Damnoni Beach, Crete: The 500m Sandy-Pebble Bay 3km East of Plakias, the Boat to Preveli Every 30 Minutes, and Ammoudaki Naturist Beach 10 Minutes on Foot

Greece | Plakias | Rethymno Regional Unit, Crete

The large Damnoni Bay with its 500-metre long sandy-pebble beach, about 3 km east of Plakias, offers plenty of space.

Damnoni — wide sandy bay with tavernas and loungers — is the best for families in the Plakias area.

The boat from Damnoni to Preveli Palm Beach runs every 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes a shuttle boat to Preveli — don’t forget water shoes! This is the specific practical provision that makes Damnoni the recommended base for visitors who want to see Preveli without driving the difficult road. The boat departs from Damnoni at 10:35 and 12:35, and returns from Preveli at 13:15 and 15:15. The Preveli Palm Beach is a Natura 2000 protected area with no sunbeds or umbrellas — the beach under the Cretan palm (Phoenix theophrasti) forest where the Preveli River meets the sea. The boat is the way to access it.

The honest water entry note: for small kids not perfect because it goes straight and deep into the water. Sand is rather rough, like little stones. The coarse sand and pebble mix and the relatively quick depth drop distinguish Damnoni from the fully sandy, very shallow Kavatsite or Rethymno city beach. Water shoes are the practical preparation.

Getting There: 35km South of Rethymno via Kourtaliotiko Gorge, 45–50 Minutes by Car, No Direct Bus (Plakias Then Taxi or Walk)

From Rethymno, drive south through Armeni and follow the signs for Plakias. The road passes through the Kourtaliotiko Gorge — the dramatic limestone gorge through which the Preveli River flows, with cliffs hundreds of metres high and small chapels visible in the rock face. Just before Plakias, follow the well-marked left turn for Damnoni. The 35-kilometre drive takes approximately 45 to 50 minutes.

There are no direct buses to Damnoni. From Rethymno, take the KTEL bus to Plakias (summer service, approximately 1 hour), then a taxi for 5 minutes or walk 45 minutes along the coastal path.

It is advised that tourists consider booking a car rental because of the time and hassle to change buses.

Free parking is available directly at the beach.

The Beach: 500m, Sandy-Pebble Mix, River at the Western End, Organised West, Quieter East, Nudist East End

The west end of the beach has a small river with water almost year-round. It is the most organised part of the beach. The east end of the beach is quieter.

A lot of umbrellas are offered in the western area of Damnoni beach. At the east end there is more than enough space for your personal beach towel; at the east end itself is a nudist beach.

The river at the western end — the stream that flows from the Kourtaliotiko Gorge — is the specific freshwater input that divides the beach’s character. The organised, hotel-backed, sunbed-intensive western section is the most convenient. The quieter, more open eastern section is where the free zone and the naturist end are located.

Sunbeds and umbrellas: €10 for two and an umbrella. Between €7–15 for 2 beds and umbrella (seasonal); premium setups €25.

Ammoudaki Beach: 10 Minutes on Foot East of Damnoni, Naturist Cove, Turquoise Water

You can reach Ammoudaki by foot from Damnoni beach in 10 minutes.

Ammoudaki (Mikro Ammoudi) is the best naturist beach in the Plakias area — small cove, turquoise water.

There is an underwater hole connecting Ammoudaki with Klisidi, allowing you to travel between the two beaches with just a dive.

The underwater passage between Ammoudaki and Klisidi is the specific snorkelling discovery accessible from the Damnoni base — the two adjacent coves are connected at depth by a rock passage that experienced snorkellers can swim through.

The Boat to Preveli: Every 30 Minutes, Water Shoes Required, the Palm Forest at the End

From Plakias to the Palm Forest of Preveli, during your journey you have the opportunity to admire all the beaches of the south-eastern coastline: Calypso, Damnoni, Ammoudaki, Kleisidi, Amoudi, Schinaria.

Preveli Palm Beach is Crete’s most famous southern beach — the river lagoon flanked by Cretan date palms where the Kourtaliotiko Gorge meets the Libyan Sea. It is a Natura 2000 protected area: no sunbeds, no umbrellas, no permanent facilities. Water shoes are essential because the entry is over rocks. The boat from Damnoni is the most practical and enjoyable way to arrive.

We drove here from Preveli beach (which we didn’t like) to get some lunch. Several very nice tavernas to choose from. The beach is lovely too. The water is very clean. We wished we had spent the day here instead of starting at Preveli.

The Kourtaliotiko Gorge: The Approach Drive That Is Itself a Destination

The drive from Rethymno to Damnoni through the Kourtaliotiko Gorge is the approach that every visitor describes as a highlight of the journey — the sheer limestone walls hundreds of metres above, the springs and waterfalls visible from the road, the small Byzantine churches built into the rock face, and the point where the river begins its descent toward Preveli. Stopping at the gorge viewpoint and the small chapels is the specific half-hour addition to the Damnoni day that the driving approach enables.

Damnoni Beach in Crete is the 500-metre sandy-pebble bay 3 kilometres east of Plakias — the shuttle boat to Preveli Palm Forest every 30 minutes from the small harbour (water shoes required), Ammoudaki naturist cove 10 minutes on foot east with its underwater passage to Klisidi, €10 sunbeds in the organised western section, the small river at the western end, the quieter east end with the free zone and the naturist section, deep entry requiring water shoes, the Kourtaliotiko Gorge on the approach drive, and no direct bus (car rental strongly recommended).

Drive south from Rethymno. Stop at the gorge. Take the boat to Preveli.