Platanias Crete

holiday report and Platanias Crete map

Platanias beach Crete

PLATANIAS to PLATANIA is the largest tourist beach resort in western Crete and about 10km west of Chania, along the northern coastline.
Platanias is a very busy resort with a string of hotels and apartments lining the main road, intermingled with tavernas, music bars and tourist shops.
Platanias is also home to several nightclubs and discos and, along with neighbouring Agia Marina, forms 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 to Plano Platanias both for the great views over the ocean and for the fine tavernas which offer more traditional fare than the variation on burgers, sausages and chips found in the modern resort below.
Platanias 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.
Platanias beach 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 of Platanias is the coastal resort of Kato Gerani which extends from the Platanias bridge to Pirgos Psilonerou. Here 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
It is well worth walking to local villages 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.