On this tour, you will visit the following sights and attractions:
This trip starts in the northeastern part of Crete, where the tour bus will head south to Damnoni beach, famous for its gray sand, turquoise waters and the old fishing village of the same name. This is the coast line of the Libyan Sea. Here a boat will be waiting for our group – the rest of the trip will be by sea. After half an hour on board, everyone will head straight to the palm-fringed Preveli Beach, which is located in one of the neighboring bays.
Nestled on the southern shores of Crete, Preveli Beach marks the end of the Preveli Gorge, where the Great River (Megalopotamos) meets the Libyan Sea. The lush palm forest lining the riverbanks imparts a tropical ambiance to the area. Preveli Beach is a great place to relax, swim in the Libyan Sea and walk through the palm forest. There you will have about an hour and a half of free time: enough for the jungle, the sea and the beach.
Please note that during our tour we offer direct boat access to the beach, providing a convenient way to reach this idyllic spot. Another way to get to (and return from) the beach is to climb a stone path of several hundred steps on the high cliffs (about 15 minutes down and 25 minutes up) if you come there with a bus.
After swimming at Preveli Beach in the middle of the day, you will take a boat trip to Damnoni Bay. There, you can either continue your beach getaway or enjoy a delicious meal at a taverna before moving on to the next attraction. Ready to leave the southern coasts and their sandy beaches? Let’s go to the mountains!
Your journey to Rethymno will take you through the stunning Kurtalioko Gorge. Boasting unique natural beauty and diverse vegetation, the gorge is home to picturesque waterfalls hidden deep within.
Rethymno is now the third largest city in Crete, but the old town is quite small. Our bus will take you directly to the old town of Rethymno, so you only need to walk a few minutes to be in the heart of this beautiful place and you will have about an hour of free time to explore it. Our advice? Wander the charming streets full of Venetian landmarks, minarets and quaint shops. Admire the many remnants of the Venetian and Ottoman periods scattered throughout the city, such as the Loggia, Piazza Rimondi and the Lighthouse. Or, speaking of the lighthouse, have lunch in one of the many taverns in the old harbor in front of it with a beautiful view of the sea!
During the season we can take you on an organized bus tour from Achlada to the palm beach of Preveli and the old town of Rethymno. Bus tour, boat trip, walking around – this excursion takes most of the day, bus will definitely get you back to the hotel in time for dinner with very good impressions!
If you want to take an organized bus tour from Achlada to Preveli beach in the morning and spend some time in the old town of Rethymno in the afternoon, the price of the trip in 2026 is:
This tour is sometimes included in special promotions and sold cheaper for our followers – keep an eye out for discounts on Facebook!
Are you traveling as a big family or a group? Contact us in advance or visit our offices and we will try to make you the best offer.
You are welcome! We will run this personalised tour in a suitable car or minivan for you on any day. No large groups, long pick-ups or waiting – just you, your family or friends and the guide! You can ask us in advance – and we will organise everything for you.
You can book an excursion to the palm beach of Preveli and the city of Rethymno from Achlada online (see “How to book excursions in Crete”).
In 2026 the excursion to the palm beach of Preveli and the old city of Rethymno from Achlada takes place from 25/04 to 03/11. Available tour days – Tuesday.
Please note that trip schedules are subject to change, including cancellation. This is extremely rare and may be due to weather conditions. For example, heavy rains at the beginning (April and May) or end of the season (September and October) and other force majeure situations. If there are any changes, we will try to let you know as soon as possible.
Please make sure that you have correctly identified your vacation area in Crete and read the cancellation and refund policy.
If there is less than 24 hours before the trip, please contact the manager to check availability before you make a booking!
Firstly, you can come to one of our offices where booking for all services is available and payment can be made either by cash or card.
Secondly, in case of online booking you can choose cash payment (which is available for some areas only) or you can pay online by card. In the case of cash, we will arrange a meeting with our courier in advance, who will bring the prepared documents to your hotel or villa and collect the cash. Please note that this option is only available for bookings made well in advance (days or weeks before the trip!). In case of online payment, you will receive the tickets by e-mail or WhatsApp – as you prefer.
