The Quiet Beaches of Southern Rethymno That Locals Use

Crete has famous beaches, and it has the ones people who live here actually use. The second category is almost entirely on the south coast, where the road access is worse, the infrastructure is thinner and the crowds never really arrive. These five are all in the southern part of the Rethymno region, within reach of Plakias.

At a glance

Beach	Distance	Surface	Facilities	Character
Ammoudi	~3 km east of Plakias	Soft sand	A few small tavernas and rooms	Secluded but comfortable
Ammoudaki	Next to Ammoudi	Sand with rocky edges	Small canteen, a few umbrellas	Quietest; part naturist; underwater cave
Schoinaria	~33 km south of Rethymno, ~3.5 km from Lefkogia/Plakias	Fine sand and smooth pebbles	Small taverna, diving centre	Calm water, never crowded
Souda	~41 km south-west of Rethymno, near Plakias	Sand and pebble	Almost none	Sheltered from wind, deep clean water
Ligres	~51 km south of Rethymno, near Kerames	Coarse, deep	A taverna and a few rooms	Wild and remote; waterfall into the sea

Ammoudi - a secluded cove east of Plakias

Ammoudi sits on the southern coast of the Rethymno region, about 3 km east of Plakias in the municipality of Agios Vasilios. The sand is soft, the water clear, and the waves are usually gentle enough to swim or float for as long as you like. A handful of small tavernas and rooms sit behind the beach, which makes it comfortable without spoiling the seclusion.

It is the easiest of the five to recommend to anyone who wants somewhere quiet but does not want to arrive with a cool box and no plan for lunch.

Ammoudaki - little Ammoudi

Directly next to Ammoudi lies Ammoudaki, which translates as 'little Ammoudi'. It has rocky edges, tamarisk shade and turquoise water, and because it is harder to reach it stays quieter. The right-hand side of the beach is known to be naturist-friendly.

There is a small canteen for drinks and snacks and a few umbrellas - enough to be practical, not enough to change the character. The best thing here is an underwater cave: swim into it carefully and the light turns the water a vivid blue.

Schoinaria - the one with a diving centre

Schoinaria, sometimes written Sxoinaria, is about 33 km south of Rethymno and around 3.5 km from Lefkogia and Plakias. Fine sand mixes with smooth pebbles, and the water is a calm, clear blue-green. There is a small taverna and a diving centre, and despite that it never really fills up.

Between the shade of the cliffs and tamarisks and the calm water, it is the easiest of the five to spend an entire unstructured day at.

Souda - sheltered and almost empty

Souda Beach is another quiet cove near Plakias, about 41 km south-west of Rethymno. Natural vegetation and rocky outcrops frame it and shelter it from the wind, tamarisk trees provide shade, and the water is deep and clean, which makes it good for swimming rather than paddling.

There is no commercial setup to speak of. Bring what you need.

Ligres - the wild one

Ligres is roughly 51 km south of Rethymno, near the village of Kerames. The beach is coarse and the water deepens fast, and infrastructure is minimal, so it stays extremely quiet. At the western end a small waterfall runs directly into the sea.

There is a taverna and a few rooms nearby if you want to stay, but no rows of sunbeds. This is the raw version of the Cretan coast, and it gives a real sense of the scale of the island's southern shore.

Practical notes for the south coast

• Getting there. All five need a car. The roads over the mountains from Rethymno are good but slow - allow an hour to Plakias, more to Ligres.
• Shade and water. Only Ammoudi and Schoinaria have reliable food and drink. Take water everywhere else.
• Wind. The south coast catches the meltemi differently to the north. Souda is the most sheltered of the five; Ligres the most exposed.
• Timing. Go in the morning or after 16:00. The middle of the day on an unshaded south-facing beach in July is not pleasant.
• Leave it as you found it. These beaches stay good because almost nobody manages them. Take your rubbish out.