Plakias
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Plakias Πλακιάς |
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| Basic data | |||
| Country |
 Greece
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| region | Crete | ||
| Regional district | Rethymno | ||
| local community | Agios Vasilios | ||
| Parish | Finikas | ||
| Local community | Myrthios and Sellia | ||
| status | two settlements | ||
| Geographic coordinates | 35 ° 11 ' N , 24 ° 24' E | ||
| Height above d. M. |
5 m (average) |
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| Residents | 325 (2011) | ||
| Post Code | 74060 | ||
| Telephone code | 28320 | ||
| Website: | www.plakias.gr | ||
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Plakias ( Greek Πλακιάς ( m. Sg. )) Is a small, but touristically significant place on the south coast of the Greek island of Crete . It belongs to the municipality of Finikas of the 2010 newly created municipality of Agios Vasilios in the south of the Rethymno regional district . The number of permanent residents is around 325 (2011 census). In the 1961 census, Plakias was mentioned as the place of residence of only six fishing families.
Administratively, Plakias is listed as two places in the statistics: the western part with 143 inhabitants belongs to Sellia ( Σελλιών Πλακιάς ), the eastern part with 182 inhabitants to Myrthios ( Μυρθιανός Πλακιάς ). The place name Plakiás refers to the sandstone "slabs" (also known as natural cement ) that can be found above or below the water in some parts of the bay .
location
Plakias is located at the mouth of a stream below the Kotsifou Gorge , which separates the two coastal mountain ranges Kryoneritis and Kouroupa . The stream flows through the place and divides it with its lush vegetation into an east and a west part. To the west of the creek bed is the older part of Sellia with the port.
There has been an asphalt road connection from Myrthios since the 1960s . There is now a road to Sellia to the northwest. The town of Sellia is about 1.5 kilometers away as the crow flies, and Myrthios to the northeast is about one kilometer. A country road runs through Sellia and Myrthios, connecting Chora Sfakion and Agia Galini .
Plakias is about 30 kilometers from the prefecture capital Rethymno . From the main road from Rethymno via Spili to Agia Galini, two roads branch off to Plakias. The northwest crosses the Kotsifou Gorge between Agios Ioannis and Myrthios. The south-east branches off the main road near Koxare and accompanies the Megalopotamos River through the Kourtaliotiko Gorge . After Asomatos you can choose the roads via Lefkogia or Mariou . The transport connections from Plakias can be described as good compared to other villages on the south coast of Crete.
Despite the central location on the western part of the south coast of Crete, in the center of the Gialia , as the south coast of the regional district of Rethymno is called, there is no regular boat connection from Plakias. The small port is too shallow for larger ships. The closest larger port to the west is Chora Sfakion, from where ships to Loutro , the Samaria Gorge , Sougia , Paleochora and the island of Gavdos leave.
history
Plakias was founded as a settlement next to the ruins of the Minoan city of Lamon in the mid-20th century . Here was the port of the fishermen from the mountain villages Sellia and Myrthios .
Below the rock face, at the beginning of the Sarella peninsula, there is a level path that ends in a walk-in tunnel that ends in two rock cuttings on the eastern cliff. There and at the tunnel entrance you can find concrete foundations in the water and on land. Coal was loaded here until the 1930s. A truck made by Decauville ran across the path and through the tunnel . These and the concrete jetties were necessary to reach deeper water, as it was not possible for larger ships to land in the otherwise shallow water of the bay.
The coal was in a pit between Plakias and Lefkogia in underground mining dismantled. The mine was operated by a German entrepreneur. It was only sealed with cement in the late 1980s after a playing child drowned there. The small yield from the pit was used as fuel for steam ships . The German occupiers of Crete later also made use of the coal loading station, extended the tunnel and blasted a second incision in the rock in order to reach even deeper water. From then on, larger ships could also be supplied with ammunition, water and provisions here.
Economy and tourism
Once a small fishing village shared by the nearby traditional villages of Sellia and Myrthios, Plakias remained an insider tip for almost two decades and became a popular destination for backpackers and individual travelers.
Package tourism is now also predominant in Plakias . Large hotels and resorts were built in Plakias and the surrounding area. a. the Hapimag holiday complex in Damnoni Bay. In 2006, earthworks began for the construction of further large hotels and 341 new apartment houses on the previously undeveloped section of Plakias Bay.
The place is also known and loved by young travelers for its beautifully located youth hostel, which is not a common facility in Greece.
The main beach of Plakias is about 1.5 kilometers long and extends from the town center in an easterly direction. It consists of gravel and sand and leads flat into the water. There are showers and two small beach bars, but no public toilets. Parasols and loungers are available for hire during the season. At the eastern end of the Sarella peninsula , nudism is common.
The bay of Plakias is bordered at the eastern end by a vertically rising, up to 40 meters high and around 300 meters long smooth rock wall made of limestone from the Tripolitza series, which climbers and free climbers use for their sport. In the wind build-up on the rock face, one of the rare dune areas with typical vegetation on Crete has formed from the drifting sand on the beach . The "beach lilies" Pancratium maritimum ( Greek Αλίανθος Alianthos ) that bloom in September are particularly striking .
In the area you will find different beaches and bays (e.g. Preveli , Triopetra , Souda ) and very good hiking opportunities . In Plakias there are several diving schools , the snorkel - and diving activities in the surrounding area offer. Already on the way to Plakias you can admire the impressive Kourtaliotiko Gorge or the Kotsifou Gorge located a little further west on the way to Agios Ioannis .
Other factors relevant to tourism include: a. the nearby Preveli monastery and the boat connection from Plakias to its famous palm beach.
literature
- Thomas Strasser: Exciting Times for the Early Prehistory of Crete: The Results of the Plakias “Mesolithic” Survey . In: Kentro . tape 13 . INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, Philadelphia 2010, p. 4–6 (English, digitized version [PDF; 1.1 MB ; accessed on February 7, 2018]).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Results of the 2011 census at the National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ) ( Memento from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
- ↑ Plakias - History ( Memento from June 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Karakitsos et al. 1982, Geological Map of Greece 1: 50,000. Sellia Sheet (Crete Island). Institute for Geology and Mineral Exploration. Athens
Web links
- Scientific work on tourism development in Plakias ( Memento from March 28, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- Southernmost youth hostel in Europe
- Animal welfare around Plakias
- 360 ° panorama: view of Plakias
- Plakias and surroundings: information, tips and photos
- The Plakias Stone Age Project. Providence College, accessed September 8, 2017 .