Plakias is a popular seaside resort in the province of Agios Vasilios, approximately 36 km south of Rethymno, in a fertile valley opening onto the South Cretan Sea.

The valley is crossed by the Kotsifos River, which descends from the surrounding mountains and reaches the sea near the settlement. Modern Plakias began developing as a small coastal village around the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. During the following decades, it grew into one of the best-known resorts on the southern coast of Rethymno.

In the 1960s, the beaches of Yialia, as the long coastal front is locally known, became a favourite destination for hippies and independent travellers. Today, Plakias is an organised resort and a convenient base for exploring the natural and cultural attractions of southern Crete.

What to see in Plakias

The mountain villages of Myrthios, Sellia and Asomatos lie a short distance away. They preserve elements of their traditional architecture and offer panoramic views over Plakias Bay. Other important destinations include the beach and palm forest of Preveli, the monasteries of the area and the gorges of Kotsifos and Kourtaliotis.

Plakias offers a wide range of accommodation and dining options, shops, organised beaches and centres for water sports and scuba diving. Its small harbour serves fishing and excursion boats, while the long main beach stretches eastwards from the settlement to the imposing rock of Paligremnos.

An interesting attraction is the old watermill in the Kotsifos valley, approximately 1.5 km from the settlement. The route follows the river through a green landscape with plane trees and other water-loving vegetation.

At the eastern end of Plakias Beach rises the impressive limestone rock of Paligremnos. The site is also known as Gonates, meaning “knees”, because local tradition claims that the legendary hero Digenis Akritas knelt here to drink water from a nearby spring.

At the foot of the rock are the lignite transport tunnels of Plakias. Lignite from deposits near Myrthios was transported in small wagons along a narrow-gauge Decauville railway and loaded onto ships on the eastern side of the bay. The operation proved economically unviable and was eventually abandoned. During the German occupation, the tunnels were enlarged and adapted for supplying submarines.

Plakias is also home to the Church of Zoodochos Pigi, built on the remains of an earlier religious structure. According to a local legend, two young women once took refuge in the church while being pursued by pirates. As the pirates waited outside, the southern wall miraculously opened, allowing the women to escape into the neighbouring olive grove.

Historical background

Modern Plakias was gradually established by fishing families and residents from the mountain village of Sellia who settled near the coast. The nearby villages of Sellia and Myrthios are considerably older, while remains of old roads and bridges show the long-standing connection between the upland settlements and the shore.

Although the present settlement is relatively recent, the area was inhabited in antiquity. Finds dating mainly from the Roman period have been discovered, along with indications of earlier occupation. Some researchers have proposed identifying the area with ancient Lamon or with the Phoenix of the Lappaeans, but neither identification has been conclusively established.

An extensive ancient cemetery containing numerous graves has been identified near Zoodochos Pigi. Many graves are missing their large covering slabs, which were probably removed and reused as building material. One interpretation associates the name Plakias with these numerous slabs, known as plakes in Greek, while another connects it with the natural stone slabs along the coast.