For those looking to enjoy a fall break by the sea, Crete is a great destination as temperatures remain warm enough for many to go swimming, well into the season. This means that if you book a villa in Crete for this time of the year, you can enjoy having some of the most famous and beautiful beaches on the island almost to yourself! Given that these beaches are prime real estate where it can be hard to find enough room to put down a towel during the peak hours of the day in the high tourism season of summer, going at this time of the year is a great way to avoid any of that stress and large crowds. So, if you aren’t someone who needs sizzling summer temperatures to have a perfect day by the beach, then a vacation rental in Crete during the fall will do very nicely, indeed. And once you’ve secured your holiday rental in Crete with us? Well, then one of the first beaches that you should check out is Preveli Beach.
Located on the south coast of Crete, in the municipality of Agios Vasilios in Rethymno, its name comes from the nearby Moni Preveli monastery. Preveli is also famous as the area around this incredibly popular beach is said to have been where Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, stayed on his journey back to Ithaca from Troy after the Trojan War. One of the most picturesque beaches on an island made up of stunning beaches, it is a sheltered little bay surrounded by the most impressive dramatic cliffs and a lush palm forest.
Yet, despite this secluded location, the beach does have some basic facilities including a snack bar, a bathroom, and showers. All of these facilities have a tendency, as the beach itself does, to get rather overwhelmed by the tourist crowds of summer, however – another great reason to visit on a fall getaway in Crete instead!
A large rock in the shape of a heart, standing in the water just by the beach, adds to the picture-perfect looks of the beach and is the perfect place for a photo-op if you’re on a romantic getaway or if you simply like the look of it!
The approach to the beach is another key aspect about visiting Preveli Beach, again, due to its sheltered and remote location. There are three different ways to reach the beach with the easiest, by far, being by boat.
Both other ways of getting to Preveli are on foot, with one being a hike that takes around 20 to 30 minutes and can be quite tricky. This longer, more arduous route is on the west side of the gorge in which the beach is found. For those who are unprepared or if it is a sweltering day, this is probably going to be an unpleasant experience. It is, however, the more scenic option so those who enjoy hiking, aren’t carrying much, and want to admire the remarkable scenery of the area might prefer this route, especially if it’s not too hot. Like many other aspects of a visit to Preveli Beach, this is likely going to be more enjoyable if you visit during a fall escape in Crete. Just continue straight on the road until you find the parking lot and then hike from there.
For the easier and shorter route (it is about ten minutes on foot rather than thirty), you turn left onto Epar.Od-Drimiskou-Asomaton Road, where you will see the Old Stone Preveli Bridge. Upon leaving the bridge, follow the road to the right and along a curvy street past olive groves to another beach parking lot. This drive takes about ten to fifteen minutes total and when you get to the parking lot, a path leads up and over the cliff to some stone steps that take you to the route down to the beach. Certainly, the return journey back up this way is much easier at the end of a day at the beach.
No matter which way you come, however, you’ll find a perfect gem of a beach that is ideal for a day out on a fall vacation in Crete, when you can really make the most of it.
