Damnoni Beach, Crete: All you need to know before you go

This is my guide to the gorgeous Damnoni beach, an idyllic beach on the South Crete coast between the more famous Preveli and Plakias beaches.

Damnoni Beach is one of the best beaches in south Crete, tucked away a short drive from popular Plakias village.  Surrounded by spectacular mountains, it’s the most visitor-friendly of a series of wonderful beaches just to the north of the sublime Palm Beach at Preveli.

In this Damnoni beach guide I give you the low-down on what you’ll find there, including restaurants, cafes and boat trips along the coast, and some of the other great Crete beaches close by.

Damnoni Beach – What You Need to Know

Damnoni Beach is a superb 300-metre-long beach close to the southern Crete beach village of Plakias

It is the busiest and most ‘organised’ of a series of beaches along a short stretch of coast which ends at the spectacular Preveli beach and its famous palm forest

It’s known as Paralia Damnoni in Greek

You can get to Damnoni by boat from either Plakias or Preveli – in summer, several boats pass in each direction each day

It has several tavernas and cafes just back from the beach, and a hot dog and gyros van a little further along

Mesogeios Restaurant and Taverna Violakis are the two best places to eat

You can also hire sun beds and beach umbrellas from the tavernas

Watersports equipment can also be hired from the west end of the beach

Where Is Damnoni Beach?

Damnoni beach is on the south Crete coast, in Rethymno province.  It’s around 3 miles (5 km) from the beach village of Plakias, and 2 km from the village of Lefkogia.

Damnoni is also 35 km (23 miles) south of the regional capital Rethymno.

Getting to Damnoni Beach

Damnoni Beach can easily be reached by car. If you’re approaching from Rethymno, it is the first left turn after the Aegean petrol station on the road into Plakias.

The Rethymno Plakias bus passes this turn-off, but only stop in Lefkogia (1.5 km before) or at the terminus in Plakias. Not exactly ideal.

Boat trips run several times daily from Plakias en route to Preveli Palm Beach, and cost 8 euros return – a lot for the short distance, perhaps.

Other Rethymno Beaches Near Damnoni Beach

The area around Damnoni and Plakias has some of the best beaches in Crete.

Three of them are within walking distance. The Ammoudi beaches are a few hundred metres around the corner of the bay from Damnoni, with fine sand and beautiful clear water ideal for snorkelling.

These can be reached by road from Lefkogia and Damnoni, as can Skinaria beach. This is a magnificent location, one of the best Rethymno beaches, with fine sand and pebbles and gorgeous tempting turquoise water, with outstanding views of the surrounding rugged mountains.

Kalypso Beach, another beach we have featured, is also within walking distance of Damnoni beach. It’s barely a kilometre away – follow the dirt around to the west, and this eventually fizzles out into a path. this takes you around the corner  to a bird’s eye view over the Kalypso beach, which is also known as the Pirate’s Fjord.

Don’t head to Kalypso expecting sand – it’s a narrow rocky inlet with incredibly clear water, some of the best for snorkelling we’ve seen anywhere in the world.