Preveli
The beach is otherwise known as Lake Prevelis or Phoenix. It owes its name to the historic Preveli Monastery located nearby, which is dedicated to Saint John the Theologian. It is one of the most famous and most beautiful beaches of the island, with light colored sand, pebbly bottom and crystal clear waters. It is located on the south coast of the island about 40 kilometers from the city of Rethymnon. There a very small lagoon is formed before the river flows into the sea. What makes Preveli beach so famous is the palm forest that surrounds the river, which originates in a gorge and ends in the sea. For this reason it has been designated as Natura 2000 and is protected from human intervention. On the banks of the Great River, the second largest palm forest of Crete is formed, after the palm forest in Vai, which hosts the endemic Cretan palm tree of Theophrastos.
The beach is not organized and the only thing it has is a small canteen. The visitor has the opportunity to swim both in the sea and in the lagoon or the river. During the 60s and 70s, it was a favorite destination for hippies. Of course, it is one of the main choices of the island’s visitors, so that they can admire the unique landscape. There are 2 ways to get to the beach. You can drive your car to Preveli Monastery, leave it there in the parking lot for a fee (around 2 euros) and then start walking down the 400 steps to the beach. Alternatively, you can go from the road that starts further before a bridge (around 5 kilometers before the monastery) from where a relatively passable dirt road of 5 kilometers starts. You end up in free parking and from there it’s a short walk of about 100 steps to the beach, but much more relaxing than going down 400 steps. The second and easiest way is by boat from Plakias. In the first case, by road, walking down to the beach you will enjoy the wonderful view from above, while in the second case by boat you will arrive relaxed.
