Messages

1

Plakias / Snakes

« on: March 13, 2010, 09:25:34 AM »

Hi
Have many of you seen snakes when staying in Plakias. I have only ever seen the one. I wondering if any of you know where and when is the best time.

Hope your next trip to plakias is the best ever.

Davos.

I've seen snakes on several occasions in Crete but none in Plakias.  There is a good article here:

http://www.cretegazette.com/archive/2005-11-snakes.php

which should reassure you if you are lucky enough to spot one.

2

Plakias / Plakias History

« on: January 18, 2010, 07:50:19 PM »

It seems that people have been coming to Plakias for longer than most of us would imagine!  Have a look at The Times article here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_...icle6991643.ece

3

Gossip / rental in spain?

« on: May 01, 2009, 01:37:17 PM »

Hello all you Plakias fans!
Does anyone have, or know anyone who has a villa in Spain or surrounding areas that they rent out in the months of July/August?
Something suitable for two adults and two teenagers?
Hope to hear soon !

                   Barny.

Hi Barny,

We know of a very nicely appointed and comfortable  apartment in Puerto de la Duquesa  (between Estapona and Gibraltar) which we use regularly in the winter months.  Details are here:

http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Spain/Cos...uesa/p60602.htm

The owner is Alan Robins and if you contact him please mention my name.

If you fancy a two bedroom duplex in a naturist complex in Vera Playa (Almeria province) then Ann West has an apartment which while not as luxurious as The Duquesa property, is adequate and located on a well maintained gated complex with attractive gardens and both indoor and outdoor pools.

Ann West can be contacted at annwest@tiscali.co.uk and will on request send you photographs of the duplex.  We are using this property in September and this will be our second visit there.

Regards,

Allan and Fran

4

Where to go / Preveli Beach

« on: October 04, 2008, 09:09:30 AM »

When you say Prevelli Bridge do you mean the old venetian bridge by the taverna, if so thats a heck of a walk down to the beach.
The easiast way ........which can be done by car if you take it easy is down what is called swallow canyon, which starts at the old monastary/venetian bridge. Once parked at the beach which is free you then clamber up and along the cliff top path arriving at Previlli beach from the East.
The Gorge is well worth the visit IMHO, but as described in the other thread oily water spoilt the snorkelling at the beach  

I would've liked to venture further up the river bed  on our visit but the boulders got bigger and bigger and looked like there was no way past them, but i'm sure there must be  

If the unmade road is still in the same state as when we last used it you were very wise not to attempt it in a small car.  We found it deeply rutted in places and posed significant risks to the wheels and undertray which are normally excluded from your car insurance and become your responsibility if they are damaged.  You really need a four wheel drive vehicle with good ground clearance to be safe.  I concur with the view that Ligres is easier to reach and offers a better beach part of which is clothes optional.

Regards,

Allan

5

PlakChat / excess baggage charges

« on: July 09, 2008, 12:16:47 PM »

I can't say I've ever drunk the tap water in any quantity,

george g...

We drink the tap water in Plakias in vast quantities - we find it to be superb quality water and really enjoy it. (like the Raki too !!). At Medusa you will find us frequently leaving our table to top up our (water) glasses from the cooled supply (of water) that Babis has under his counter. After many years of this activity on our part he has at long last given up shouting to us "Hey - that is my job"

John R

Quite right John - the tap water in Plakias is of excellent quality and we have never had any tummy problems from it.  Babis does insist on supplying water by the glass - at all the other tavernas they will bring you a large jug if asked.  At Medusa you either have to catch Babis' eye or, as you do, self serve.

6

PlakChat / excess baggage charges

« on: July 08, 2008, 08:43:01 AM »

 oh you can bet i'll be taking it further!!

Hi Chris, how's the campain going, any progress?? Or is that a stupid question  ?

george g...

