Best things to do in Tria Monastiria in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Tria Monastiria is a settlement in the Rethymno region of Crete, 2.6 km from Rethymno city in a straight line, inland from the city’s western side. The Gallos gorge passes 700 m away, and the nearest beach, Koumbes, is 2.1 km off. The settlement has no shops or tavernas inside it, with the nearest 1 km away and the city’s own services within about 2.5 km.
Chania airport is the nearest airport at 35.3 km in a straight line, with Heraklion city 61.5 km off in the same measure. Tria Monastiria works as a base for Rethymno old town, the beaches of Rethymno bay and the gorges that run down from Mount Vrysinas.
Things to do in and around Tria Monastiria
Six outings sit within 4 km of the settlement, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Walk the Gallos gorge. The ravine starts 700 m away and runs 5.5 km down to Rethymno town, and the Gallos gorge passes the Saounatsides watermill and a path to the cave-like temple of Saint Anthony.
- Swim at Koumbes. The sand and fine pebbles of Koumbes beach lie 2.1 km away and look east to the Fortezza fortress.
- Visit the Somata Folklore Museum. The museum stands 2.1 km from Tria Monastiria, and Somata makes a short indoor stop on a hot afternoon.
- See the fossils in Rethymno. The Paleontological Museum of Rethymno is 2.2 km from the settlement, close enough to combine with the old town.
- Spend a day in Rethymno. The city 2.3 km away is the capital of the Rethymno region, and Rethymno keeps its Renaissance core, the Loggia, the Neratze and Veli Pasha mosques and the church of Agios Frangiskos.
- Hike the Mili gorge. The signed trail 3.6 km away runs 2.5 km in about two and a half hours at a difficulty of 1 out of 10, and the Mili gorge passes old watermills, spring-fed pools and rock-cut churches.
About the settlement and its setting
Tria Monastiria is a small place on the edge of a city, and that shapes how a stay here works. Bakeries, tavernas and cafés sit between 1 km and 2.2 km away, the shops and banks are in Rethymno 2.3 km off, and the nearest stretch of coast is the city’s own western beach at Koumbes.
The setting is the ground where the Rethymno plain meets the hills behind it. Water from the Armeni region runs past the settlement through the Gallos gorge and reaches the sea at Koumbes beach, while the streams of the Mili gorge, 3.6 km south, gather on the northern slopes of Mount Vrysinas. Further inland, Rethymno gives way to villages such as Agios Konstantinos, 10.5 km away on a plateau at 250 m, named after a church built in 1315.
Beaches in and around Tria Monastiria
Tria Monastiria has no beach of its own, and the 5 nearest lie between 2.1 km and 5.6 km away. Four of them belong to Rethymno bay, whose beachfront runs 13 km east from the harbour to Skaleta, where the Caretta caretta turtles nest.
- Koumbes lies 2.1 km away, the only beach on the western side of Rethymno, a wide stretch of sand and fine pebbles with coastal walkways and full tourist amenities. Its name comes from the Turkish word “kubbe”, meaning dome.
- Rethymno town beach sits 3 km away, golden sand and shallow water beside the Venetian port, 500 m east of the old town. Entry is free and you pay only for a sunbed and umbrella, with the Eleftheriou Venizelou promenade running alongside.
- Pervolia is 4.7 km away, a long sandy beach in front of the suburbs that the city absorbed, well maintained and backed by places to eat, drink and stay.
- Misiria follows at 5.3 km, the next stretch of the same sandy strip, sharing the food, drink and lodging of the suburbs behind it.
- Kamari stands 5.6 km away, a compact beach of pebbles and rock near Gerani village at the entrance of the Vederi gorge, popular with snorkellers and open to the northerly winds.
Gorges near Tria Monastiria
Four gorges start between 700 m and 7.8 km from the settlement.
- The Gallos gorge starts 700 m away and runs 5.5 km, green along its whole length, with the old Saounatsides watermill and the remains of a chapel near the entrance. Shepherds’ wires across the stream make the walk along the bed awkward in places.
- The Mili gorge lies 3.6 km off, a 2.5 km signed trail between Chromonastiri and Xero Chorio, shaded and fed by a year-round stream, passing the abandoned mill village of Mili.
- The Prasses gorge is 6.6 km from Tria Monastiria.
- The Kaminolakkos gorge sits 7.8 km away, the furthest of the four.
Where to eat near Tria Monastiria
Eating starts about 1 km from the settlement and spreads towards Rethymno, with everything below inside 2.2 km.
- Bikakis Bakery is 1 km away, a bakery, café and street food counter.
- Taverna of Christos stands 1.3 km from Tria Monastiria.
- Noulis sits 2.1 km away.
- Barrio The Neighbourhood Cafe lies 2.2 km away, towards the city.
Getting to Tria Monastiria
Tria Monastiria is reached from Rethymno, 2.6 km away in a straight line, on the roads that climb inland from the city’s western side. The city’s buses, taxis and services are all close, and the old town is walkable for anyone happy with a couple of kilometres.
Chania airport sits 35.3 km from the settlement as the crow flies, with Heraklion 61.5 km off in the same measure. A car helps for the beaches east of the city and the gorges inland, though the nearest walk, at Gallos, starts 700 m from the door.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Tria Monastiria in Crete?
Tria Monastiria lies 2.6 km from Rethymno city in a straight line, inland from the city’s western side in the Rethymno region of Crete.
Does Tria Monastiria have a beach?
Tria Monastiria has no beach of its own, but 5 lie within 5.6 km. Koumbes, 2.1 km away, is the nearest and the only beach on the western side of Rethymno.
Can you walk a gorge from Tria Monastiria?
Yes: the Gallos gorge starts 700 m from the settlement. It runs 5.5 km to Rethymno town past an old watermill, though wires strung across the stream by shepherds make parts of the bed hard to follow.
What is the easiest gorge walk near Tria Monastiria?
The Mili gorge, 3.6 km away, is graded 1 out of 10 for difficulty. Its signed trail covers 2.5 km in about two and a half hours, following a year-round stream past watermills and spring-fed pools.
Where Tria Monastiria is
Best things to do in Tria Monastiria in 2024 is located at Tria Monastiria. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
