Pachia Ammos is a divine stretch of beach just around the rocky bend from the famed beach at Stavros bay (for the uninitiated, the location where the famous dance scene in Zorba the Greek was filmed). Stavros/Pachia Ammos are located at the end of the Akrotiri peninsula about a half-hour's drive from Chania.
There is a lot to talk about at this location, not the last of which is the beach which is covered with fabulous, long fine-but-grainy sand that feels wonderful underfoot. The interesting thing here, however, is that, with the exception of just a few small places, the sand does not extend into the sea. In the photo immediately below you can see the flat, slate rock (blue in the photo) that extends out into the water from the sand. That smooth, easy entrance into the Sea of Crete is only available in a handful of places, however, because most the rock is of a much rougher kind (see the 2nd photo below). None of this stops anyone from entering the clear, blue water that lets you peruse the sea bottom easily without masks or special goggles. My wife Oksana and I have many "favorite" swimming holes on Crete, but this of late has become our most frequent go-to if we want to pass up the bay at Koum Kapi right under our nose and take a short drive somewhere. There's a large parking area right off the beach, in front of the front line of houses and cabins that make up the relatively large village of Stavros. As one finds anywhere on Crete, the houses here run the gamut from run-down huts to beautiful, large estate-type homes. And, as everywhere on Crete, there is a wonderful sense of community here.
For me personally, the coolest thing of all about Pachia Ammos (which means "thick sand" in Greek) is the old Venetian, perhaps even Minoan, stone quarry that is located right next to it. In a previous post, I wrote in some detail about the rock quarry at Stavros, at that time limiting myself to the section of the quarry right next to the famed bay. There's some very interesting historical information available about this place, so go over to that post to read about it. I won't repeat myself here, except to say that the quarry here is huge and makes for a fascinating after-swim walk. The "walls" where stones were carved out run as high as 8-10 feet (three meters). It feels in places like you are walking through an abandoned city that was once carved out of rock in one single piece. Of course, you are indeed walking through a "city," only the city wasn't here; it was Kydonia or Canea, or whatever the locals were calling Chania as they built it. Surely this quarry delivered up many of the stones that still stand in the walls and bastions around Chania. For emphasis I will repeat it: It was not only the Venetians (1205-1668) who extracted rock here, but the Minoans, too (roughly 3,000 - 1,000 years BC). Believe me, that adds significantly to the experience of walking and swimming at Pachia Ammos. At the quarry's furthest reaches there is a shin-deep "wading pool"that is separated from the sea by a low, craggy natural rock wall. The "floor" of the pool is quite smooth - rocks were once quarried out of this place, too, leaving the flat, underwater floor we now have. You still have to be careful when navigating it, there are plenty of little ridges and holes to snag a toe on, but the otherworldly beauty of the place is not to be missed.
Finally, we have the wonderful Sunset Cafe and Bar that is set back into the middle of the beach. For those who prefer the easy life, the Sunset offers chaise lounges and thatch umbrellas for 3 to 8 euros per day. If you, like I, would rather stick closer to nature, there are huge swaths of open beach where you can stretch out with your stuff. The Sunset Cafe is run by an expat Frenchwoman, who does the cooking herself. She's been on Crete for 26 years, and she knows her way around her kitchen. She serves up some incredible dishes that mix French and Cretan styles beautifully. Yesterday we had the La Gallette with mushrooms and cheese and we thought we had died and gone to heaven.
All photos and text © copyright 2021 by John Freedman. If you wish to use either text or photos, I will almost surely grant permission as long as you do the courtesy of asking.
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