How did you first find Plakias?

[JackieatUrbanAgenda]

First booked through SunMed in 1987 when my ex wanted to visit somewhere with a nudist beach (!) and the laughing travel agent suggested Plakias. fell in lobe with it then and remember walking past the entrance to Kostas Chrysoulas without ever thinking it would be a regular haunt. I remember the local villagers watching the footie on a black and white TV in the square with the tallest aerial you've ever seen.....when the picture failed someone had to shin up it to wiggle it...how things have changed ! The rooms we had were towards the back of the village and I have never been able to find them so I suspect they've been 'developed'.
Then, a few years later the love of my life and I were looking for a holiday and as he'd never been anywhere hot we agreed to try Plakias again as I knew roughly where everything was. Like me he fell in love with it and we've visited ever since. I have also introduced it to several friends and family who've loved it too. Must be the old Plakias magic taking hold. Booking over the years has been varied. First Choice were OK, then we went independent for a couple of years and now we use Olympic ..although the way things are going I may be booking on my own again next year...cant risk my 50th birthday hols can I !

Back there next week and cant wait !

[stavros]

1984: we  travelled all over western Crete, and found Plakias.

It was so windy we only stayed one night in a rooms place (since gone) where the doors and shutters rattled constantly and moved on. But we decided to give it another try a few years ago and now that the bars and tavernas have cover from the wind, and there are much nicer places to stay, we really like it here. Especially when the wind drops...

[Dave&Les]

We came to Crete in 1986 & stayed on north coast (Ag Nicholias) we hired a jeep for couple of days & went exploring on the south coast. We found Plakias by accident & it was a long journey back, we just knew it would be a good place to stay & in those days not many hotels.
The following year we stayed at Lamon with Sun Med & after that we were hooked.

Now we do Olympic holiday in May at KC & the Paligremnos under our own steam Aug/Sept....Plakias is heaven to us & we never want to leave.
Always feels like home & great to meet up with so many like minded people year after year.

Long live Plakias !!!!!

[spottttttt]

We stayed at Paleochora for a week, put hire car on Samaria 'cos we were staying at Spilli for second week, we stopped to have a look at Plakias and that was it, we fell in love with it, specially far end and Freddi!!

[Arnaki]

We were on our honeymoon in Georgioupolis in early May 1992, and spent a lot of our time exploring by bus.  My husband suggested a trip to the south and we arrived in Plakias.  However, we did not stop in Plakias but got a taxi to Damnoni.  I was wondering why, when we had a perfectly good beach outside our door and there seemed to be a decent one in Plakias, did we need to trek so far.  When we got behind the rocks at the end of Damnoni beach he stripped off.  (No, he hadn't mentioned it before.)  There wasn't much at Damnoni, but the shell of the Hapimag was in development.  When we got back to Plakias the wind whipped up the dust and we went inside the Souvlaki House for probably my first Greek gyros pitta, whilst we were waiting for the bus.  Husband had been following the Rough Guide which indicated that there was a naturist beach at Damnoni but did not mention the far end in Plakias.  If it had, our holiday history might have been different.

I suppose we must have been into Plakias again that holiday, because we went to Preveli monastery and the bus goes into Plakias and out again on its way.  However it wasn't until May 2007 that we went to Plakias again, when we stayed at Aretousa with Kosmar.  We have been back almost every year since, staying at Kostas Chryssoula, including twice last year. (Nothing against Aretousa, which was lovely with welcoming owners, just that it was no longer on offer as a package.)

Incidentally I discovered the Forum by searching for Arethousa and coming upon Ali & Dave's report of the fire.

Arnaki

[Barny]

This is a post I started years ago regarding how people ended up in Plakias.
Now there seems to be a lot of 'newer' people on the site I wonder how you first found Plakias?

This was my original post,

 My story starts when myself and a friend and our partners decided we wanted to go away for a break the four of us so we sent the girls off to find a holiday while we slayed in the pub!
Some time later they returned and said they had booked two weeks in a place called plakias on an island called Crete through the co op travel agency and sunmed, they even threw in a free taxi to bhx and back! We stayed in a place called pension paligremnos which was opposite where Santa Maria is now.
That was about late eighty's i think and have been there ever since!!
                         

[vulcan]

We stayed at the Akti Zeus on the north coast in 1985 & liked it so we decided to come back in 1990 . I looked through the Olympic brochure & saw Plakias & said nothing, my wife looked later and she also picked Plakias so we came. A taxi ride through the gorge in the dark arriving at the Alianthos at 5 in the morning in a howling gale and sitting in the lounge till 6.30. did it put us off? well we have only missed two years since. We have stayed at the Alianthos, Ariadne, Kostas and the last 14 years at Dora's.
My old legs ain't what they used to be so this year we are staying at Corali, no hills or steps. I suppose the place has changed quite a bit but the people haven't.
Vulcan.

