby Kourtaliotis River.

In addition, the sea water’s clarity here also makes it popular with snorkelers and scuba divers, who can see many kinds of fish here and sea turtles on rare occasions.  If you are planning to snorkel, swim, scuba dive, paddleboard, or kayak near Preveli Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents.  In addition, the water here is also known to be colder than other beaches of southern Crete.

If you are planning to fish near Preveli Beach, please follow the local fishing regulations.  The eastern part of Preveli Beach is occasionally used by clothing-optional visitors and is considered by some to be a nude beach.  If you want a quieter beach experience, you can visit this beach in the months of September and October because there are relatively fewer visitors here during this time.

Getting to Preveli Beach is easy – if you want to reach this beach, you need to first reach a monastery named Kato Preveli Monastery which is easily accessible from the city of Rethymno and the nearby village of Plakias.  You can follow the street signs located along the roads around Plakias and Rethymno to reach Kato Preveli Monastery.  Once you reach this monastery, you need to drive two-and-a-half kilometers south to reach Preveli Beach’s paid parking lot, and after parking here, you need to walk along a steep, rugged, and winding access path to reach Preveli Beach.  As an additional and easier access option, you can also easily reach Preveli Beach by walking towards the west from another separate beach named Drymiskiano Ammoudi Beach.  Drymiskiano Ammoudi Beach is also easily accessible from Plakias and Rethymno and there is also a free parking lot near Drymiskiano Ammoudi Beach. 

If you want to travel by bus, there are bus services to Preveli Beach from the nearby city of Rethymno and the village of Plakias.  If you want to travel by boat, there are ferry services to Preveli Beach from Rethymno and the nearby villages of Plakias, Damnoni, and Agia Galini.  We recommend visiting this beach early during summers because it can get crowded during this time.

There are many attractions near Preveli Beach.  Preveli Palm Forest is a forest adjacent to Preveli Beach that is primarily composed of Cretan date palms.  This forest offers a fun hiking experience and a unique insight into southern Crete’s vibrant biodiversity.  Kotsifos Gorge (also called Kotsifou Canyon) is a gorge that is a 23-minute drive away and it offers a memorable hiking experience for experienced hikers.  In addition, this gorge also has a small beautiful church and a seasonal waterfall.  Kourtaliotiko Gorge (also known as Asomatos Gorge) is a beautiful gorge that is a great hiking and bird watching site – this gorge offers an exciting way to explore the picturesque and rugged landscape of southern Crete.  Piso Preveli Monastery is a monastery that was built in the Middle Ages and has a museum that has interesting historical and religious artifacts – this monastery offers a unique insight into Crete’s vibrant history.  If you are looking for another attraction near Preveli Beach, the Oriseum Museum has many interesting local artifacts and vibrant regional Cretan artworks.  This museum also has antiques and memorabilia dating back to the last years of Ottoman Turkish rule in Crete.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Preveli Beach.  Gefyra Taverna Cafe serves traditional Greek and local Cretan dishes and it also serves refreshing coffee and cold drinks.  Mythos Taverna has a warm ambiance and it serves a variety of delicious Mediterranean, Greek, and Cretan dishes including pasta, seafood, Greek-style meatballs, and moussaka.  Taverna Stelios (also sometimes called Stellios) is known for serving outstanding lamb – it also serves many other amazing dishes including pizzas, pastas, and local Greek and Cretan cuisine.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Preveli Beach, Dionyssos Restaurant (also called Taverna Dionyssos) is a waterfront restaurant that has a relaxed and warm ambiance and it serves delicious Greek and regional Cretan dishes including souvlaki, Cretan-style salad, Greek salad, snails, and seafood.

If you are looking for a hotel near Preveli Beach, there are many great nearby options.  Belvedere Apartments is an upscale apartment complex with many amenities including a spa, a pool, a jacuzzi, and a mini market.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Lamon Hotel that offers many amenities including a restaurant, breakfast, a pool, and a library.  Another moderately priced hotel is the 3-Star Alianthos Beach Hotel that offers many amenities including a pool, a restaurant, and live entertainment.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Preveli Beach, the 3-Star Manolis Apartments offers many amenities including a pool, a terrace, grassy recreational areas, and a guest-use kitchen.