The beach in Rethymno has a length of 12 kilometers starting from the town area and ending in the region of Skaleta, where large hotel units operate, located outside the town to the east. All along the length of the coast the visitor enjoys a golden sandy beach. The part of the coast located in the town is very crowded during the summer months, but as long as you drive outside the town it?s a little quieter. The beach in Rethymno is very well organized with a great number of lifeguards working from 10am till 5pm, looking after people and informing them of potential hazards. Along the beach, basically hotels, rent umbrellas and sunbeds to people visiting the beach. In that area visitors have the opportunity to enjoy water sports at certain points along the beach.
The beach of is situated under Geropotamos bridge, in the national road that leads to Heraklio. The route from Rethymno lasts approximately 25 minutes. The beach was named after Geropotamos River that falls into the sea in that area. It?s a relatively small but picturesque beach and combines sand and pebbles. The sea is deep and there are no lifeguards. Therefore it is necessary to be careful, especially if the visitor is not an excellent swimmer. Visitors can rent sunbeds and umbrellas and have a meal.
The beaches of Episkopi and Petres are quite large and are mainly sandy. One can arrive there using the national road to Chania and the route lasts 20 minutes. Several hotels have been built near the sea to take advantage of its beauty. Due to its size, the beach has not been developed along its whole length. Therefore within the areas that are organized, lifeguards have been appointed thanks to hotels or the local municipality, so as to provide safety for the visitors. There are also beach bars or restaurants to eat or drink.
Panormo is a village that flourished the last few years due to tourism and every year accommodates guests from all over the world. Panormo is 25 minutes far from Rethymno and the main road to arrive is the national road towards Heraklio. Panormo has a sandy beach with brown smooth sand and is located in the village area, on the west side of the village. Hotel units that were built adjacent to the beach have helped organizing it and making it popular. The beach has sunbeds and umbrellas for rent and one can visit a tavern to eat. Visitors have the chance to enjoy water sports as well.
Bali is a village whose development is similar to Panormo. It is ca. 35 minutes from Rethymno, following the national road from Rethymno to Heraklio. It is a summer resort and its beach is always crowded in that period. It is well organized with restaurants, cafe - bars and is full of sunbeds and umbrellas. The beach is in the village area and the sand is smooth and brown. There are some areas, though, that have also stones. In Bali, visitors can enjoy water sports, too.
Damnoni and Ammoudi are two beaches adjacent to each other, in the south part of Crete. The route to them lasts approximately 30 minutes. Damnoni is the largest one and is more organized than Ammoudi. There is a tavern near the beach and a hotel accommodates hundreds of guests every summer. Ammoudi is smaller and more picturesque than Damnoni and therefore it is always full of visitors. It is also a well-known nudist beach. Both of them have thin pebbles and are known for their clean and cold waters. Visitors have the opportunity to rent sunbeds and umbrellas, but in Damnoni they are not enough to cover all visitors.
The beach of Preveli is one of the most beautiful ones on the island. So, tourists and Cretans love it and visit it regularly. There are two ways to visit the beach: • The first one is to drive to the Monastery of Preveli and then step down to the beach. The route duration on foot is ca 10-15 minutes. • The second choice is driving to Plakias. A little boat will take you to the beach of Preveli. The boat sails at 10:30 and returns to Plakias at 16:00. The guest is charmed by the wonderful natural scenery, which is dominated by a river that flows into the sea, surrounded by tens of palm trees. It is worth visiting the river where one sees wonderful areas with small falls and rich vegetation. By the sea, there are a few small shops for souvenirs of food and an organized beach with umbrellas and sunbeds.
Akoumia beach is a familiar destination mostly for Rethymnians rather than for tourists. It is the ideal beach to relax since it is very rarely crowded with people. The route duration is about 40 minutes, driving to Akoumia. The pebbled sandy beach, named after this village, has wonderful colorings thanks to the sea-smoothed pebbles. It is organized with umbrellas, sunbeds and a restaurant very close to the beach.
Triopetra beach is also near Akoumia village and the route lasts 40 minutes beginning from Rethymno. It is named after three stones (Trio-petra) that emerge from the sea in front of the beach. Like Akoumia beach, it is familiar destination mainly for local inhabitants. It?s a magnificent beach well-known for the gorgeous sunset that one should wait for and see.
It is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches of prefecture?s south coast and its advantage is that it is rarely full of visitors. Thus it is the right choice for those ones that would like to relax and escape from daily pressure. One can find rent rooms close to the beach and stay there for a few days. There is also a restaurant and the beach is provided with some umbrellas and sunbeds for rent. It has smoothed pebbles and is characterized by its crystal waters.
Agia Galini is a resort 58 km from Rethymno, in the south part of the prefecture. Apart from the plethora of touristic infrastructures, it has two magnificent very clean beaches within the picturesque marinas region. The beach of Agia Galini is well organized and visitors have the opportunity to enjoy various activities like water sports and diving. The beach is not recommended to visitors that need relaxation due to the fact that it?s always crowded with tourists during summer period. Agia Galini is a destination appropriate for those ones who want to spend two days near the sea, enjoying at the same time nightlife and nice food of village restaurants.