[phillip]

We went to a small independent travel agent in the village where we live and said we wanted a quiet, safe and friendly place in Greece for my wife, me and our 4 year old son. We were booked through Olympic and arrive at the airport to be told we were transferring by taxi and that the key would be in the door of our room at Kostas Chrysoula. The taxi driver dropped us of at the end of the alley way near the taverns and grunted, then pointed down the alley. The wind was whistling and blowing and there was not a soul about at 02.30am . I thought at the time that we had made a big mistake. It took ages to find the correct apartment block and the correct room. Our son was now getting frightened  and to be honest so was I. If the key was not in the door, we would be in a real spot. However, the key was in the door with a note inside from the rep. We decided to just get into bed and see what the morning would bring. Well I awoke first, I ventured out first to have a look around. The sun was shining and I fell in love with the place. That was in 1996_. We had a great time but knew our son would want more entertainment in the following years. So we went to various destinations for 12 years. When our son was 16 we asked him if he wanted to go on holiday with us. He said he would prefer to go to the Leeds fest concerts and also have a new computer. So that was deal done and his Grandma minded the house and kept him fed and watered. So we could return back to Plakias. Nothing had hardly changed. We have gone there every year since for our main holidays. We always stay at Kostas Chrysoulas but we try something different every year. Gorge walking, general walking, cycling and travelling around in hired cars. Over the years we have made friends with many people and watched their children grow to being part of the family run businesses. We love the place. Olympic is the cheapest option for us to get there and stay there. All the other travel companies have pulled out over the years but if Olympic did ever pull out we would get there independently.

[Barny]

This is a topic I started years ago regarding how people first found Plakias.
Now I see a lot of new faces on here and am interested to learn how you, too, found Plakias?

             Barny.

[FionaCW]

What an interesting post....thoroughly enjoyed reading thru' all the previous entries !  I too first visited Crete back in 1985 and was also at the Akti Zeus same year as Vulcan when there was only 1 tall refinery tower at Linoperamata !   The years rolled by with visiting other parts of the world and other Greek islands when..... 10 or 11 years ago the sister said - do you fancy going to Crete in September?  She'd been to other places in the island and she narrowed it down to Bali and Plakias and thank goodness we picked Plakias.  We came with Olympic (Edwina was the rep) and stayed (ever since) at the Costa Crysoula and we will be back again in 2 weeks.  We've hired a jeep and got out and about over the years and a couple of years ago we drove back to the Akti Zeus.  Such a shame to see such a lovely hotel all boarded up and now there is a huge refinery just along the beach !  Since we started going to Plakias there have been a few changes and a few 'well-kent' faces missing at the far end - but its definitely a place that has a hold on you.  I never imagined that 10/11 years down the line I would still be coming to the same place, same apartment and same bar - Aggelos is such a laugh and definitely the best barman in Crete, the Costa Crysoula is just like coming home, and seeing Sylvia, her mum and little Rocky, both Costas's and Crysoula - the welcome is genuine and seeing everyone in the bar at the end of the night after visiting Joe's bar and any one of the great restaurants is just the best.  So looking forward to September - a jug of red wine and all will be well with the world ! 

[JackieatUrbanAgenda]

By chance really.....back in 1987 by then partner wanted to find somewhere with a nudist beach so he booked with Sun Med. I loved it at first sight....although I've never been able to locate the rooms we stayed in (somewhere at the back of Costa's I think). The rest is history.....we booked to introduce my (now) husband to foreign travel....have spent our 40th and 50th birthdays there and on Tuesday will be celebrating a 30 year association. Have been elsewhere but it keeps drawing me back.......enough said !

[conway s]

Started in the early nineties first visit was to Elounda very nice but will have changed I am sure. following year Peleochora . We liked the island so much we looked in brochure and said Plakias sounds just up our street. Stayed all over plakias first was Appolo the rep was called Jassinta it is a bit different now. We like to stay at Doras now quirky but so peaceful and she carnt do enough for us especially the raki topped up every day.
We have made so many friends there not a bad one have we found. My greatest friend being Niko Brokialakis you will all know him from the fish and chip shop. I go up to his house when we are over there. I miss all the nights in his restaurant ,also the character's who used to go in there .
My friends back here say why do you keep going back to Plakias , difficult to explain until you have been around Greece and hit upon Plakias.
I have met a few Cretan people on my journeys around Greece and the really are a cut above the rest , I don't mean that in a bad way but they are so proud of where they are from.
Was in Plakias in April absolutely fabulous first time that time of year cannot recommend it enough back in October it will be so different .         

[thrillers]

1983 - our honeymoon. Then a 30 year absence until 2013 and came back for our 30th anniversary. Coming back today for out 7th visit since 2013.

[rmartlin]

For what it’s worth... met my American wife in Plakias in Feb ‘72 before any commercialization of Plakias. A Canadian boy on the road.. In 1976 the N.Y. Times did an article on the first tourists to spend the winter in Plakias which spurred development of an old fishing village which the locals frequented only in summer. We took pride in being in that first group of hippies and culturally things were ‘bumpy’ as mores were radically different then. We called ourselves Plachettes and lived behind Sophis’s Cafe for 1 dollar a night in rope beds and later took a House on the shore for 40 dollars a month... paradise and we were the only westerners there in a semi permanent basis.BTW there were only 2 restaurants open only seasonally and no hotels. You could rent a small house as we did but there were only 3 or 4 available. We stayed 4 months and although offered a job waitering or in the local greenhouse had to leave because things were fractious with the locals due to being unmarried and living together... we made dear local friends however... Monolis and Leftari of Kristos Cafefame who were children when we were there. Plakias IS magic and I can see that so many love it still...

[bwian]

A fascinating thread! We were having a hotel holiday at the north of the island. We hired a car for a few days and drove all over. On our way back from Frangokastello we called in at the beach at Plakias for a dip. Was delighted to find the naked end!  Visited a couple more times that holiday.
Then, several years later, I found Plakias in the Olympic brochure. It’s been a regular for us ever since.