Dörfer & Städte

Platanias

Platanias, Chania · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

A lively resort west of Chania.

Platanias is the liveliest resort west of Chania, with a long beach, many hotels, bars and restaurants. The old village of Platanias, on the hill above, has narrow lanes and great views over the sea and the island of Thodorou.

The area has a water park and plenty of activities, and the nightlife is busy in summer.

The area is especially popular with Scandinavian visitors, with a season that runs from April to October. The municipality of Platanias stretches from the coast up into the White Mountains and includes many traditional villages, such as Vatolakkos and Fournes, where life is far from the beach bars. The island of Agioi Theodoroi, just offshore, is a reserve for the Cretan wild goat.

The Platanias area stretches along the coast west of Chania, with a string of lively resorts such as Agia Marina, Platanias and Maleme, and long sandy beaches facing the island of Thodorou. Inland, the land rises quickly into green valleys, orange groves and mountain villages where life is slow. This area saw fierce fighting in the Battle of Crete in May 1941, remembered at the Maleme cemetery and in many village memorials. It's a convenient base, with Chania only a short drive away.

Around Platanias

Nearest town: Chania, about 13 km by road
Nearest airport: Chania airport (CHQ), about 29 km by road

The west of Crete is the island at its most dramatic. Chania has the most beautiful Venetian old town on Crete, wrapped around a harbour with a lighthouse and a domed mosque. In the evening the narrow lanes of Splantzia and the old Jewish quarter fill up with tavernas and small bars. More about Chania