Plakias

What I did:
Hiked to Beaches-
My favorite part of Plakias was the beaches. There are many different beautiful, sandy beaches to visit in Southern Crete.

Relaxed and swam at the beaches-
With the large number of great beaches in Southern Crete, there are many nice places to swim or just relax on the sand. Also, because many of them are not too convenient to get to, they are not nearly as crowded as some other beaches around the world.

Spent a day in Chania-
Chania is an old Venetian style town located on the northwestern coast of Crete. The architecture is very interesting and there are some good restaurants in town.

Got my feet eaten by fish-
Although not necessarily unique to Crete, there was a shop that offered "fish pedicures." Since I had never done anything like that before, I thought it would be interesting to try it out. When I stuck my feet into the water, small fish began to eat all around my feet. When I put my socks on the following day, they slid smoothly over my fresh feet.

Where I ate:
Kri Kri-
Kri Kri is a nice restaurant with an amazing waterfront view.

Grocery stores-
There are a few supermarkets located in the Plakias. I would pick up a few things there and eat on my way to or at the beach I was hiking to that day. I also would bring some things back to eat and drink at the hostel.

Where I stayed:
Youth Hostel Plakias-
There are only a few hostels located on the island of Crete, and Youth Hostel Plakias is one of them. It is one of the best hostels I have ever stayed at. It is located in an olive grove and equipped with hammocks for relaxing and reading a book. There was a nice mix of people there where I was there, which made for a good environment and some great conversation.

How I got around:
Getting to Plakias can take some effort. The two main seaports and two airports are located in Chania (Northwestern Crete) and Heraklion (Northeastern Crete). After arriving in one of these cities, I took a bus to Rethymno, then another bus to Plakias. While in Plakias I walked to most places, but would occasionally take a public bus to a beach.

My Favorite Thing:
The beaches in and around Plakias were awesome. I also loved the laid back vibe in the area.

My Least Favorite Thing:
Plakias can be a little tough to get to. After arriving on the island of Crete, you have to take another four hours of busses to reach Plakias. However, once I got there I definitely thought the trouble of getting there was worth it, and due to the challenge of getting there it was not too crowded.

For next time:
Next time I would like to spend more time at the beaches, and hike to some new ones. I would also like to try more of the waterfront restaurants.