Beaches within walking distance of Plakias, Souda is my favourite, for sure.
Two tavernas for lunch and to avoid the mid-day sun
I like to walk further round the coast when I get bored of the beach but my wife does not.The views are fantastic, the little pine grove on the hill-side is alive with seed-eating birds in the spring and the smell of the pine resin is lovely.
Lots of fish around the rocks, makes for interesting snorkelling.
Raptors (as mentioned above somewhere); lying on the beach just watching is brilliant!
Incidentally, does anyone know what is happening with the beach in the cove beyond Souda? There is some sort of pre-fab building there, some old wooden chairs, and it looks like somebody has set-up a handful of parasols, judging by the concrete 'buckets' and hollow poles sticking out of the top.
Is it only a matter of time before Souda becomes a small resort in its own right? It has expanded, albeit very slowly, over the years.
Richard