Plakias, Beach and recreation area in Agios Vasileios municipality, Greece
Plakias is a coastal settlement along the Libyan Sea in Crete's Rethymno region, featuring a wide sandy beach with shallow waters and a sloping seafloor. The village sits in a valley surrounded by steep mountain walls that rise directly from the shoreline.
The area evolved from a small fishing harbor with few permanent residents in the early 1960s into a modern coastal destination. This transformation occurred as road connections improved and tourism began to shape the local economy.
The name Plakias comes from a Greek word meaning flat, describing how deposits from the nearby Kotsifou gorge shaped this coastal area. The village keeps the character of a traditional fishing community even as visitors now fill its beaches and waterfront.
The beach features a gradual slope into the water, making it suitable for swimming and families with children. Nearby you will find shops, eating places, and walking trails that lead toward the mountain villages inland.
Two rivers carved two gorges with vertical cliffs that rise several hundred meters above the landscape. Few visitors notice these canyon formations while they spend time along the shore.
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