Plaka in Crete

Discover Plaka Crete, a Picturesque Village by the Sea

The road from Elounda continues following the coastline to the north to the small village at the end of the peninsula, called Plaka. Plaka has good quality fish restaurants and tavernas near the sea, small and big hotels and luxury villas overlooking the village and the sea. It is situated in the beautiful Bay of Mirabello in the East Crete. The distance to Elounda is about 5 kilometres. The distance to the town of Agios Nikolaos is about twelve kilometres. Over the last years Plaka has become more of a tourist spot and the number of restaurants and souvenir shops has increased quite dramatically after a new large hotel complex has been built on the hill south of the original village.

The beaches in Plaka are small and with big pebbles, but relatively uncrowded and for some they will be much more pleasant than those at Elounda. It is not too difficult to get into the sea. The beach on the east side is called Agia Marina and it is named after a nearby Byzantine church and cemetery. Next to the cemetery there is a small path leading to the beach. On the west side of the village you find Plaka beach, where tamarisk trees give you some shade.

Visit Plaka Crete, the Gateway to Spinalonga Island

Plaka has the small island of Spinalonga directly in front (or actually “Kalidon islet”, but it is called Spinalonga by almost everybody). On the island of Kalidon is the Venetian fortress of Spinalonga. The island was used as a leper colony and hospital in the first part of the 20th century, and Plaka was especially built to bring goods and people to the island. There is a small pier in the village of Plaka where fishermen are willing to ferry you across to see the ruins. There are also organized boat trips from Elounda and Agios Nikolaos.

The village of Plaka is still pretty authentic and less touristy than for example Agios Nikolaos or adjacent Elounda, but in recent years Plaka has more developed into a destination for luxury holidays. There are also quite a number of luxury (and sometimes expensive) villas with private pool for rent in and around the village

The road into Elounda from Agios Nikolaos is approximately 12 km in length and follows the shore as it climbs to the top of a small mountain. On a clear day it is possible to see the whole of Mirabello Bay and all the way to the eastern tip of Crete.
The small fishing village of Plaka (Lasithi), which overlooks the island of Spinalonga and the Kolikithia Peninsula, is located a mere 5 km from the main square of Elounda heading north away from Agios Nikolaos.

It is also the closest major town to the former leper colony of Spinalonga (Greek: Σπιναλόγκα), located on an island officially named Kalydon (Greek: Καλυδών).

Elounda is a famous tourist attraction, heavily visited by VIPs for its seaside luxury resorts. Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou used to spend his summers in Elounda; today, it is visited almost every year by the royal family of Saudi Arabia.

The History of Elounda
The earliest recorded settlement at Elounda was the ancient Greek city of Olous, whose people were in intermittent conflict with the citizens of Dorian Lato, until a peace treaty was eventually reached. Elounda has a later history as part of the Venetian era. Elounda has changed considerably during its lifespan. The bulk of the ancient city of Olous was reclaimed by the sea towards the end of the Ancient Greek period and is still visible, in part, when diving in the bay of Elounda.

During the early 1900s, Elounda acted as a stopping off point for lepers being transported to the leper colony at Spinalonga.

In 1984, the President of France, François Mitterrand, and Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya met in a luxurious Elounda resort to discuss conflict resolution in Chad.