Best things to do in Paleloni in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Paleloni, also written Palailonion, is a village in the Chania region of Crete, 22.5 km south-east of Chania. The village sits inland among the Apokoronas villages of the Drapanos peninsula, with Kefalas 1.2 km away and Gavalochori 2.6 km away. Paleloni has no shore of its own. The nearest sea is Ombros Gialos bay, 1.8 km away on the east coast of the Drapanokefala peninsula, and 8 beaches lie within 10 km.
Chania airport is 14.7 km away and Rethymno lies 22.9 km east. Paleloni sits between the two cities, close enough to the coast for a morning swim and close enough to the hill villages for an afternoon inland.
Things to do in and around Paleloni
6 outings lie within about 5 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Walk up to Kefalas. The hilltop village 1.2 km away looks out over the Bay of Georgioupolis, the Lefka Ori (White Mountains) and, on a clear day, Rethymno, and its cluster of churches gives it its nickname. Quiet lanes and long views are the reason to go, as the Kefalas village page sets out.
- Swim at Ombros Gialos. The little harbour 1.8 km away has a dock that drops swimmers straight into deep, clear water, and one well-known fish tavern serves the cove. It is unorganised and rocky rather than sandy, which the Ombros Gialos page explains in full.
- See Gavalochori. The village 2.6 km away keeps Venetian stone arches, an olive oil factory, Roman tombs and a complex of 24 Venetian wells about 1 km outside it, and it takes its name from the Gavalas family who lived there under Venetian rule; the Gavalochori village page covers the rest.
- Visit the folklore museum. The Folklore Museum of Gavalochori stands 2.7 km from Paleloni, so it pairs with a walk round that village.
- Drive to Kokkino Chorio. The village 3.8 km away is known for the wartime shelters the Germans cut into Drapanokefala hill to guard Souda Bay, for its traditional houses and its wells, and it served as a filming location for Zorba the Greek. It is covered on the Kokkino Chorio page.
- Spend a day at Almyrida. Two shallow sandy bays 4.7 km away come with tavernas, sunbeds and a watersports centre, and a white chapel sits on the rocky point between them, as the Almyrida beach page describes.
About the village and its setting
Paleloni is one of the small inland settlements of the Drapanos peninsula, and its neighbours shape what a stay here looks like. Kefalas, 1.2 km away, is a traditional hilltop village on the slopes of the peninsula with no beach of its own. Gavalochori, 2.6 km away, belongs to the Vamos municipality in the Apokoronas area and is preserved well enough to read as a historical village rather than a resort. Almyrida, 4.7 km away, carries the row of tavernas, the sunbeds and a watersports centre, and Plaka lies about 1 km inland from it.
Olive groves and open countryside surround Almyrida, and the same farmland runs back through the villages inland of it. The coast is rocky at Ombros Gialos and at Koutalis, and cliffs stand behind the sand at Kera, so the swimming here is split between small bays a few kilometres apart rather than gathered on one strip.
Beaches in and around Paleloni
Paleloni has no beach of its own, but 8 lie within 10 km, and they divide between rocky coves on the peninsula and sandy bays on either side of it.
- Ombros Gialos lies 1.8 km away, a small rocky bay around a harbour, with deep blue-green water off the dock and a single fish tavern.
- Almyrida sits 4.7 km away on the south shore of Souda Bay, 2 shallow sandy beaches that stay calm for children on windless days, with the uninhabited islet of Karga offshore.
- Koutalis stands 5.1 km away near Cape Drepano, secluded enough that local scuba divers start from here to reach the sea caves along this coast.
- Kera is 5.7 km away, soft sand and occasional pebble under tall cliffs, unorganised, with a view of Karga island and the long rock the locals call Karavos, meaning ship.
- Kalivaki opens 6.3 km away at the mouth of the Almyros river, the westernmost beach of Georgioupolis bay, sheltered from the wind with cool, shallow water.
- Kalives follows at 6.7 km away, where the Diktamos gorge stream reaches the sea.
- Georgioupolis begins 6.9 km away, in the bay whose western end Kalivaki marks.
- Kavros closes the list at 9.2 km away, the furthest of the 8 from the village.
Where to eat near Paleloni
Eating near Paleloni means village tavernas and mezedopolia in the settlements around it, the nearest 1.2 km from the village.
- The Square Mezedopolio serves small plates, 1.2 km away.
- Ortaki Tavern cooks taverna food, 1.2 km away.
- Eleonoras Taverna is 1.8 km from the village.
- Arismarí stands 2.6 km from the village.
Getting to Paleloni
Reach Paleloni by road from the north coast, turning inland onto the Drapanos peninsula. Chania sits 22.5 km north-west and Rethymno 22.9 km east, so the village lies almost midway between the two cities.
Chania airport lies 14.7 km away and is the obvious arrival point, with Kissamos 53.5 km west. A car is worth having, because the beaches, the villages and the gorges all sit a few kilometres apart on roads that cross the peninsula rather than follow one coastal strip.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Paleloni in Crete?
Paleloni lies 22.5 km south-east of Chania, on the Drapanos peninsula in the Chania region. Rethymno is 22.9 km east of the village.
Does Paleloni have a beach?
Paleloni has no beach of its own, but 8 lie within 10 km. Ombros Gialos, a rocky bay 1.8 km away, is the closest, and Almyrida at 4.7 km is the closest sandy one.
How far is Paleloni from Chania airport?
Chania airport sits 14.7 km from Paleloni. Chania town itself is 22.5 km away, and Rethymno 22.9 km.
Is Palailonion the same place as Paleloni?
Yes, Palailonion and Paleloni are two spellings of the same village. Greek place names reach English in more than one form, and both spellings point to the same settlement south-east of Chania.
What is there to do near Paleloni on a rainy day?
The Folklore Museum of Gavalochori, 2.7 km away, is the nearest indoor visit. The wartime shelters cut into Drapanokefala hill at Kokkino Chorio, 3.8 km out, and the village churches of Kefalas, 1.2 km away, also work when the sea is rough.
Where Paleloni is
Best things to do in Paleloni in 2024 is located at Paleloni. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
