Agios Pavlos Village: Beaches, Stays, Things to do

Agios Pavlos is a picturesque village located on a serene cove, which can be easily accessed via an asphalt road from Rethymno, situated about 60 km away. The village boasts of small hotels, taverns, and a café/bar right beside the beach, making it an ideal destination for tourists seeking a peaceful retreat.

To the west of Agios Pavlos lies Alatsogremni, which is famous for its dunes that lead down to the crystal-clear turquoise waters. The dunes are a sight to behold, especially during sunset when the sand takes on a golden hue, creating a surreal atmosphere.

Between the beach at Agios Pavlos and the Dunes lies Apoplystra, which is known for its unique rock formations. Visitors can climb up a wooden staircase from the beach to witness the mesmerizing sight of rocks sculpted by salt water in various shapes and colors. The landscape of Agios Pavlos, Alatsogremni, and Apoplystra is a natural wonder that must be experienced firsthand to appreciate its beauty.

Things to do in Agios Pavlos

1. Swim in the sheltered bay. The village beach lies 200 m below the houses, with deep emerald water over a rocky seabed, sunbeds, umbrellas and pedal boats, and the small church of Saint Paul standing above the sand: Agios Pavlos beach.
2. Eat beside the water. The Sleepy Dragon Cafe sits 200 m away at the beach, with Taverna Hill of Calm 1.5 km up the slope and Taverna Apanemia 2 km away.
3. Walk west to the dunes. Large sand dunes drop to the sea 500 m west at the southern tip of the Akoumiani Gialia coast, a beach locals call Alatsogremi, or salt cliffs: the Agios Pavlos Sandhills.
4. Drive to the three rocks of Triopetra. Two beaches split by a small peninsula lie 1.9 km away, reached by paved road from Akoumia or Sachtouria, and three rocks standing out of the sea give Triopetra its name.
5. Snorkel off the Louros pebbles. Small pebble beaches run along a rocky shore 2.6 km away between Agios Georgios and Agios Pavlos, and the beaches of Armenopetra there suit snorkelling and spearfishing.
6. Hike the Swallows’ Gorge. The canyon starts at Kenda peak, 10 km away, runs past Drymiskos village and ends at Drymiskiano Ammoudi beach, and it is dry in summer and walkable without climbing gear: Swallows’ Gorge.

Beaches in and around Agios Pavlos

The cove below the village holds the village beach, and 4 more beaches lie within 5 km. Most of them belong to the Akoumiani Gialia coastline, which runs north from Cape Melissa to Ligres at the foot of Mount Siderotas. Paved roads down from Sachtouria and Akoumia reach this part of the south coast.

• Agios Pavlos beach lies 200 m below the village, in a bay sheltered by the headland of Cape Melissa. The water is deep and emerald over a rocky seabed, and taverns and rooms stand close behind the sand.
• Agios Pavlos Sandhills sits 500 m west and is called Alatsogremi, or salt cliffs, locally. Sand dunes run down to deep water at the southern end of the Akoumiani Gialia coast, and the beach is secluded enough that beachwear varies.
• Triopetra opens 1.9 km north, below Mount Siderotas. A small peninsula divides it into two beaches, and the three rocks beside it give the name, which means three rocks. People from Akoumia once wintered here in huts beside their olive groves.
• Louros stretches 2.6 km away, a rocky run of small pebble beaches between Agios Georgios and Agios Pavlos. Armenopetra, named after a lone boulder in the sea, is the spot for snorkelling, and the coastal road above looks out on the two Paximadia islets.
• Ligres follows 4.6 km north, at the far end of the Akoumiani Gialia beachfront and 7 km below the village of Kerames. The sand is coarse and the sea deep, and the poor road in has kept the beach undeveloped apart from a few rooms and taverns on its western side, among them Ligres Beach Taverna.