Crete South Coast Jeep Safari: Preveli Beach, Gorge & Lunch

4.76

(223 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You’re not scared of a little dust, right?” That’s what our guide, Manolis, grinned as we bounced out of Rethymnon in these old jeeps. The air smelled like hot pine and diesel — not unpleasant, just… real. I’d never seen Crete like this before. We wound through tiny villages where old men waved from shaded doorways (one even raised his glass at us). Somewhere near St. Antonios gorge we stopped for coffee at Drymos café — thick, sweet, and served with a smile from a woman who told me my Greek was “not bad at all,” which I’m pretty sure was just kindness.

The drive down to the Libyan Sea got wilder — rocks rattling under the tires and that sharp wind off the hills. Lunch was at some little taverna right by a pebbly beach nobody else seemed to know about. Fried fish, tomato salad, bread you could tear apart with your hands. I dunked my feet in the water while waiting for food and honestly didn’t want to leave that spot. But then someone yelled “Preveli!” and we piled back in.

Preveli Palm Beach looked almost unreal — palms everywhere, river meeting sea. I tried swimming but mostly just floated there staring up at the cliffs (and yeah, got sand everywhere). Later we stopped above Kourtaliotiko Gorge for photos; wind whipping so hard it nearly took my hat. Manolis pointed out vultures circling overhead — he said they always come out when the weather’s like this. I still think about that view sometimes when I hear wind through trees back home.