Ok I didn't learn my lesson!! suitcase was over on way out but was ok as had room in hand luggage to off load 2KG, however despite leaving quite alot in Plakias with the scooter (ok I did buy quite a bit too... but I'm a girl! & the litre of Olive Oil from Eftitios our taxi driver probably didn't help) even so in Heraklion my case was 34 kilo's & Carl's 24 kilo's & he had nothing extra in his bag (Well in fact less as we lost a bag of things whilst in Plakias). Anyway the girl who checked us in was really nice & at first she said we were 13 KG over but she'd only charge for 5KG @ 9 euro's per kilo but then she said if we had another bag we could check in it would be only 15 euro's so the end result wasn't so bad. But never again I will go home with nice clean ironed clothes!! Shall invest in this gadget from Lakeland sounds good, Thanks

I met a fellow on the beach one year who claimed that he bought all his holiday clothes in charity shops and never bothered to take them home.  His strategy might not win the approval of the distaff side but seemed perfectly logical for the men.  I can't ever remember needing my dinner jacket when dining in Plakias!  We haven't resorted to his strategy yet but we would admit to never taking home beach umbrellas, beach mats, and other holiday paraphernalia which we usually offer to anyone on the beach who would like them on our last day.

7

Plakias / Plakias to Heraklion via Rethymnon by bus

« on: May 09, 2008, 03:50:46 PM »

Nobody seems to have suggested what I would have thought was the obvious solution.  Take the bus from Plakias to Rethymnon the previous afternoon and spend the last night of the holiday there.  It's an interesting town anyway, has a wide choice of eating places and accommodation costs from 10 Euro a night (hostel dormitory) upwards.  That way you can catch a much earlier bus to the airport.

Rethymno - Heraklion:

06.30, 07.30*, 07.45, 08.45, 09.45, 10.45, 11.45, 12.45, 13.45, 14.00*, 14.45, 15.45, 16.45, 17.45, 18.45, 19.45, 21.15, 22.15

*Via the Old National Road


Missing the flight could prove very expensive indeed and surely can't be worth the risk.

Allan

8

Where to go / Lesbos - Molivos

« on: March 02, 2008, 05:21:11 PM »

Hello everyone ! My husband and I are taking a week's holiday without the kids at the end of May. We were going to revisit Plakias, as we loved it so much last summer, but then we decided to try another Greek island, as there are still so many to explore. Inspired by some comments on this forum, we decided to go for Molivos on Lesbos. We are leaving on Monday 26 May and are staying at Hotel Adonis. From the descriptions I've read, Molivos sounds like a very romantic place, perfect for our little escape from our busy jobs and family life! If anyone has any tips for us, they would be most welcome.

Lut

If you are a 'far-ender' at Plakias you will find a similar situation at Molivos.  Turn left at the sea front and walk as far as you can with the sea on your right hand side.  There are a few trees growing at the back of the beach that offer some shade.  You may also be lucky enough to see some wild life at that end - tortoises, rabbits, hedgehogs and a friend of ours claims to have seen a non venomous snake!  There are plenty of wild flowers at that end too.

Allan

9

PlakChat / Headland & cave

« on: July 06, 2007, 04:02:16 PM »

The area at the end of the beach, around the base of the cliffs and the footpath to the cave - is this area strictly textile only? Last year (low season) really wanted to get up off the beach and go for a stroll along the path  but thought better of it.

Don't know whether or not the path is strictly textile but I can tell you that the path edges are covered with spiny euphorbia and sea squills.... could be remarkably uncomfortable!

Allan

10

Plakias / ATM

« on: July 06, 2007, 08:53:45 AM »

I called my bank yesterday, just to make certain.
If you withdraw cash with your 'Credit' card, they will instantly charge you around 2.5%, but if you use your 'Debit' card, it's free!  

george g...

Well free-ish.  Most banks have a foreign currency surcharge on money drawn abroad with a debit card.  Nationwide is an exception as there are no surcharges and you get a better rate of exchange than at the Bureau de Change.  I believe that there are a few other banks (but not the big four) who offer this service.

Allan

11

Gossip / Naturist Beaches

« on: May 22, 2007, 05:21:17 PM »

Can someone advise me of the location of 2 or 3 naturist beaches around Plakias.

Plakias - Far End
Mikro Amoudi - between Damnoni and Amoudi
Souda - the Plakias end used to be clothing optional but I think nowadays, unless you are the first one there to set the trend it's probably not worth trying.
Some sites might mention Frangocastello as having a naturist end but last time we were there (3 years ago) there was a sign saying 'No Nudists' (or similar).

