Destinations in Crete: Preveli palm beach & Vasilis rock beach

Woof! Welcome to my blog pawfriends. 🐾 I have a new destination for you! In my last roadtrip we drove to South Rethymno where you can find the famous Preveli palm beach (named like this because of the big palm forest right next to the river that ends up in the sea) and we combined it with a visit to the beach right next to Preveli. Less famous but not less fun there. Let me show you around and bark about where is the best place to go! 🐾

Pitstop on the way to Preveli

How to reach Preveli?

Preveli is a 50 minute drive from the big city Rethymno. The best way is to take the main road from Rethymno and pass from the Kourtaliotiko gorge. Passing from that road will give you many points to stop and enjoy the breathtaking views. We followed the way to Vasilis rock beach because there is plenty of parking space, a nice tavern, supermarket and rent rooms if you want to spend the night there. 

From there starts a 20min uphill walk to Preveli palm beach, the path is safe to walk for dogs too, only in summertime be careful as the temperatures might be too high. 

View over the Preveli bay from the walk path

After our 20 minute walk we arrived at the Preveli beach, it was super crowded and we had a little bit of a problem finding a comfy spot to relax. We managed to find shadow under the trees behind the small chapel. My dad went to explore the river parts as well as the beach but unfortunately because of the massive crowds swimming for me was not possible. At all time I was on leash close to mama but sadly many tourists didn't liked or where scared of dogs so my humans respect that. I still had a nice time chilling in the shade wif my snacks and toys that mum had brought from home. 

In the afternoon we walked back to the parking and right there in front I had the most pawsome time in Vasilis Rock Beach! Only the parts on the right side are taken by sun beds but at the left it's completely free and not crowded. The waters where crystal clear and shallow, pawfect for a dive into the sea! For me as a doggo this beach was way better then the touristic Preveli palm beach. 

After our swim we decided to check out the tavern there and I was welcomed by the friendly owner. We had a very yummy dinner there. Highly recommend Dionyssos Tavern!

Luna's final verdict 🐶🐾😃:

For me as a doggy the Preveli palm beach was nice for walkies but too crowded for a swim. I had a much better time at the calm Vasilis rock beach & the Dionyssos tavern. In case you have limited time and come on a hot summer day I would skip Preveli. If you can come a little later on the day when the sun is down the walkie is worth it (in afternoon many tourists leave Preveli also). 

Videoclip of Luna in Vasilis Rock Beach

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Destinations in Crete: Rethymno

Woof! Welcome to my blog pawfriends, today I would like to show you around a new destination: Rethymno City. Rethymno lies on the North-western side of Crete between Chania and Heraklion.

Old venetian harbour Rethymno

For us Cretans Rethymno is also know as "the student city". There  is a pawfect university (University of Crete) here which attract students from all over Europe and therefore there is also a lot of vibrant nightlife. Beside of that it is also touristically developed.

Must see inside the city:

The old town is beautifully restored dating from the 16th century. The old harbour is Venetian style and inside town you can find buildings with influence from the byzantines. It also has one of the best preserved castles in Crete: "Fortezza of Rethymno". While walking trough the old town you will see the "Porta Guora"(great gate), the "piazza Rimondi" and the "Loggia Veneziana" etc. It's the perfect place to stroll trough the romantic small alley's.

Beach time in Rethymno:

Because of tourism a big part of the beach is occupied with sunbeds however the beach stretches a long end (12km/7.5miles!) which makes it possible for us dog's to find a calm area to play. My pawrents took me next to the watersport area, most people don't like to hang out there because it's a less organized place, it was perfect though to play with my squeaky toy! In the afternoon after 6pm it's also a little calmer and you can have a nice walk at the boulevard right next to the beach without burning your paw pads. 

Food&drinks:

The most popular street to drink and eat something is definitely the one next to the beach. After my swim my pawrents took me to a local gyros place. I was allowed in the outside area and the waiters where so kind to provide me some cool drinking water💧. Because of the touristic taverns it's always best to kindly ask if dog's are allowed to sit in the outside area.

Overall experience as a dog:

Because Rethymno is a small city the local's also take their dog's out in the town which means that the people are used having dog's around, we met some small dogs at our walk in the old town which greeted me very nicely. Locals take their dog's mostly out at the beach (on leash) and in the municipal garden. Walking in the more touristic places is also no problem as long as you keep the streets clean (don't forget poopbags and a bottle of water to wash away pee).  We went in the afternoon for a walk however if you want to walk in the morning keep in mind that the pavements can heat up very quickly. 

Best places to do your poo🚾 inside the city:

- Municipal Garden (Δημοτικός Κήπος/ Igoumenou Gavriil, Rethymno 741 00)

- The area around the Venetian Fortezza Castle 

- Next to the old Venetian harbour (sandy beach part where swimming is not allowed)

I had a lot of fun and would love to go explore more new area's close to Rethymno city! Thank you for joining me in this mini roadtrip. 

Paw from me 🐶🐾

Sandy beach at the old Venetian harbour