Best things to do in Kerames in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Kerames is a village in the south of the Rethymno region of Crete, 49 km south of Rethymno city and close to the village of Agalianos. The village stands above the coast, and the beaches lie south of it. Kerames Beach, or Keramiani Gialia, carries the village name, and the road down ends near the small port of Agia Fotini 1.8 km away.
Chania airport (CHQ) is the nearest airport, 53 km away in a straight line, and Heraklion lies 60.3 km east. Kerames works as a base for the beaches of Keramiani Gialia and Akoumiani Gialia, for Preveli and its palm lagoon, and for the gorges behind the coast.
Things to do in and around Kerames
Six outings lie within 7 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Snorkel at Agia Fotini. The port lies 1.8 km from the village at the end of a narrow, poorly paved road. Agia Fotini, also called Agia Fotia, has small pebble beaches ringed by large boulders that suit snorkelling and swimming.
- Take the dirt track to Pahia Ammos. The main beaches of Keramiani Gialia lie southeast of Agia Fotini, 1.8 km from Kerames, on a well-maintained dirt track. Podare is the first of them.
- Hike the Swallows’ Gorge. The gorge is 2.9 km from Kerames and takes its name from the swallows that arrive each summer. Chelidonia begins at Kenda peak, 881 m up, passes through Drymiskos village and ends at Drymiskiano Ammoudi beach, running nearly parallel to the Kourtaliotiko canyon. The walk is relatively easy and needs no special equipment, and the riverbed is dry in summer.
- Spend a day at Ligres. The beach sits 3.3 km below the village, at the foot of Siderotas mountain. Ligres is a wide beach of rough sand with deep water, undeveloped apart from a few taverns and rooms at its western end.
- See the palm lagoon at Preveli. The beach is 4.1 km from Kerames, where the Megalos Potamos river meets the Libyan Sea at the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko gorge. Preveli is lined by a colony of Theophrastus date palms, one of the few natural palm forests in Europe, and the river runs all year into a long lagoon.
- Visit Preveli Monastery. The monastery stands 5.5 km from the village, above the beach that shares its name. Preveli Monastery keeps a museum on the same site.
Beaches in and around Kerames
Kerames has no beach in the village, and the 5 nearest lie between 1.8 km and 4.1 km south of it. The coast here divides into two beachfronts: Keramiani Gialia directly below the village, and Akoumiani Gialia further south, which includes Ligres, Triopetra and the Agios Pavlos sandhills.
- Agia Fotini is the local port, 1.8 km away, with small pebble beaches among large boulders and clear water for snorkelling.
- Pahia Ammos sits 1.8 km away, part of Keramiani Gialia southeast of the port, reached on a dirt track that passes Podare first.
- Ligres lies 3.3 km away, or 7 km by road, the northern end of Akoumiani Gialia, wide and rough-sanded with a deep sea, and one of the quietest beaches on the island because the access road is poor.
- Drymiskos follows at 3.6 km, a 3 km run of coves cut up by rocks and reefs that makes good snorkelling ground, with Amoudi at its western end.
- Preveli sits 4.1 km away, the palm-fringed beach and freshwater lagoon at the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko gorge, also known as Lake Preveli, Phoenix or Finikas.
Villages and gorges near Kerames
The country behind Kerames is mountain ground cut by short gorges. The Agia Fotia gorge, 5.8 km away, drops 1.5 km from the Gious Kambos plateau at 750 m to a year-round spring at 500 m beside a large old watermill, and waterfalls sit near its upper end. The Kourtaliotiko gorge, 6.1 km away, carries the river that reaches the sea at Preveli.
Two villages nearby are worth the drive for a different reason. Spili, 6.7 km off, is a mountain village at 430 m on the slopes of Mount Vorizi, with about 800 residents, cold running water and a shaded square, named after the caves above it. Agios Pavlos, 7.9 km away, sits on a cove with small hotels and tavernas, next to the Alatsogremni dunes and the rock formations of Apoplystra.
Where to eat near Kerames
Eating around Kerames means beach tavernas below the village and a few places inland.
- Agia Fotia Taverna stands at the port, 1.9 km from the village.
- Ligres Beach Taverna sits on Ligres beach, 2.8 km away.
- Dionyssos Rooms and Restaurant lies towards Preveli, 3.6 km away.
- Cedros Winery and Restaurant is 4.5 km out.
- Gefyra Taverna Cafe comes next, 4.8 km away.
Getting to Kerames
Drive south from Rethymno, about 49 km, and Kerames sits above the coast near Agalianos. The final descent to the sea is a narrow and poorly surfaced asphalt road that stops near Agia Fotini, and a dirt track carries on from there to the beaches southeast of the port. Chania airport lies 53 km away and Heraklion 60.3 km east, both in a straight line.
A car is necessary on this coast. The paved road from Preveli ends at Amoudi, where most visitors park before walking the short trail to the beach, and the access roads to Ligres and Keramiani Gialia are rough enough to keep both quiet.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kerames in Crete?
Kerames lies 49 km south of Rethymno, above the south coast of the island and beside the village of Agalianos. Heraklion is 60.3 km east of the village in a straight line.
Does Kerames have a beach?
Kerames sits above the coast, and its own beachfront, Keramiani Gialia, starts 1.8 km below the village. Agia Fotini is the nearest point to swim, and 4 more beaches lie within 4.1 km.
How do you reach the beaches below Kerames?
Follow the narrow asphalt road down to the port of Agia Fotini, then take the dirt track southeast. That track reaches Podare first and then the other beaches of Keramiani Gialia.
How far is Preveli beach from Kerames?
Preveli beach is 4.1 km from Kerames, at the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko gorge where the Megalos Potamos meets the sea. Preveli Monastery stands 5.5 km from the village.
Which gorge can you walk from Kerames?
The Swallows’ Gorge is the closest walk, 2.9 km from the village. It runs from Kenda peak at 881 m through Drymiskos to Drymiskiano Ammoudi beach, is dry in summer and needs no special equipment.
Where Kerames is
Best things to do in Kerames in 2024 is located at Kerames. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
