Potamos beach in Gavdos
Potamos beach, like the adjacent beach of Pirgos, is located at the northwest coast of island Gavdos, 7km northwest of the port in Karave. It is a quite long beach with reddish sand and shallow water formed at the exit of a small canyon with majestic geological clay formations and steep cliffs. Potamos means river in Greek.
The beach is surrounded by pines and junipers, making it a favorite destination for those who love hiking. If you come to the river it is worth observing the rock formations around or have some spa with the clay!
The trail Lighthouse - Ambelos - Potamos
The beach of Potamos can be accessed primarily by hiking 1.5-2 hours from Ambelos. Before Ambelos you must visit the lighthouse of Gavdos at an altitude of 368m, which has turned into a small museum and coffee shop. The lighthouse was built in 1880 and was visible at a distance of 40 miles (the 2nd longest distance then in the world). It was bombed in May 1942 and rebuilt later. A few meters later you will find the chapels and the abandoned houses in Ambelos. The stone built cottages have collapsed from the ravage of time and you can recall the good old days of forgotten Gavdos.
From Ambelos starts the path to Potamos. This trail crosses a dense pine grove and overlooks the islet of Gavdopoula. Hiking is very easy and suitable even for novice hikers. For those who do not love walking, there is a dirt road that reaches about 500m east of the beach. In the middle of the distance, you'll meet the abandoned settlement of Neveli.
Bo cove
While you descend to Potamos, you will see on your left hand the stony shore in Bo. Bo is a very small cove with north orientation and rocky bottom. Locals say that it takes its weird name from the wave sound “bo bo”, when it bursts on the rocks.
