Best things to do in Akoumia in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Akoumia is a village in the south of the Rethymno region, 7.5 km from Spili and about 6 km inland from the Triopetra beaches on the Libyan Sea. The village sits south of Rethymno city, on the run of hills between the Kedros range and the south coast. Akoumia is a farming village rather than a resort, and its families have held olive groves on the coast below for generations.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport, and it lies north-west of the village. Akoumia works as a base for the south-coast beaches of Akoumiani Gialia, for two short gorges on the Gious Kambos plateau above it, and for the mountain village of Spili.
Things to do in and around Akoumia
Six outings lie within 8 km of Akoumia, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Visit the monastery at Kissos. Agio Pnevma Monastery stands 2.8 km from the village, by Kissos.
- See Saint Anthony Monastery. Saint Anthony Monastery at Katevati lies 3.8 km from Akoumia.
- Walk the Kissos Gorge. The Kissos Gorge lies 4.6 km away, 1 km north of Kissos village, and links the Kambos Kissou settlement with the Gious Kambos plateau. Waterfalls of 5 m to 7 m make it a canyoning route, though they can be passed carefully from the sides without equipment.
- Follow the Agia Fotia Gorge. The Agia Fotia Gorge starts 5.4 km from Akoumia on the Gious Kambos plateau at 750 m and drops 1.5 km to a year-round spring at 500 m, beside the church of Agia Fotini and an old watermill. It is small and green, with waterfalls near its start.
- Swim at Triopetra. The beach of Triopetra lies 6 km below the village at the foot of Mount Siderotas, reached on a paved road from Akoumia. Two beaches sit either side of a small peninsula, and the three rocks standing out of the sea give the place its name.
- Spend a morning in Spili. The mountain village of Spili lies 7.5 km away at 430 m on the slopes of Mount Vorizi, with cold running water, a shaded square and around 800 residents through the year.
About Akoumia and its setting
Akoumia is an inland farming village whose history runs down to the coast below it. The beachfront under the village is called Akoumiani Gialia, and it stretches from Ligres in the north to the cape of Melissa in the south, taking in Triopetra and the sandhills at Agios Pavlos along the way.
Triopetra began as the winter refuge of the people of Akoumia, who built small huts beside their olive groves on the shore and moved down for the cold months. Descendants of those families still own most of the land and the hotels around the beach today, which is why a village this far inland is tied so closely to a coastline 6 km away. The Akoumianos river reaches the sea at the southern end of the same beachfront, by the Agios Pavlos sandhills.
Beaches near Akoumia
Four beaches lie between 5 km and 8 km south of Akoumia, all of them on or beside the Akoumiani Gialia coast. Access is the thing that separates them: some are on paved roads, others on dirt tracks, and none of them is a developed resort.
- Ligres lies 5.6 km away, the northern end of Akoumiani Gialia, at the foot of Mount Siderotas and 7 km below Kerames village. The sand is coarse and the sea deep, the beach is undeveloped, and a few taverns and rooms sit on its western side at the end of a poor asphalt road.
- Triopetra sits 6 km away, two beaches divided by a small peninsula whose three rocks name the place. A paved road runs down from Akoumia, and a second comes in from Sachtouria.
- Agia Fotini is 6.5 km away, the small harbour at the end of the narrow road down from Kerames, with pebble coves between large boulders that suit snorkelling and swimming.
- Agios Pavlos sandhills lie 7.1 km away, the southern tip of Akoumiani Gialia, where sand dunes fall to a deep sea between Cape Melissa and the Akoumianos river. The beach is also called Alatsogremi, meaning salt cliffs.
Where to eat in Akoumia
Eating in Akoumia means a café in the village itself and tavernas within a few kilometres, one of them down on the beach at Ligres.
- Snack Bar Cafe Platanos sits in the village, 100 m from the centre.
- Taverne Agamemnon is 1.7 km from Akoumia.
- Cedros Winery & Restaurant lies 3.7 km out, with wine and a kitchen on the same site.
- Ligres Beach Taverna sits 5.6 km away, on the beach at Ligres.
Getting to Akoumia
Akoumia is reached on the roads that cross the hills south of Rethymno, with Spili 7.5 km away as the nearest larger village. A paved road drops from Akoumia to Triopetra, so the beach is the easiest thing to reach from the village; the coast road system down here is thin, and several beaches finish on dirt track.
Chania airport lies north-west of the village and Heraklion lies east, so arrivals come across the island in either case. Agios Pavlos, 7 km away on its cove, is reached by asphalt road and has small hotels, taverns and a café by the beach if the village itself is full.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Akoumia in Crete?
Akoumia lies in the south of the Rethymno region, 7.5 km from Spili and about 6 km above the south coast. The village sits south of Rethymno city, inland from the Akoumiani Gialia beachfront.
Does Akoumia have a beach?
Akoumia is an inland village with no beach of its own, but 4 beaches lie within 8 km. Ligres, 5.6 km away, is the nearest, and Triopetra at 6 km is the one with a paved road down from the village.
What is Akoumia known for?
Akoumia is known for its link to Triopetra and the Akoumiani Gialia coast. Villagers wintered on that shore in huts beside their olive groves, and their descendants still own most of the land and hotels around Triopetra.
Can you walk a gorge from Akoumia?
Two gorges start within 6 km of Akoumia. The Kissos Gorge, 4.6 km away, runs between Kambos Kissou and the Gious Kambos plateau and has waterfalls of 5 m to 7 m; the Agia Fotia Gorge, 5.4 km away, covers 1.5 km from the same plateau down to a spring near Spili.
Which airport is closest to Akoumia?
Chania (CHQ) is the closest airport to Akoumia. It lies north-west of the village, on the north coast, and Heraklion airport is the other option, to the east.
Where Akoumia is
Best things to do in Akoumia in 2024 is located at Akoumia. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