The nudist area is at the extreme eastern (left hand) end.  You approach it by taking a steep path down by the side of a taverna and then walking left (sea on right hand side) for about half a mile.  The main Frangocastello beach is indeed textile.

Allan

12

Plakias / Plakias sunset

« on: May 05, 2007, 09:20:10 AM »

Just back from Plakias and thought you all might like to see what a Plakias Bay sunset can look like in April...

Beautiful pic Andy, dramatic sky.

Welcome to the forum. So how was Plakias in April?

I can tell you that April is a great time to be there- obviously not for the swimming, but the area is lush with greenery and the entire area is covered with flowers- very magical- as for the temperature it was between 9-10 at night and 16to 20/21 during the day- there were periods of clouds as well as an occasional shower- Not too many people, so it is rather quiet-
The harbour is progressing and for those of you who have yet to get past Ostraco- walk west and see the progress for yourself.
Santa

Yes the far end is definitely more colourful in April:

[attachment=448:May04150.jpg]
[attachment=449:May04153.jpg]

Allan

13

Gossip / medical treatment ?

« on: April 23, 2007, 09:42:32 AM »

I just came across this:

http://www.ics.forth.gr/eHealth/AK_ISHIMR2...Proceedings.pdf

It would seem that Crete is better equipped to respond to emergencies than the London Ambulance Service in terms of paramedic support although I wouldn't bank on an 8 minute response time to Plakias!

Allan

14

Where to stay / accomodation help for newbie

« on: April 15, 2007, 07:34:18 PM »

Hi Everyone

We will be staying in Paleochora for a couple of days next month and our plan is to  take a ferry from Paleochora to Hora Sfakion and then drive to Plakias. We are looking for accomodation for one or two nights. Something not too big in a quiet location would be great. We don't need fancy but something around mid range would be great. A balcony would also be welcome, especially if it had a bit of a view. I have read quite a bit on this board but am still unsure what would be our best bet. Have heard good things about the Horizon (any thoughts?) and the Alianthos Gardens has been highly recommended but is it quite big and crowded? We arrive around May 22nd or 23rd. Finally how easy would it be to just arrive and find a place on chance!
Thanks so much
Bobbi

.......or you could stay here  http://www.anna-plakias.gr/home.htm.  Quiet location but easy walking distance on level ground to both the beach and the village.  Highly recommended.

Allan

15

Plakias / Plakias

« on: April 04, 2007, 09:41:12 AM »

2. I was interested in Allan Barham's comment about Vera Playa and would be interested to hear from him whether the weather is as good in Spring as it usually is in Plakias. My perception is that for early and late season holidays the eastern end of the Med. is more reliable than the western.
Mike

Had a quick look at the Vera Playa website: didn't like what I saw.  Beach is stony in places, sea conditions vary enormously: dead calm first thing in the morning, and getting rougher as the day wears on to the extent that swiming can sometimes be "inadvisable".  

 

No, give me the far end at Plakias any day.  

As far as the weather is concerned have a look at http://www.veraplaya.info/whentovisit.html#weatherstats

The beach is a mile long and some parts are shingly but the vast majority is sandy.  The sea always seems calmer in the morning than in the afternoon but then it can be in Plakias too.  The beach is well managed - cleaned each day with loos and lifeguards in the season.  There are a number of apartment complexes, some naturist and some textile and many offer heated or indoor pools when the weather is cooler.  The big attraction for visiting in Winter, Spring and Autumn is the standard of apartments there.  There are so many available that owners fall over themselves to rent out of season at prices that can barely cover overheads.  We had a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment complete with comfortable lounge seating, satellite TV, DVD player, dining room, full kitchen with dishwasher and even a private rooftop terrace for 28 days in January for the princely sum of £500 which included electricity, space heating and private secure car parking.  Given that shoppuing in Mercadona, Consum. Intermarche and Lidl is about 30% cheaper than Tesco or Sainsbury here, we can't really afford not to spend the coldest months in Spain.