Characteristics of Agia Galini

The small but charming resort of Agia Galini is located on the southern coast of Crete, about 61 km south of Rethymno. The village is situated on the shores of Mesara Bay, in the hilly terrain of the White Mountains and is crossed by the Platis Potamos River. Today, Agia Galini lives mainly from tourism, but agriculture, especially the cultivation of cucumbers and tomatoes, also thrives in the wider area.

Agia Galini has a stable population of around 800 inhabitants, which increases by around 2500 tourists during the peak summer season. However, despite the fact that the village with its beautiful beach of the same name is quite well known and is also visited by tourists from other resorts, it is still one of the quieter and very pleasant areas of Crete. Agia Galini is a lively resort, but compared to the northern resorts of Chersonissos or Malia, for example, it is not so much subject to commerce and mass tourism.

Visitors can find all the services they want - hotels, rooms for rent, restaurants, including excellent fish tavernas, cafes, bars, a supermarket, souvenir shops, an ATM and a pharmacy. There is also a campsite in the village. Agia Galini is thus made up of newer buildings, built mainly in recent years due to increasing tourist interest, as well as older residential houses and shops. A nice, original cobbled road also runs through the village. The main traffic is diverted to the new road in the outskirts of the resort, and the hilly terrain makes the local buildings very picturesque, set right into their slopes.

Greek mythology and the history of the village of Agia Galini

On a hill near the harbour, statues of Daedalus and his son Icarus stand looking across the bay to the sea beyond. Greek mythology says that this is where Daedalus and Icarus headed to the Cretan village of Agia Galini (then called Soulia) when they fled from King Minos. From a small hill, they then took to the skies with wings of bird feathers and wax constructed by Ikaros and continued their journey. Unfortunately for Icarus, legend has it that his flight was tragic.

The present village of Agia Galini was founded in 1884 on the same site where the old town of Soulia and the great temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis once stood. Soulia functioned mainly as a port village for the Minoan city of Syvrit, but in 640 AD Soulia was destroyed by pirates. It was not rebuilt until the Venetian period. During the construction of the houses in Agia Galini, remains from ancient times, such as graves and granite columns, were found in abundance. The most interesting artefacts are displayed in the local church.

One interesting story is also linked to the village's current name and dates back to the time when the Byzantine Empress Eudocia was caught in a violent storm during her voyage to the Holy Land. The Empress prayed to the Virgin Mary and asked for help. She promised to build a church on the spot where she would be safely anchored off the shore. The Empress fulfilled her promise, and the church of Panagia Galini was built. The name of the church changed over time to Agia Galini (translated as "Holy Peace", some also say "Bay of Peace") and the whole village took its name from it. The remains of the church are still visible in the local cemetery.

Beaches around Agia Galini

The main beach of the resort, the Aga Galini beach, is located east of the harbour and stretches for about half a kilometre to the Pomatos River. The sea in this area is shallow and almost always calm, making it popular with families with smaller children.

The Potamos River can be crossed comfortably with dry feet, thanks to the bridge that has been built here. Just across the river is another part of the beach, which was unorganised before the bridge was built and popular especially with nudists. Today it is equipped with sunbeds and umbrellas and more tourists from the resort are heading here. The beach is covered with smaller pebbles and is also less organised than the main beach of Agia Galini.

Tips for trips in the vicinity

Agia Galini is not only a charming and well-equipped tourist resort, but thanks to its beautiful surrounding nature and interesting history, it also has a lot to offer to lovers of walks and historical monuments. The hilly surroundings of the resort attract hikers. And if you like to walk along the coast, you can head eastwards until you reach the neighbouring long sandy beach of Kokkinos Pyrgos (the journey takes less than two hours). Before you reach the main, organised beach, you'll come across several smaller beaches along the way, including one small, unorganised beach (north of Kokkinos Pyrgos harbour), which is mainly popular with nudists.

Right in the resort, you can visit the local picturesque harbour, climb the low hill with the statues of the two mythical heroes Daedalus and Icarus, or discover the foundations of the famous Agia Galini church in the local cemetery. Near the river you can also see the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis.

In front of the bay, two small islands of Paximadia lie in the sea, to which boat trips are organised. From the port of Agia Galini, small boats also sail to the surrounding beaches, in particular Preveli, Agios Pavlos and Agios Georgios. To the west lies one of Crete's most beautiful beaches, the "palm" beach of Preveli, which was created at the mouth of the river and is surrounded by lots of greenery, including beautiful, lush palm trees. Unfortunately, in 2010, the area was hit by fires and caused considerable damage to the local vegetation, which is only slowly being repaired.

Who is the centre suitable for?

The resort of Agia Galini is suitable for those who want to escape from the everyday stress and hustle and bustle of big cities, but at the same time do not want to compromise on their requirements for nice accommodation, excellent food and a beautiful beach. Agia Galini is a popular tourist resort, with nightclubs and a disco, but it is still a quiet and relaxed resort compared to the major holiday centres in the north of Crete. Families with children also head here thanks to the spacious and gently sloping beach.

Thanks to its location, Agia Galini is also a good starting point for travelling around the southern part of Crete.

More touristic destinations of Crete

Close resorts: Kalamaki (Matala)

Most favourite resorts of Crete: Adelianos Kampos, Agia Marina, Agios Nikolaos, Heraklion (Iraklion), Hersonissos, Chania, Ierapetra, Kalamaki (Matala), Malia, Platanias (Chania), Rethymno, Stalis

Resorts, beaches, sights or trips - clearly listed on the map of Crete.