Location: Palaiochora
Top Things to do in Palaiochora
What to do and see in Palaiochora, Greece: The Best Places and Tips
Palaiochora (Greek: Παλαιόχωρα or Παλιόχωρα) is a small town in Chania regional unit, Greece. It is located 77 km south of Chania, on the southwest coast of Crete and occupies a small peninsula 400m wide and 700m long. The town is set along 11 km of coastline bordering the Libyan Sea. It is the seat of the municipality of Kantanos–Selino and its population was 1,675 in the 2011 census.
Restaurants in Palaiochora
1. Gialiskari beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 247 reviews
Reviewed By goanjock - The Stunning Highlands
A simply stunning beach that is very easy to find. Just head out of Paleochora on the Anidri and just outside of Paleochora take the road/track on your right. Just take your time and the road is very easy to negotiate. The beach has two sections the first section pebble which was our favourite part with glorious views and a lovely chilled out cantina serving great food, cold beer, perfect background music and friendly staff. The sunbeds are cheap to hire and the sea fantastic to swim in. You can follow a path and signs to the other section of beach which is called The Sandy Beach and there is also a nice cantina there set amongst some trees. The beach towards the east end is more naturist and this is also where you pick up the E4.
Behind the pebble section the path to the Anidri Gorge begins. Fantastic beach, great swimming, lovely cantina's what more could you ask for :-)
2. Grammeno Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 132 reviews
Reviewed By Paulo P - Manchester, United Kingdom
We were here in May so there wasn't a lot of tourists especially in this part of the island. We basically had the beach to ourselves. It was lovely.
3. Pachia Ammos Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 85 reviews
Reviewed By ipah2017 - Oxford, United Kingdom
My wife and I have been taking our holidays in Paleochora for a quarter of a century. Over that time we have seen some changes, mostly for the better, but the village has always retained its unique charm and friendly welcome to visitors. The quality and variety of the food available in the restaurants has improved significantly and the sandy beach, the village’s greatest natural asset, remained largely unspoiled. Alas, we were mortified to discover on our visit a few weeks ago that a large part of the best section of sandy beach has been annexed by the Veggera Café as a huge outdoor restaurant.
A dense colony of sun beds and sun umbrellas have been erected with a network of boarded walk ways in between. In one place the walk ways form a “dual carriageway”. Athletic young waiters pound these walk ways relentlessly, Barking into their walkie-talkies and scanning the compound for orders. Their communications equipment make intrusive and far reaching electronic noises. Waiters’ stations, containing cruets, plate racks and the like have appeared at strategic locations within the compound which can now be fenced off from the rest of the beach in a flash. For the visitor it’s like being in a prison camp. The environment is far from relaxing yet that is what most visitors to Paleochora have always cherished.
Each sun bed is equipped with one or more tables that are so substantial (frame made from 60mm timber and top from 20 mm plywood) one may be forgiven for thinking they were previously used in a circus act featuring elephants. They provide a real challenge to reposition for all but the strongest visitor.
Taken with other, more subtle, evidence that Paleochora is now aiming at the mass, highly commercialised, tourism market prevalent on the north coast of Crete, Paleochora seems to be losing its previous charm and timeless ambience. We are therefore disinclined to return. Such a pity.
4. Krios Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71 reviews
Reviewed By goanjock - The Stunning Highlands
Fabulous Beach in the Paleochora area which absolutely loved. To get there turn left just after Grammeno through the greenhouses and you will pick up the handmade signs for Krios Beach. It is a pebble beach with two coves (the second of which is popular with naturists) fabulous views down the coast and great swimming. There is a lovely relaxed cantina on the beach and the E4 west take you along the beach over the rocks between the two coves and then up to the hills. It is well worth taking part of the path up the hill where there is a little church and later on you get great views along the coast to Elafonisi.
Fabulous beach and definitely one of the best in the Paleochora area (in our top four).
5. Paleochora Safari
Overall Ratings
5 based on 41 reviews
Paleochora Safari offers personalised service and true Cretan hospitality. We stand for comfort and safety. Offering an once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the real Cretan Culture!Our traditional safari adventures into the rural parts of Western Crete will guarantee a unique experience never lived before... You can look forward to a hassle-free experience to explore the Local secrets of wine making (and tasting!), olive oil production, visits to old picturesque churches and ancient villages, Crete's oldest olive tree, breathtaking landscapes and many more amazing attractions of remarkable history and raw beauty.
