Sandy beach at sunset with calm waves, scattered rocks in the water, a few people near the shore, and mountains in the background this is Plakias on Crete's South Coast.
Sandy beach at sunset with calm waves, scattered rocks in the water, a few people near the shore, and mountains in the background this is Plakias on Crete's South Coast.

Chasing summer in November in Plakias on Crete’s South Coast

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
7
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
5
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
6
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
8
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
4
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
6
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
67 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
192nd/454
Top 40%
continent
Europe
country
Greece
Length of time
3-4 days
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$90 ($150-$450 in 2025 prices)
Time of year visited
October
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
Beach promenade Beaches Canyons
All Tags
Hiking Hilltop towns Sunsets Vineyards
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐

Summary

You can’t get much further south (or east) in Europe than Plakias on Crete’s south coast.  With a warm microclimate influenced by North Africa, the weather holds far better than northern Crete, Greek islands like Santorini, or even southern Spain.  Even in late October and early November, the sea is warm, the skies are blue, and it genuinely feels like summer.

Beaches are fab — giant, nice sand, quiet, and with that crystal-clear south Crete water that feels almost tropical.  Plus with the hiking of the gorges and nearby vineyards, there’s enough to keep you busy.

If you’re chasing warm weather in late October or early November, Plakias is one of the best bets anywhere in Europe.  Very much Worth it. 

Table of Contents

Highlights

Chasing summer in November in Plakias on Crete's South Coast

#1 The views of Plakias Beach 2 from the Aelia Seascape Apartments.  I know it sounds a bit like a lazy cop out, but we just loved sitting there gazing out. Photos don't do it justice

#2 The beaches scattered all the way along this southern coast of Rethimnon. Plakias, southern Crete

#2 The beaches scattered all the way along this southern coast of Rethimnon

#3 The weather! Late October / early November sees winter starting to kick in for the rest of Europe, but Southern Crete is a safe bet to continue getting the summer vibes. Plakias, southern Crete

#3 The weather! Late October / early November sees winter starting to kick in for the rest of Europe, but Southern Crete is a safe bet to continue getting the summer vibes

#4 Hike around the pennisular just to the east of Plakias. Wonderful views of the surrounding mountains and sea, and only around 5km / 3miles round trip. 1.5hrs max. Southern, Crete

#4 Hike around the pennisular just to the east of Plakias. Wonderful views of the surrounding mountains and sea, and only around 5km / 3miles round trip. 1.5hrs max

#5 The surrounding mountains and gorges give some pretty dramatic views at times. Kotsifou Canyon and the winding road down to the sea from the Imbros Canyons were the most wow, but this one on the photo was just from the east of Plakias - easy to walk to. Southern, Crete

#5 The surrounding mountains and gorges give some pretty dramatic views at times. Kotsifou Canyon and the winding road down to the sea from the Imbros Canyons were the most wow, but this one on the photo was just from the east of Plakias - easy to walk to

#6 Greek Vineyards - there are heaps of them up in the hills. Slightly further away, but our favourite was the Dourakis Winery. Southern Crete

#6 Greek Vineyards - there are heaps of them up in the hills. Slightly further away, but our favourite was the Dourakis Winery

IMG_5102-compressed-aspect-ratio-900-675

#7 Meeting some of the locals

#8 Some surprisingly nice beachfront restaurants in Plakias itself, such as the Alianthos Seaside Restaurant, which was perfect for lunch under the shade of the trees. Southern Crete

#8 Some surprisingly nice beachfront restaurants in Plakias itself, such as the Alianthos Seaside Restaurant, which was perfect for lunch under the shade of the trees

6 Tips for Plakias on Crete’s South Coast

 

1. If staying in Plakias itself, aim for Plakias Beach 2 just to the west.  Far nicer, quieter and with stunning views.

 

2. I’d highly recommend staying at the Aelia Seascape Apartments.  Pricey, but the views are sensational (photos don’t do it justice).

 

3. There are heaps of wineries nearby to try.  Bear in mind that Greece, similar to the likes of Italy, Portugal and Georgia, have their own grape and wine styles that are different to the more familiar French-led New World Wines, so there is plenty to learn!  Slightly further away, but our favourite was the Dourakis Winery.

 

4. There’s a great hike around the penninsular just to the east of the long main Plakias beach.  It gives wonderful views of the surrounding mountains and sea, plus takes you through what feels like quite an exclusive resort built into the coves and hills.  Easy return loop back to Plakias.  I’ve shared the route screenshot and the link to all trails is All Trails greece/crete/plakias-kalypso-damnoni.  Around 5km / 3miles, 180m / 600ft elevation gain and took us around 1.5hours start to finish.

 

Screenshot[/caption]

 

5. Be sure to explore either of Kotsifou Canyon, Kourtaliotiko Gorge or Imbros Gorge nearby – they’re really impressive and. you’ll likely pass through at least one or two on your way to Plakias.

 

6. To see how it fits into a one or two week Greece itinerary – see the 2 week Greece Itinerary post full of the route, things to prioritise and general tips for the trip.

Recommended Route to Plakias on Crete’s South Coast

  • There are some really impressive gorges and views on the way from the north coast of Crete to the south, and especially in the Rethimnon region.  Considering you’re most likely flying / ferrying into Heraklion / Hania, it makes sense to take advantage of them.

 

  • I would suggest the above route as it takes advantage of embracing a bit of a longer way round to tag on a vineyard, see the incredible Imbros Gorge and the impressive views all the way along the coast as you wind your way down the mountain road to Komitades.  You come back the other, more direct route, via the equally impressive Kotisfou Canyon.

Experiences Nearby

The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences

Other Great Shouts in November

A week in Cape Town
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wandering the Old Towns of Eastern Sicily
⭐⭐⭐⭐

2 days for the classic highlights of Hong Kong
⭐⭐⭐

India’s Golden Triangle – getting the most out of it
⭐⭐

4WDing around Fraser Island
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

4WDing across the Hajar Mountains via Hatt
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Exploring Petra in winter
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Santorini
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Luxor, Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

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