Paleochora Crete

holiday report and Crete map

Paleochora beach Crete

The seaside resort of PALEOCHORA is now firmly on the package tourist map with a noticeable surge in new apartments, particularly to the west behind the main beach.
Paleochora has a huge 2km long sweep of fine sharp sand. The beach is remarkably deep and edged by banks of shady tamarisks. Hidden under the trees are a few basic beach cantinas and a children's playground.
On Paleochora beach proper, sunbeds are cheap and well spaced apart. The shoreline is shallow but there are underwater rocks to stub the toes. These rocks surface at the western end to create interesting pools and small coves.
To the east is a narrow stone and pebble beach, much smaller but with good tavernas nearby. Paleochora town is a sprawling knot of one-way streets built on a dull square grid. Restaurants, cafes and shops lend a cosmopolitan air that defies its backwater position.
August is a good month for cultural events including a music festival. It is also a good bet for a later break as the summers last longer in the south.
Above Paleochora is the recently restored fort Castel Seleno, built by the Venetians in 1252 and rebuilt 100 years later after Cretan rebels destroyed it. What remains is mostly Turkish, rebuilt in the late 1500's and now open to the public.
Paleochora is open all winter and a few tourists spend the winter months here. It can be wet and windy but there are many days of warm sunshine. This is a good base too for walkers. The road to Paleochora from Chania is particularly scenic.
Germans left their mark in the last war with many villages razed to the ground, their populations shot or simply thrown into the flames. Several local villages have simple, austere monuments to the atrocities.
Further west is Capri Krios, where many idyllic coves lie hidden between rocky outcrops. The best is at Halikia where there is a small harbour.