Please keep all documents and tickets until the end of your trip!
As there are no roads within this village (only narrow pedestrian streets), and the largest hotel is the Ecotourism Holiday Hotel (Mourtzanakis Residence), a transfer can be arranged from there or from the main square as an optional extra. If you haven’t rented a car or simply would like to use our transfer service (we offer both cars and minibuses with drivers), please contact us in advance.
It depends on how you choose to get to the meeting point.
Our main meeting points are located on major roads and in major resorts – anywhere that a large bus can safely drive up to and stop.
If you have a rental car (and you probably do – otherwise, getting to the village of Achlada is extremely difficult, as there is no public transportation here, and a large bus simply cannot navigate the local roads), we can offer you several nearby meeting points to choose from, where you can park your car and join the main group. This is usually the easiest and most convenient way.
If you would like to leave your car at your hotel and require additional transportation to the nearest meeting point and back, please contact us in advance, and we will do our best to arrange everything.
You will receive full details of the time and place of the pick-up with your travel documents when you make your booking. Please read it carefully before the trip.
This excursion is also available from various locations across the island of Crete. The tour itself will follow the same itinerary and programme, with only two differences. Firstly, there may be different transfer options available, which may result in a different price in some locations. Secondly, the departure and return times may be different too.
You can join this activity from any of the following towns: Agia Pelagia, Ammoudara, Analipsi, Anissaras, Bali, Fodele, Gournes, Gouves, Heraklion (city), Heraklion area (other cities), Hersonissos, Karteros, Kokkini Hani, Malia, Milatos, Sissi, Stalida.
No, just short distances to the viewpoints.
In the middle of the day, traditional taverns are open along the coast, for example at Damnoni Beach. Lunch costs 10-15 euro per person. You can also have lunch on Preveli beach, where there are small kiosks, or leave it until you arrive in Rethymno – if you like. We recommend having lunch at Damnoni bay.
Anything to protect you from the sun and swimwear for a beach time. Some cash, e.g. for food and drinks.
Yes. You will have a guide with you. Your guide will tell you about the places you will visit and help you with any questions you may have.
This is more of a sightseeing and beach trip for swimming, sunbathing, easy walking around the old town of Rethymno and relaxing than a highly informative tour with history lessons. Come to have a look around, take some photos and relax!
Languages: English, German and French are available on any scheduled day throughout the season. On certain days, we can also organise this tour in Italian and Polish. These usually run from May onwards.
The weekly language schedule for this trip is as follows:
Please note that this is an approximate tour schedule. Times may vary depending on traffic and pick-up and drop-off locations. Exact times will be sent to you along with other information when you make your reservation and specify your hotel.
The itinerary for Tuesday includes a visit to Rethymno Old Town in the afternoon, while the itineraries for Thursday and Saturday will give you more time to explore the wild south coast and the beaches of Preveli and Damnoni, along with the beaches of Amoudi and Kleisidi.
| Schedule of the excursion program | |
|---|---|
| 07:00 - 09:00 | Departure from the hotel |
| 10:45 | Arrival on the south coast of Crete at Damnoni Bay |
| 11:00 - 11:30 | Boat trip to Preveli Palm Beach |
| 11:30 - 14:00 | Arrival at Preveli beach and free time |
| 14:00 - 14:30 | Boat trip to Damnoni Beach |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Arrival at Damnoni beach and free time |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Transfer by bus to the gorge of Kurtalioko |
| 16:30 - 18:00 | Transfer by bus to Rethymno, free time to visit the old town |
| 18:30 - 20:00 | Return to the hotels |
| Duration and travel time | |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 hours | From hotels by bus to Damnoni bay |
| about 30 minutes | Traveling by sea to Preveli Palm Beach |
| about 1.5 hours | Free time on the beach of Preveli |
| about 1 hour | Free time on the beach of Damnoni |
| about 1.5 hours | Free time in the old town of Rethymno |
| up to 3 hours | Transfer by bus to the hotels |