Paximadia Islands

About

Two uninhabited islands off Agia Galini.

The Paximadia are two small uninhabited islands in the Libyan Sea, opposite Agia Galini and the Messara bay. Their name means rusks, after the dry Cretan bread they resemble. According to myth, Apollo and Artemis were born here, and the islands are protected for their birds and plants.

Boats from Agia Galini run day trips in summer, stopping at sandy coves with very clear water. There are no facilities on the islands, so the trips usually include lunch on board. Seen from the coast, the islands make the sunsets over the Messara bay even more beautiful.

Agios Vasileios is the south coast of Rethymno, a land of gorges, palm trees and beautiful beaches on the Libyan Sea. Plakias and Agia Galini are the main villages, and between them lie Preveli with its palm forest, Damnoni, Triopetra and Agios Pavlos with its sand dunes. Inland, Spili with its lion fountain and the Kourtaliotiko and Kotsifou gorges are worth a stop. The south coast is often calmer when the north wind blows, and the sea is warm well into autumn.

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

Around Agios Vasileios

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