Damnoni
Velagio Villas are located in the village of Damnoni, 35 km south of Rethymno Crete and 3 km east of Plakias. It is a seaside village stretching out on a slope with olive groves leading to a sandy beach about 600 meters long.
The beach is relatively large with beautiful turquoise waters and sand. It is an organized beach with umbrellas and sun loungers, a shower, a café-bar and small taverns. However, for those who want to enjoy their swim freely, using their own equipment, the expanse of beach allows it, as there is plenty of free space.
For lovers of water sports, in Damnoni beach there is also a diving school.
Plakias
3km west of Damnoni is Plakias, a settlement that in recent years has evolved into a large holiday resort thanks to its homonymous beach. Plakias is surrounded by mountains to the north and the Libyan Sea to the south.
In Plakias there are many shops such as supermarkets, tourist agencies, car rentals, cafes, taverns and more. Plakias beach is also very well organized with umbrellas, sun loungers, water sports, diving, showers and changing rooms.
Plakias beach is one of the largest beaches of both the prefecture of Rethymno and the whole of Crete. Although the beach is very popular with vacationers, it does not feel crowded due to its large area.
What’s nearby
7 km from Damnoni lies the historic Preveli Monastery amidst a verdant landscape with unique views of the Libyan Sea. They are essentially two separate monasteries, the “Piso” and the “Kato”, which are separated by a distance of 1.7 km.
Below the Monastery of Preveli, in about 20 minutes you will find the incredibly beautiful sandy beach of Preveli. The beach is at the mouth of the Kourtaliotis River at the end of which a small palm-tree forest has been created.
Activities in the area
In addition to swimming in the clear blue waters of Damnoni Beach, the visitor can also visit other nearby beaches such as Plakias, Ammoudi, Souda, Schinaria and of course beach of Preveli. At some of these beaches there are diving schools to explore the bottom of the sea, as well as water sports facilities.
For nature lovers, the area has many beautiful promenades for walks such as Sellia, Myrthio and Lefkogia but also the 1,800 meters Kotsifas Gorge, with its tall vertical imposing cliffs and narrow road.
There is also a Horse Riding Center in Plakias where you can learn horse riding from its training team and for the most experienced riders excursions with horses, ponies or donkeys are guided, accompanied by experienced riders,
on routes between olive groves and rivers but also on routes to the beautiful nearby beaches of Plakia, Damnoni and Ammoudi.
