Platanias Crete satellite map and resort report on Platanias

Greek island holidays | Platanias Crete

Platanias is the largest tourist beach resort in western Crete and about 10km west of Chania along the northern coastline. It's a very busy resort with a string of hotels and apartments lining the main road, intermingled with tavernas, music bars and tourist shops. It is also home to several nightclubs and discos and. along with neighbouring Agia Marina, is the main tourist strip for this part of the island.
The resort is named after the large plane trees that grow along the shore. As well as the main seafront tourist drag there is the older inland village of Plano Platanias, rather more picturesque that the cement and neon strip that makes up the modern extension along the shore called Kato Platanias. It's worth climbing the hill both for the great views over the ocean and for the fine tavernas which offer more traditional fare than those below where menus are mainly variation on burgers, sausages and chips.
The beach is long, deep and sandy in some places, mostly pebble in others. The beach has all the facilities you would expect of a big tourist hotspot such as watersports and beach games. It is split by a small and picturesque harbour and has beach bars and small tavernas galore. Along the main street are all the shops, mini markets, cafes and an open-air cinema. A small tourist train takes trippers on a two hour tour of the local countryside.
Sited on a busy road the village seem to be lively both day and night, with nights the more lively as the bars and clubs get wound up for nighttime parties. To the west is the coastal resort of Kato Gerani which extends from the Platanias bridge to Pirgos Psilonerou. There are more big hotels offering all the amenities and an organised beach with plenty of activity. There are more bars, tavernas, car and bike rentals, travel agencies, shops and mini markets but it is worth walking to the villages in the area for a taste of Crete a little less spoiled by tourism. Pano Gerani, Modi, Loutraki, Manoliopoulo are all within 10 km and surrounded by orange and olive groves, tall cypresses and eucalyptus.