Best things to do in Pigi in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Pigi is an inland village in the Rethymno region of Crete, set about 2 km back from the north coast and roughly 8 km east of Rethymno town. The village gave its name to the coastal plain in front of it. Pigianos Kambos translates from Greek as “Plane of Pigi”, and the fertile fields there belong to the inhabitants of Pigi. Hotels, apartments, shops and tavernas fill the seaward edge of that plain, while Pigi itself stays behind them among the fields.
Chania is the closest airport to Pigi. Rethymno is the closest city, and the village works as a quiet address a short way behind a developed shore: the sand, the hotels and the resort strip sit 2.1 km away at Pigianos Kambos, which is also known as Pigi beach, while the village keeps a taverna, a grill house and a coffee stop within about a kilometre of its centre.
Things to do in and around Pigi
Six outings lie within 7 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Eat in the village itself. Taverna Zorbas stands 200 m from the centre, the one outing here that needs no car.
- Swim at Pigi beach. Pigianos Kambos lies 2.1 km away, centrally positioned along the long beach of Rethymno Bay, and it is quieter and less developed than the neighbouring stretches of the same bay.
- Take children to Playcity. Playcity Rethymno is 2.1 km from Pigi, close enough to follow a morning on the sand.
- Visit Arsaniou Monastery. The monastery stands 2.4 km from the village, near enough to reach and return inside a morning.
- Hike the Prassano gorge. The Gorge of Prasses begins 5 km from Pigi below Prasses village and gives a three-hour walk through enormous rocks and some demanding passages. Plane trees and thick vegetation line the streambed, the channel now carries the overflow from the Potami dam, and the route is walkable only from mid-June to mid-October.
- Walk the Mili Gorge. Mili Gorge is 6.5 km out, and its signed trail runs 2.5 km past the abandoned mill village of Mili in about two and a half hours at a difficulty rated 1 of 10. Old watermills, spring-fed pools and small rock-cut churches stand along the shaded, year-round stream.
Two more ravines sit just beyond that ring. Arkadi Gorge is 7 km from the village and Kaminolakkos Gorge 7.2 km, so Pigi has 4 walkable gorges inside a short radius.
Beaches near Pigi
Pigi has no beach of its own, but 4 stretches of Rethymno Bay lie within 5 km of the village.
- Pigianos Kambos lies 2.1 km away, named after the village, a coastal resort area with apartments, rooms and larger hotels alongside places to eat, shop and drink. The beach here is the quieter, less developed end of this coast.
- Adelianos Kambos sits 2.7 km away, a seaside suburb of Rethymno on a flat plain 6 km east of the city. The plain once grew vegetables for the adjoining village of Adele, and the sandy Rethymno Gulf beach begins here and runs east to Skaleta.
- Skaleta stands 3.9 km away, where the bay’s long beach ends. The Skaleta beachfront starts 11 km east of Rethymno and extends 3 km further east, with Sfakaki and then Stavromenos coming first.
- Platanes begins 4.1 km away, long, sandy and well organised, with shallow light-blue water, sunbeds and lifeguards in season. It fronts the Pervolia, Missiria and Platanias suburbs and forms part of a protected nesting shore for loggerhead sea turtles.
These are links in one chain rather than separate coves. Rethymno Bay runs about 13 km east from the harbour of Rethymno to Skaleta, and the sand narrows towards the eastern end until it fades out altogether.
Where to eat in Pigi
Eating around Pigi means village tavernas and grill houses, with the nearest inside the settlement and the rest within about 2.5 km on the plain below it.
- Taverna Zorbas stands in Pigi itself, 200 m from the centre.
- Paprika – The Grill Experience serves grilled dishes 700 m from the centre.
- Garage Coffee Service pours coffee 1.1 km out.
- Kastro Mesi Tavern does taverna cooking 2.1 km from the village.
- Paraplous Restaurant offers restaurant cooking 2.2 km out.
- Rizoti Grill – Pizzeria cooks grilled food and pizza 2.4 km away.
Getting to Pigi
Most journeys to Pigi come either from Rethymno, about 8 km west, or from the coast 2.1 km away at Pigianos Kambos, where the roads turn inland across the plain. Chania is the nearest airport to the village.
Buses on this coast serve the shore rather than the villages behind it. Local buses run regularly from the centre of Rethymno to Adelianos Kambos, 2.7 km from Pigi. A car still helps, because the two gorges lie 5 km and 6.5 km out and the beaches are spread along several kilometres of bay.
The obvious day out is the city itself. Rethymno is the third largest city in Crete and the capital of its region, and its preserved Renaissance centre mixes Ottoman and Cretan architecture around the Loggia, the Neratze Mosque, the Veli Pasha Mosque and the Church of Agios Frangiskos.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Pigi in Crete?
Pigi lies in the Rethymno region, roughly 8 km east of Rethymno and about 2 km inland from the north coast. The coastal plain directly below the village is Pigianos Kambos, which is named after Pigi.
Does Pigi have a beach?
Pigi is an inland village with no beach of its own, but Pigi beach lies 2.1 km away. That beach is Pigianos Kambos, which sits centrally along Rethymno Bay and stays quieter than the stretches nearer the city.
What is Pigi known for?
Pigi is known for the fertile plain that carries its name. Pigianos Kambos means “Plane of Pigi”, the fields there are worked by people from the village, and the resort that grew on the same plain is often called Pigi beach.
Can you walk a gorge from Pigi?
Yes, 4 gorges lie within 7.2 km of Pigi. Mili Gorge, 6.5 km out, has a signed 2.5 km trail rated 1 of 10 for difficulty, while the Prassano gorge, 5 km away, is a three-hour route open only between mid-June and mid-October.
How far is Pigi from Rethymno?
Rethymno lies about 8 km west of Pigi. The city is the closest place for banks, shopping and a full range of facilities, and the resorts between the two, Adelianos Kambos and Platanes, are linked to the centre by regular local buses.
Where Pigi is
Best things to do in Pigi in 2024 is located at Pigi. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
