Best things to do in Drapanias in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Drapanias is a village on the north-west coast of Crete, in the Chania region, standing about 1 km inland from its own beach and 4.4 km east of Kissamos town. Drapanias gives its name to the 2 km beach in front of it, which forms one section of the near-continuous shoreline running from Kissamos east to Cape Rodopos. Restaurants, cafés and lodgings are dotted along that shoreline.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport. Drapanias works as a quiet base on Kissamos Bay: 8 beaches lie within about 5 km, Kissamos town is 4.5 km west for shops and the ferry, and 2 gorges open inland.
Things to do in and around Drapanias
6 outings lie within 5 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Swim at the village beach. The sand starts 1.2 km from the village and runs for 2 km, shallow and sandy but often wavy when the northern winds get up. Our Drapanias beach page covers the amenities and the Kokkino Metohi section at its eastern end.
- Taste Cretan honey. The Stathakis family honey experience stands 1.9 km from the village.
- Drive east to the rocks at Choni. The coastline 3.6 km away breaks into rock formations with small rocky coves you can swim from on calm days. Take the coastal road east from Nopigia, pass the square theatre of the Orthodox Academy, then follow the unpaved road towards Choni and the Panagia church, also known as Santa Maria.
- Hike the Roka Gorge. The ravine begins 3.7 km from Drapanias and runs 2 km from Deliana village to Roka village, with plane trees for shade and very tall vertical sides in places. Allow about 2 hours; the Roka Gorge is hard to cross dry-shod when water is flowing through the narrow sections, and Trouli hill above the settlement carries the remains of a Byzantine fortress.
- Visit the Parthenos Monastery. The monastery at Kissamos lies 3.8 km from the village.
- Spend a morning in Kissamos. The town 4.5 km west, also called Kasteli, is the capital of Kissamos County and home to about 3,000 people, with an economy built on wine, oil, raki and farm produce rather than mass tourism. Our Kissamos guide covers the town beach, the old port of Kastelli Kissamos and the ferry terminal north of it.
About the village and its setting
Drapanias is a small inland settlement about 1 km south of the beach that carries its name, on the eastern side of Kissamos Bay. The village belongs to Kissamos County, whose capital lies 4.5 km west and whose economy rests on wine, oil, raki and other agricultural products rather than on resorts.
The coast in front of the village is a single long beach broken into named sections. Drapanias occupies 2 km of it between Korfalonas to the west and Nopigia to the east, and the eastern end of the Drapanias section goes by a second name, Kokkino Metohi, after a small village nearby whose inhabitants own the surrounding land. Restaurants, cafés and places to stay are dotted along the shoreline.
Beaches in and around Drapanias
8 beaches lie within about 5 km of Drapanias, and most of them are links in the same long sandy chain that runs east from Kissamos. The sand is shallow along this stretch, and the northern winds often put waves on it.
- Drapanias begins 1.2 km away, 2 km long, sandy and shallow, with umbrellas, restaurants, cafés and lodgings along the front.
- Nopigia lies 1.8 km away on the eastern side of Kissamos Bay, a long, low-key stretch with calm shallow water, sandy in the west and pebbly and rocky in the east, with umbrellas, showers, restaurants and rooms near the sand.
- Korfalonas sits 2.4 km away, a long sandy shore with shallow water and basic facilities, umbrellas, showers and taverns nearby, named after the settlement a few kilometres inland.
- Choni is 3.6 km away, rugged coast with small rocky coves and clear blue-green water, reached by an unpaved road and with only sparse trees for shade.
- Telonio stands 4.3 km away at the Kissamos end of the chain, a mix of pebbles and sand, shallow and often wavy, and usually unorganised despite the taverns and cafés on the pedestrian road beside it.
- Agios Vasilios and Skotini lie 4.6 km away on the far side of the bay.
- Mavros Molos sits 5.2 km away at Kissamos, now the most visited beach in the area.
Where to eat in Drapanias
Eating around Drapanias means the beach restaurants on the shore road and the tavernas towards Kissamos. Three sit within 2 km of the village.
- Hippocampus Beach Restaurant stands 1.3 km away, on the beach.
- Maracaibo Restaurant is 1.3 km from the village.
- Akrogiali Fish Tavern sits 2 km out, towards Kissamos.
Getting to Drapanias
Drapanias sits on the coastal run east of Kissamos, and the beach in front of it is 5 km east of the town and 32 km west of Chania. Kissamos itself is 42 km west of Chania. Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport.
Ferries dock at the Kissamos terminal north of the old port. Inland, the road towards Elafonissi climbs to Topolia at 307 m, 12 km south of Kissamos, with the Topolian Gorge on one side and Kissamos Bay on the other.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Drapanias in Crete?
Drapanias is on the north-west coast of Crete, 4.4 km east of Kissamos town in the Chania region. The village stands about 1 km south of its beach, on the eastern side of Kissamos Bay.
Does Drapanias have a beach?
Drapanias has a 2 km beach 1.2 km from the village. The sand is shallow and gently shelving, umbrellas, restaurants and rooms line the front, and the eastern end is known separately as Kokkino Metohi.
Is the sea at Drapanias calm?
Drapanias beach is often wavy, because the northern winds blow straight onto this shore. The water is shallow, which suits children on still days.
How many beaches are near Drapanias?
8 beaches lie within about 5 km of Drapanias. Nopigia is 1.8 km away, Korfalonas 2.4 km, Choni 3.6 km, Telonio 4.3 km, Agios Vasilios and Skotini 4.6 km, Skotini at Ravdoucha 4.8 km and Mavros Molos at Kissamos 5.2 km.
Can you walk a gorge from Drapanias?
The Roka Gorge starts 3.7 km from Drapanias and takes about 2 hours to walk. The route runs 2 km between Deliana and Roka under plane trees, and the main path follows the dry riverbed in summer. The Chalase Gorge, 6.9 km away, is a four-hour route and much harder going.
Where Drapanias is
Best things to do in Drapanias in 2024 is located at Drapaniás. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
