Pigi is an inland village in the Rethymno region of Crete, east of Rethymno town and about 2 km back from the shore of Rethymno Bay. Pigi holds the fields of the coastal plain in front of it, and that plain carries the village name: Pigianos Kambos translates from Greek as “Plane of Pigi”, and its fertile ground belongs to the inhabitants of Pigi. Our page on that shoreline places it 8 km east of Rethymno, centrally positioned along the long beach of the bay.

Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport to Pigi. The village works as a quiet address behind a resort coast rather than as a resort itself, with the hotels, apartments and beach tavernas on the plain 2.1 km away and 4 walking gorges within 8 km inland.

Things to do in and around Pigi

5 outings sit within 7 km of Pigi, listed below from nearest to furthest.

Swim at Pigianos Kambos. The beach plain that carries the village name lies 2.1 km from the centre, and it keeps a quieter feel than the other beaches around Rethymno. Rooms, apartments, hotels, dining and shops back the sand, though the stretch is less developed than neighbouring Adelianos Kambos.
Take children to Playcity. Playcity Rethymno stands 2.1 km from the village, on the same side as the coast road.
Visit Arsaniou Monastery. The monastery sits 2.4 km from Pigi, close enough to pair with a morning on the beach. Arsaniou is the nearest religious site to the village.
Walk the Prasses Gorge. The Prassano gorge, also called the Gorge of Prasses, starts south of Prasses village 5 km away and gives a three-hour hike through enormous rocks and some fairly challenging passages. It now carries the overflow of the Potami dam, it runs through the rocky hills of Gargana, and it is open only from mid-June to mid-October.
Hike the Mili Gorge. Mili Gorge lies 6.5 km from Pigi and carries a signed trail 2.5 km long that takes about 2.5 hours at a difficulty of 1 out of 10. The shaded stream runs year-round past the abandoned mill village of Mili, old watermills, spring-fed pools and small rock-cut churches.

Two more ravines sit just beyond that ring. The Arkadi Gorge lies 7 km from the village and the Kaminolakkos Gorge 7.2 km.

Beaches near Pigi

4 beaches lie within about 4 km of Pigi, and all of them belong to the same bay. Rethymno Bay runs roughly 13 km east from the harbour of Rethymno to Skaleta, so the sand is close to continuous between them.

Pigianos Kambos, also known as Pigi beach, lies 2.1 km away, 8 km east of Rethymno and centrally positioned along the bay. The atmosphere is calmer than on the other Rethymno beaches, and accommodation, dining, entertainment and shopping all sit behind the sand.
Adelianos Kambos, also called Adele Beach, sits 2.7 km away, a seaside suburb of Rethymno 6 km east of the city on a flat plain once farmed for vegetables by the people of Adele village. The long sandy stretch of the Rethymno Gulf begins here and runs east to Skaleta, and local buses serve it regularly from the city centre.
Skaleta is 3.9 km away, a beachfront that starts 11 km east of Rethymno and runs 3 km further east to the end of the bay. Sfakaki is the first resort past Pigianos Kambos and Stavromenos the next, 1 km on.
Platanes lies 4.1 km away, a long, sandy, well-organised beach 3-5 km from Rethymno with shallow light-blue water, sunbeds and lifeguards in season. The sand fronts the Pervolia, Missiria and Platanias suburbs and forms part of a protected nesting shore for loggerhead sea turtles.

Where to eat in Pigi

Eating in Pigi means village tavernas, grill houses and a coffee stop, with the nearest table 200 m from the centre and nothing on this list beyond 2.4 km.

Taverna Zorbas Pigi is a taverna in the village, 200 m out.
Paprika – The Grill Experience, a grill house, stands 700 m out.
Garage Coffee Service serves coffee, 1.1 km out.
Kastro Mesi Tavern is a tavern 2.1 km out.
Rizoti Grill – Pizzeria, a grill and pizzeria, lies 2.4 km out.

Getting to Pigi

Pigi is reached from the coast road along Rethymno Bay, turning inland at the Pigianos Kambos plain. Pigi sits east of Rethymno, the capital of the Rethymno region and the third largest city in Crete, and Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport to the village.

Buses cover the shore rather than the fields behind it. Local services run regularly between the city centre and Adelianos Kambos, 2.7 km from Pigi, and Rethymno itself keeps the Loggia, the Neratze Mosque and the Church of Agios Frangiskos in the most completely preserved Renaissance old town on the island. A car is what opens the inland side: Margarites, the pottery village 27 km from Rethymno, is the usual half-day run from this part of the bay.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Pigi in Crete?

Pigi lies in the Rethymno region of Crete, inland from Rethymno Bay and east of Rethymno town. The village stands 2.1 km from the Pigianos Kambos shore, which our beach page places 8 km east of the city.

Which Pigi is this?

This is the Pigi in the Rethymno region, the village behind Pigianos Kambos. Crete carries the name more than once, so the marker for this one is the plain named after it, with Adelianos Kambos 2.7 km away and Rethymno to the west.

Does Pigi have a beach?

Pigi has no shoreline of its own, and the closest sand is Pigianos Kambos, 2.1 km away. Pigianos Kambos is also known as Pigi beach, and it is quieter than the other beaches of Rethymno Bay.

What does Pigianos Kambos mean?

Pigianos Kambos means the plain of Pigi. The name marks the fertile fields of the coastal plain, which belong to the inhabitants of the village rather than to the resort built on the seaward edge of them.

Which gorges can you walk from Pigi?

4 gorges lie within 8 km of Pigi: Prasses, Mili, Arkadi and Kaminolakkos. Prasses is the nearest at 5 km, takes about three hours and opens only between mid-June and mid-October, while Mili carries a signed 2.5 km trail of about 2.5 hours at a difficulty of 1 out of 10.