Platanias Beach

The beach of Platanias

The beach of Platanias is a large sandy beach, hard to distinguish from the neighbouring beach of Agia Marina.

The beach of Platanias is organised all along its length, with sun loungers and umbrellas belonging to the hotels or cafeterias.

Unlike other places, most hotels charge for umbrellas. The average price is 5 euros for one umbrella and two loungers (2009 prices).

At some points the beach is interrupted by hotel fences and it’s not easy to walk all the way along. Bear in mind, however, that private beaches are illegal under Greek law, so if you can climb over a fence, feel free to do so and enjoy your swim from any point along the large Platanias beach.

The water temperature at Platanias is quite high from June to October, like the rest of northern Crete.

The seabed is mostly sandy but there are some places with large stone slabs which are slippery, especially when the sea is rough.

The sea at Platanias is exposed to the summer northeasterlies (meltemia), and the waves can be quite large at times, in spite of the breakwaters.

The part of the beach next to the mini football pitch built on the sand is probably safest for children, as the breakwater is larger there and the sea is usually calmer.

There are lifeguards on the beach of Platanias looking out for swimmers. They hoist red warning flags on rough days. Follow their instructions for a safe swim in the clear sea of Platanias.