Reviewed By Margit_Leiner - Innsbruck, Austria
Crete is beautiful and so much more than "just" paradise-like Beaches and Gyros. ;-) If you REALLY want to understand this unique island and its culture, lifestyle, history, and especially the people, you have to go into "the wilderness", high up into the rough, almost untouched, breathtaking Mountains. Going on your own will bring you to your limits very soon - you won't be able to "tame" those rugged, narrow, at times dangerous mountain roads with a rental vehicle - and you will never be able to see or even find the real, hidden gems that only very knowledgeable locals know about. Paleochora Safari offers the great opportunity to discover all these gems - amazingly beautiful nature&dramatic landscapes, gorgeous flora, hidden architectural and historical sites such as the ruins of tiny little Byzantine churches with frescoes from the 11th century - totally unexpected in the middle of a forest, caves high up inside steep cliffs that served as a hiding place for the locals during the Ottoman occupation, and many more, all while Giannis and Akis, the two very charming and savvy owners of the company and awesomely skilled drivers, and Heike, the super-knowledgeable and multilingual guide, provide you with tons of interesting insider information and take you up with their comfortable jeeps on unspeakably narrow and steep, adventurous, curvy, rocky roads to the top of the famous White Mountains and the romantically remote Kallergi refuge at the altitude of 1,680 meters (5,510 ft), spectacularly overlooking Europe's biggest gorge, the Samaria Gorge. Too beautiful for words! During the trip you will also learn about the healthy, TRULY organic and free-range life of Crete's goats and sheep that provide the high quality meat and milk for so many of the delicious Cretan dishes, the local plants and their use, how people in the Mountains lived in the past and how they do today, and of course you will be pampered with super yummy local snacks, dishes, and drinks, all included in the price, as well as one of the highlights of the day, the FANTASTIC, rich lunch in the middle of a forest next to a little river near the entrance to the Agia Irini Gorge, where the quaint host and cook Giorgos will pamper you and load the table with local delicacies, of course all of them made with the freshest, home-grown or locally sourced ingredients, cooked right on the spot for you. Peace and relaxation at its best. You really couldn't wish for more! :-) An unforgettable experience, an absolute MUST-DO! Efxaristo para poli - ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ, Giannis, Akis, and Heike!!! <3 <3 <3 Margit from Austria and Chris from the USA
6. Chalikia Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By LN1946 - Oksboel, Denmark
Chalikia Beach has the best swimmingwater. Pure and crystal-clean water.
And Chalikia Beach is idyllic with a fantastic view over the sea.
It is a stone-beach, but there are sunbeds and sunshades.
The best cafe in the town, Votsalo, is located 20 meter from Chalikia Beach.
7. Nireas Adventures
Overall Ratings
5 based on 13 reviews
Nireas Scuba Diving & Adventure Centre opened in June 2015 and is open for business all year, with activities varying with the seasons. Summertime we offer our guests scuba diving and snorkeling boat tours, as well as full and half day trekking tours. Upon request, we can also arrange abseiling events and freediving classes for beginners (max. 10 meters depth). During the less hot months we arrange week trekking – and trail running programs, including full or half board and airport transfers. We can also arrange canyoning tours and rappel trainings for private groups. Our Mission is to keep both locals and visitors active by offering a variety of fun and memorable outdoor activities for all levels of fitness. As passionate nature enthusiasts, we are hoping our work will increase interest and awareness of nature and aid to its preservation. We specialize in working with small groups, providing our guests with a safe, personal service in a fun & friendly environment. All snorkeling and diving equipment and hotel transfers are always included in our prices. All tours can be tailor made for private groups! Please contact us for more information.
Reviewed By Stefan H
One of the highlights from our trip to Crete was our diving/snorkeling outing with the people from Nireas Adventure. The diving felt really safe and the guide made sure to check our knowledge and repeat instructions. The equipment were excellent catering for all of our needs and different sizes (we were two adults and two kids).
The experience were so good we also decided to go on one of their guided walks up an isolated canyon with beautiful scenery and views.
We really recommend Nireas, super friendly people and a great experience!
8. The Venetian Castle
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 78 reviews
Reviewed By marcopolo111 - Cleveland, Oh
This is another Venetian castle built in many coastal area of Crete and other island to protect the trade and the inhabitant from pirates and foes. It is a short walk from town: there is no much left except for the foundations. Also modern not particularly attractive house have been built too close to the walls. But the view of both bay is spectacular, especially at sunset.
9. Archea Poli Lissos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By George T - Agii Apostoli, Chania, Crete
We found this little beach while walking between Sougia and Paleochora the view is amazing from the top. Also it has ruins of an old city and old water spring that is considered healing. You can take photo and go swim on the beach and if you are too tired you take the boat to come back to Paleochora or Sougia
10. Open Air Cinema
Overall Ratings
5 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By LN1946 - Oksboel, Denmark
It is so wonderful to sit a late evening and see a movie in this idyllic outdoor cinema.
This is not possible in my home-country, Denmark.
The Open Air Cinema is located in a quiet place near the town-center.
There are trees around you.
You can only see the screen and the dark sky and the stars above you.
You sit in good chairs.
(Sometimes smal kittens are around you).
We have been in this idyllic cinema several times in the last years.
