Best things to do in Asomatos in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Asomatos is an inland village in the Rethymno region of Crete, about 20 km south of Rethymno city and roughly 4 km back from the south coast. The village, also written Asomatoi, sits at the head of the country that drops to the Libyan Sea between Plakias and Preveli. Asomatos stands 1.3 km from the Kourtaliotiko gorge, which is the reason most people pass through it.
Chania airport lies about 47 km away and Heraklion 65 km, so the village sits well back from both arrival points. Asomatos works as a base for the beaches, gorges and monasteries of the Agios Vasilios country rather than as a resort in its own right, because every one of them falls within 5 km.
Things to do in and around Asomatos
Six outings lie within 5 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Walk the Kourtaliotiko gorge. The gorge runs for 3 km between the Kouroupa and Koules mountains, 1.3 km from Asomatos, and a paved road cuts through the canyon so the viewpoints and the trailhead need no long approach. A waterfall, springs that run all year and the chapel of Agios Nikolaos at the base of the cliffs are what Kourtaliotiko Gorge is known for.
- Climb to the Korakias peak sanctuary. The site stands 3.6 km from the village. Our Korakias peak sanctuary page covers what is there.
- Visit Preveli Monastery. The monastery lies 3.8 km away and keeps a museum on the same site. Allow time for both Preveli Monastery and the beach below it, which carries the monastery’s name.
- Snorkel at Skinaria. The small secluded beach 4 km south is known for exceptionally clear water over a rocky, marine-rich seabed, which makes Skinaria one of the finest snorkelling and diving spots in the region. Grey-beige sand mixed with fine pebbles covers the shore, and freshwater ponds fed by mountain springs sit at the back of it.
- Hike the Swallows’ Gorge. The canyon begins at Kenda peak, 881 m up, passes through Drymiskos village and ends at Drymiskiano Ammoudi beach, 4.2 km from Asomatos at its nearest point. Swallows’ Gorge takes its name from the swallows that arrive each summer, runs nearly parallel to Kourtaliotiko, is dry in summer and is relatively easy to walk.
- See the Preveli palm lagoon. The Megalos Potamos river meets the Libyan Sea 4.7 km from the village, at the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko gorge, and widens into a long freshwater lagoon behind the sand. A colony of Theophrastus date palms lines the riverbanks at Preveli beach, one of the few natural palm forests in Europe.
Beaches in and around Asomatos
Asomatos has no beach of its own, and 5 beaches lie between 3.8 km and 4.9 km south of the village on the Libyan Sea. They differ mainly in how organised they are and how easily you reach them.
- Ammoudi lies 3.8 km away, reached by a paved road from Lefkogia and recognisable by its green slippery rock, with white sand, a rocky seabed, bright green water, a scuba diving centre and tamarisk trees for shade.
- Damnoni sits 4 km away, an organised sandy bay of coarse pale sand and clear turquoise water at the mouth of an olive-covered valley, busy at its west end and quieter towards the east.
- Skinaria, also spelled Schinaria, is 4 km away too, a small secluded beach with deep turquoise water over a rocky seabed and a sandy northern end.
- Preveli stands 4.7 km away, also known as Lake Preveli, Phoenix or Finikas, a palm-fringed beach and freshwater lagoon that drew hippie travellers in the 1960s and 1970s and remains the most celebrated beach in southern Crete.
- Drymiskos lies 4.9 km away, a 3 km sequence of coves known together as Drymiskiani Gialia, segmented by rocks and reefs, largely undiscovered because access is harder than elsewhere on this coast.
Where to eat near Asomatos
Eating around Asomatos means village tavernas and grill houses spread across the surrounding settlements, the nearest under a kilometre out.
- Cretan Flavors is 900 m from the village.
- Gefyra Taverna Cafe combines a taverna and café, 2.3 km out.
- Taverna Mariou stands 3 km out, at Mariou.
- To Mprizolaki grills meat 3.3 km out.
Getting to Asomatos
Reach Asomatos on the road that runs south from Rethymno towards the Libyan Sea, about 20 km from the city. Chania lies 53 km northwest and Heraklion 65 km northeast, so the village is a long way from either city, and Chania airport is the nearer of the two at about 47 km.
Two south-coast neighbours are worth knowing for supplies and a change of scene. The resort village of Plakias, 5.5 km away, sits where the Kotsifos river meets the sea below the Kouroupa range, with a curved sandy beach called Gialia closed off by Cape Kako Mouri and Cape Stavros. The mountain village of Spili, 8 km off and 430 m up on Mount Vorizi, is the seat of the Agios Vasileios municipality and home to about 800 people.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Asomatos in Crete?
Asomatos lies about 20 km south of Rethymno city, inland from the south coast in the Rethymno region. The village stands 1.3 km from the Kourtaliotiko gorge and 5.5 km from Plakias.
Does Asomatos have a beach?
Asomatos has no beach of its own, but 5 lie within 5 km. Ammoudi, 3.8 km away, is the closest, and Damnoni and Skinaria both sit 4 km out.
How far is Asomatos from the airport?
Chania airport is about 47 km from Asomatos, which makes it the nearer airport. Chania city lies 53 km away and Heraklion 65 km.
Can you walk a gorge from Asomatos?
Four gorges lie within 6 km of the village. Kourtaliotiko is 1.3 km away and Swallows’ Gorge 4.2 km, while Kotsifos Gorge sits 5.8 km off and the Kakoperatos Gorge at Agios Vasilios 6 km. Kourtaliotiko is the one with a paved road through it, so it needs the least walking to reach.
How far is Preveli from Asomatos?
Preveli beach is 4.7 km from Asomatos and Preveli Monastery 3.8 km. The beach sits where the Megalos Potamos leaves the Kourtaliotiko gorge and reaches the Libyan Sea, and its palm-lined lagoon is fed by a river that carries water all year.
Where Asomatos is
Best things to do in Asomatos in 2024 is located at Assomatos, Crete, Greece. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
