Now back home after our holiday in Plakias and, as promised,here are our thoughts on that holiday:
We flew Ryanair from Leeds Bradford to Chania and picked up a car from the airport.
No problems at all with the airline or the airport.
The drive down from Chania is, we find much better/easier than the drive from Hiraklion to Plakias.
Stayed for 11 days at Creta Mere with George and Joanna, as we have been doing for the past 10 years.
Creta Mere rooms are fairly basic but spotlessly clean and the view from the balcony is breathtaking.
Good breakfast and warm, friendly welcome as usual.
Also, free use of their sunbeds on the "on the rocks" beach area.
The weather for the first week was as good as we have ever known it in Plakias in September.
Some days up to 36 deg c and all days over 30 deg c.
Some wind but nothing to be a nuisance when on the beach.
Second week was a big change in the weather.
Much cooler, at about 28 deg c and much more wind.
On Friday and Saturday the wind was so strong as to make the beach out of bounds and we had almost storm force winds overnight on Friday.
Sea temperatures were ideal.
Warm and fairly calm, except for the last few days.
I note with interest the comment made on this site re sunbeds towards the far end.
I make no comment on those who pre book beds with early morning towels. (not us, by the way).
But what I will say is that on several days, there was so much pressure on the beds that it was difficult/impossible to get a bed.
Time to increase the number of beds available ?
The village was a busy during our first week as we have ever known it.
Very good mix of nationalities with no one country too much represented.
The last few days did change slightly, with a big influx of UK visitors.
As with sunbeds, getting a table in some restaurants could be troublesome.
To eat where you wanted to and when you wanted to required pre booking a table, sometimes a couple of days in advance.
But as is usual in Plakias, the choice of places to eat at is very good and it is rare to have a bad meal at anywhere you chose to eat.
As to my comment on Sirocco:
We did, at the end of our stay, re visit this Taverna.
To my mind, you pays your money and you takes your choice.
Our choice is that we will not be re using this Taverna for our evening meals.
This is a major disappointment to us, as we always ate there at least 3 time each holiday and that includes when Babis was there and also the people who took over Siroccos some 3 ? years ago.
Changes to the village:
Very few , in fact.
A few new tarmac roads can now be found in and about the place and these must be most welcome for those people who own accommodation on or close to them.
The road from Plakias on towards the new harbour has been much widened and improved.
The road past the re built tavernas which were fire damaged is now also significantly wider.
Does this now allow coaches to pass thru the village and onto the new harbour ?
New café next to the main bakery is now fully open.
New small bar open next to Geo Ma which we found excellent for mid afternoon drinks.
But not a lot else has changed.
All in all, one of the best holidays we have had in Plakias.
Each year we think that maybe this will be the last visit to the place.
But the next year we rebook for another "last time"
We will see what next year brings us.
