Dunes and sea caves in Agios Pavlos - Crete
Crete, Greece
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Agios Pavlos Beach – Creta
Parking (Free)
Free
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2/10. (Not busy)
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8/10
Agios Pavlos is a small village located in southern Crete, 1 hour from Plakias and 1 hour 10' from Rethymno. The roads are good, so you can even make the journey with a Fiat Punto. You can park your car easily in an open space at the top of the dune (here). Once there, you can enjoy the incredible beach at the foot of the dune, impressive sea caves , or a curious geological formation called apoplystra among other attractions.
Agios Pavlos SandHill beach
It is a beach located at the foot of a 30-meter-high sand dune. The entire beach is 1 km long and is divided into two by a rocky formation, which we will discuss later. The northernmost part is composed of red sand.
Bear in mind there is no shaded area. At the top of the dune, there is a rudimentary kiosk where you can get some food and drinks. For climbing up and down the dune, we recommend wearing closed-toe shoes. If it's a sunny day (quite common in Crete), the sand can become quite hot and you may risk burning your feet. We recommend you to do this on the side closest to the town, as the slope is less steep.
Sea caves
Agios Pavlos is a fantastic place for snorkeling, not only for the diverse marine life you'll find (parrot fish, lion fish, longystingythingy, rabbit fish, flounder, sebrins, wrassers, and abundant seagrass at shallow depths) but also due to the numerous sea caves in the area. You can swim along the cliff south of the beach and discover several caves. If you get tired of swimming, you can easily climb from the caves and go back to the beach on foot (here and here for example). In addition to these caves, there are a couple more in the rocky formations that divide the beach in two. Be careful with the currents!
Geological formation Apoplystra
It is located between the village of Agios Pavlos and SandHill Beach (here). This curious and incredible rock wall was formed due to the high pressures that the rocks in the area have experienced over millions of years. It is listed among the natural monuments of Greece.
Exploration and others
From the car park, you can walk along the cliff and discover many other hidden spots. For instance, behind Apoplystra, there is an incredible cave with access to the sea. You can also walk to the beach of the charming village, where there is a beach bar, sun loungers, and umbrellas.
Beyond the spectacular scenery, the best part is that it's a relatively unknown place. It's a cinematic landscape with various attractions where you'll hardly encounter many people. It's a must-visit!
Comment if you have any question!
