With three delightful Crete vacations under our belt, we have discovered that Plakias hotels are part of a historical wonderland that few travelers see when touring this island. On a personal note, it has become evident that the peacefulness of the Plakias Bay Hotel associates itself with the natural environment of the island’s southern coast. Scattered throughout the Greek island of Crete in the center of Gialia, hotels such as this are invaluable as a base from which to relax, regroup, and then head out to spend days and hours of walking, hiking, taking photographs, talking to villagers, and learning about the island’s dramatic history in a world that breathes of ancient times.
Part of the pleasure of staying at the Plakias hotels was being part of another world. I found this out only recently when hiking to the nearby lower Preveli Gorge and visiting the 15th century monastery of Kato Moni Preveli. As I stood among the architectural remains of the ancient building and looked around while visualizing days gone by, it seemed as if I were somewhere else, with this small piece of the past the only world in existence.
Hating to leave the Preveli area, I then traveled to another gorge: the Kourtaliotiko Gorge (also known as the Asomatos Gorge), where the cataract springs of St. Nicholas fall all year long toward Vale Megapotamos. Returning to one of the Plakias hotels later on that day, I still heard and felt the invisible silence of the day’s travels. Of course, I had to remind myself that the ancient remnants of historical Cretan churches, monasteries and chapels throughout the area were a crucial part of the island’s history, adding to the feel of the trip.
Many travelers chose the mountains of southern Crete as their favorite spots to visit while staying at the Plakias hotels. Check out the beautiful views of Mt. Krioneritis or Mt. Kouroupa after having a hearty breakfast. The magnitude of the mountains is beyond words. I stood insignificantly beneath these majestic sentinels with tiny villages inquisitively peered upward toward them. Mountains and gorges such as these are truly a part of the Plakias Rethymno Crete region of southern Crete, with the Plakias hotels as the backbone of the area. The charm of the small village of Plakias is its warm and friendly community that extends to their Plakias hotels, retaining the simple character of an ancient Minoan civilization. I found this easy to believe as we conversed with the local village people and discussed the history of their community. The old-world feel of the area is part of the peace and calm atmosphere of the Plakias Bay Hotel, another reason why I have chosen Plakias as my favorite Cretan village. Combined with quality hospitality and some of the best homemade Greek food I have ever tasted, I would come back repeatedly to stay at my favorite Plakias hotel in the area.
