Secluded coves Hidden gem

Gialopotamos Beach

Agios Vasileios, Rethymno · Free

Directions

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

Organised

Not organised

Atmosphere

Secluded

Characteristics

Sandy

About

One of the least visited beaches in Rethymno, at the mouth of a stream.

Gialopotamos is a secluded beach formed where a stream meets the Libyan Sea. You might have it completely to yourself.

The south coast of Rethymno between Agios Pavlos and Preveli is full of small, hidden beaches, and Gialopotamos is one of the least known. The stream that forms it carries water only in winter and spring, and in summer leaves a dry bed lined with oleanders that bloom pink right down to the sand.

There are no facilities and the access is by dirt tracks, so it's a place for people who like to explore. Bring shade, water and food, and you may well have the beach to yourself. The villages of Saktouria and Akoumia in the hills above have simple tavernas for lunch afterwards.

Around Agios Vasileios

South coast, on the Libyan Sea
Nearest town: Plakias, about 15 km by road
Nearest airport: Chania airport (CHQ), about 70 km by road

Rethymno sits between the mountains and two seas, and it is the easiest region to combine with the rest of the island. Its old town and Fortezza are among the best preserved on Crete, with Venetian doorways, Ottoman wooden balconies and a long sandy beach right next to the centre. More about Rethymno