Best things to do in Koxare in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Koxare is an inland village in the Rethymno region of Crete, set in the hills south of Rethymno city and 7.8 km north of Plakias on the Libyan Sea. Koxare has 4 gorges within 8 km and 5 south-coast beaches within 9 km. The village itself has no beach and no resort front, so what it offers is a position between the two coasts and quick reach of the canyons that cut down towards the sea.
Chania is the nearest airport to Koxare. The village suits walkers, canyoners and drivers who want the Plakias beaches without staying on the coast, and the mountain village of Spili sits 6 km away.
Things to do in and around Koxare
Things to do in and around Koxare all sit within about 8 km of the village, and the 6 below run from nearest to furthest.
- Walk up to the Korakias peak sanctuary. The sanctuary site stands 1.7 km from Koxare, the closest of the places we cover to the village.
- See the Kakoperatos Gorge. The canyon lies 2.5 km from Koxare beside the village of Agios Vasilios, a tributary of the Megalos, or Kourtaliotis, river. Its name means “bad passage” in Greek, because technical equipment is needed to pass through it. Canyoners come for the 7 to 8 waterfalls and their deep turquoise pools, and the exit sits next to the last houses of Agios Vasilios.
- Hike the Kourtaliotiko Gorge. The gorge runs 3 km between the Kouroupa and Koules mountains, 3.3 km from Koxare, and holds a waterfall, year-round springs and the chapel of Agios Nikolaos at the foot of the cliffs. A paved road cuts through it, so the viewpoints and the trailhead need no long approach.
- Spend a morning in Spili. The village lies 6 km away at about 430 m on the slopes of Mount Vorizi in the Kedros range, and about 800 people live there through the year. Spili is named after the caves in the mountain above it, and keeps cold running water and a shaded square.
- Look into the Kotsifos Gorge. The gorge lies 6.1 km from Koxare, the third of the four canyons within the village’s reach.
- Drive down to Plakias. The resort village sits 7.8 km south where the Kotsifos river meets the Libyan Sea. Its curved sandy beach, Gialia, is closed off by Cape Kako Mouri and Cape Stavros, and the low-rise character of Plakias has long drawn travellers wanting a quieter base than the north-coast resorts.
About the village and its setting
Koxare is a working inland village rather than a resort. Koxare keeps a cafe of its own in the centre, while the tavernas in reach are spread through the settlements around it, 3 km to 6 km out, so shopping, beach hire and evening life all mean a drive.
The setting is mountain country between Rethymno on the north coast and the Libyan Sea in the south. Streams here feed the Megalos river, also called the Kourtaliotis, and the Kakoperatos canyon joins it 2.5 km from the village. The Kourtaliotiko Gorge sits within the Xiro Oros range 3.3 km away, the Kotsifos Gorge 6.1 km off and the Swallows’ Gorge, or Chelidonia, 7 km away.
Beaches in and around Koxare
Koxare has no beach of its own, and the 5 nearest lie on the Libyan Sea coast between 7.5 km and 8.1 km from the village. They run from a fully equipped resort front to coves that stay quiet because they are harder to reach.
- Damnoni lies 7.5 km away, an organised sandy bay 5 km east of Plakias with coarse pale sand, clear turquoise water, a busy western end and a quieter eastern end of secluded coves, set at the mouth of an olive-covered valley ringed by mountains.
- Ammoudi sits 7.5 km away, reached by paved road from the village of Lefkogia and recognisable by its green slippery rock. White sand, a rocky seabed and bright green water suit diving and snorkelling, and the beach has umbrellas, taverns, rooms, a scuba diving centre and tamarisk trees for shade.
- Plakias is 7.6 km away, where Gialia beach runs 1.3 km east from the edge of town to Cape Mouri. The water is clear and cool, and the front carries umbrellas, water sports, beach volleyball courts, snack bars, changing rooms and showers.
- Skinaria lies 7.8 km away and 3 km south of Lefkogia, a small secluded beach of soft grey-beige sand and fine pebbles, with deep turquoise water over a rocky, marine-rich seabed. Mountain springs feed freshwater ponds on the shore, and the snorkelling and diving rank among the finest in the region.
- Drymiskos sits 8.1 km away, a 3 km sequence of coves known together as Drymiskiani Gialia, broken up by rocks and reefs that make for good snorkelling. The westernmost, Amoudi, is where the paved road from Preveli ends and a short trail to Preveli beach begins.
Where to eat in Koxare
Koxare has one cafe in the village itself, and the tavernas around it sit 3 km to 6 km out in neighbouring settlements.
- Takis Koxare Cafe is the village cafe, 100 m from the centre.
- Market-Cafe Tasoula, a shop and cafe, stands 3.3 km out.
- Taverna Pirgos serves taverna cooking, 4.2 km out.
- Taverna Mariou is a taverna 5.1 km out.
Getting to Koxare
Getting to Koxare means driving through the mountains of southern Rethymno, and a car is the practical way to use the village. Chania is the nearest airport. Spili lies 6 km away in the Kedros mountains and Plakias 7.8 km south on the coast, with a paved road cutting through the Kourtaliotiko Gorge 3.3 km from the village.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Koxare in Crete?
Koxare lies inland in the Rethymno region, in the hills south of Rethymno city and 7.8 km north of Plakias on the Libyan Sea. Spili sits 6 km away and the Kourtaliotiko Gorge 3.3 km from the village.
Does Koxare have a beach?
Koxare is inland and has no beach of its own, but 5 lie within 9 km. Damnoni and Ammoudi, both 7.5 km away, are the nearest, and Plakias at 7.6 km is the one with a fully equipped front.
Which gorges are near Koxare?
Four gorges lie within 8 km of Koxare. Kakoperatos is 2.5 km from the village, Kourtaliotiko 3.3 km, Kotsifos 6.1 km and the Swallows’ Gorge, also called Chelidonia, 7 km.
Which airport is closest to Koxare?
Chania is the closest airport to Koxare. The Rethymno region lies between the 2 airports, so arrivals into Heraklion work as well.
Where Koxare is
Best things to do in Koxare in 2024 is located at Koxaré. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
