Preveli beach

Preveli is located about 35km south of Rethymnon and 10km east of Plakias village, situated below the monastery of Preveli built in the 16th or 17th century. Beautiful Preveli beach, also known as Lake Preveli or Phoenix, is placed where the impressive Kourtaliotiko gorge ends. What gives the area a unique, almost tropical look, and makes this beach very famous and popular, is a palm forest of the endemic Cretan date palm Phoenix theophrastii. On the edge of river Megas Potamos which meets the sea on Preveli beach, is a remarkable palm forest. It’s the second largest of a kind in Crete, the next after Vai beach in the far east of the island. You can walk along the river in the palm forest or bath in the river if you wish.