Sometimes the wonderful sites are easy to find, yet somehow we make it difficult. This proved to be true during our 2025 trip to Greece in our aim to discover the old Plakias Tunnels at Plakias Crete.
Location
The Plakias Tunnels are located on the eastern side of Plakias Bay by the town of Plakias in southeastern Crete. Located in the Rethymno Prefecture, It is about 90 km (56 miles) south of Chania and 35 km (22 miles) south of Rethymno. Although you will have to park near the beach and walk to the tunnels, it is just under a 1.5 km (less than a mile) walk from the beach.
History
The Plakias Tunnels of Crete, also known as Paligremnos Tunnels, as they are carved into the Paligremnos Cliffs near Plakias. The tunnels were originally built to transport coal via a narrow gauge rail from a mine inland to the coast for shipping. Plakias Bay was too shallow for boats to pick up the coal so the tunnels bypassed the bay by cutting through the rocks to reach deeper water on the other side.
These tunnels have also been referred to as the German Tunnels. This is due to the fact that during the WWII Nazi Occupation, the German military took control of these tunnels. The soldiers enlarged the tunnels and added an additional opening in which to hide a secret submarine supply base.
Today, the tunnels are no longer in use other than for tourists, like ourselves, who are curious and want to check them out. It is important to note though, bring a flashlight or headlamp and go slowly. The tunnels are dark, and one ends without warning which can be quite dangerous.
The Wrong Path, Thanks A Lot Google Maps
The Plakias tunnel are easy to find, unless you follow Google Maps. Once again, we blindly trusted Google Maps. We drove outside of Plakias, around the hill, and back up the hill to an empty lot like area. All in all, it seemed feasible to be a parking lot to us. Kind of odd though, there were a couple of old boats up here, high above the sea!
We followed the Map and immediately saw a path. Google showed we could just walk around this cliff and basically back to Plakias. It didn’t take long for us to find ourselves on a tough trail with narrow drop offs. Once again , we were questioning our decision making skills.
After making it around a tight corner, with a steep drop off, and loose rock, we continued to climb upward. Fortunately, we met a couple hiking towards us. We asked about the tunnels. Luckily they knew the area well. They informed us this trail does lead to Plakias but then we would have to back track a bit for the tunnels. Ultimately, the best way to get to the tunnels was from the end of the Plakias Beach. and follow the path. We were very thankful, turned around and carefully mountain goated our way back to the car.
Hiking Trail to Plakais Tunnels
Once at the far end of the beach, we easily found the clearly marked trail. It was a nicely packed easy dirt trail, more of a walk than a hike. The scenery was beautiful and we were both excited to be on our way to the tunnels.
We passed by the impressive Paligrenmose Cliffs and watched a couple of rock climbers work on scaling it. Technically it is a vertical geographical fault made of limestone and is 80 meters high (262 feet). It is pretty impressive as it shoots straight up, like a wall.
Cave
We came across a cave that we briefly explored. The view looking out of the cave made for a great photo.
The Tunnels
We continued on to the tunnels, enjoying the views along the way and also happy we were on a much better trail.
After donning our headlamps, we cautiously entered the tunnel. It felt nice and cool in contrast to the hot day. We were very glad to have the headlamps as it was dark in the tunnels.
Needless to say, these tunnels were a lot of fun to explore. We did see the abrupt drop off and were glad we were going slowly and cautiously. Also, it was nice to know about the drop off before we visited the tunnel so we knew to look for it.
After finishing our explorations, we followed the trail back the way we came. Overall, it was a fun adventure.
Calypso
Our next stop was just a few minutes away at Calypso, the old pirate fjord. I have read a lot of hype on this area and it was beautiful, but very developed and touristy. I felt the hotel in addition to instagramers dominated the landscape and area. It was more of a resort atmosphere which I felt detracted from the area’s natural beauty. We walked along the coast and also down to the water, and decided it was time to find a place to eat.
Where We Ate
We found this lovely taverna while driving through the village of Myrthios. Plateia Taverna was everything we loved about a taverna. Although not on the sea, the views of the sea were phenomenal! Despite being hot, we elected to sit outside to enjoy the view throughout our meal. The traditional Greek food was delicious. Our server was fantastic and also patiently listened to my attempts at ordering in Greek, encouraging me and correcting as needed. Hopefully we will stop here again someday.
Conclusion
The Plakias Tunnels are well worth visiting and also show a unique side of Crete and its history from early mining days to the WWII era. I would visit here again if in the area, not just for the tunnels, but the amazing scenery as well. The southern coast of Crete is really quite spectacular.
Planning
I do recommend a map. I used the National Geographic Map of Crete and was glad we had it as we lost GPS several times. The map is also very accurate and durable. Although the map is quite large it folds up like a typical map. Half of Crete is on one side of the map while the other half of Crete is on the other side. I have been using this same map each time we travel to Crete and it is still in great condition.
While planning our trips to Crete, I found the travel guide Top 10 Crete to be very useful. For one thing, it lists the top 10 places to go, restaurants, and sites. Additionally, it also lists the top 10 by region and area. Given these points, I felt it was a great planning tool, plus it came with a pocket size map which we did use. All in all, I have found many great places to visit in Crete through this book, including the Plakias tunnels.
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In addition to this post, you can also check out my other posts from our 2025 trip to Greece, our other Crete adventures, and also previous years Itineraries by following these links!
Aptera Archaeological Site, Sept 2025
Chyrsoskalitissa Monastery, Crete-Sept 2025
Falasarna Archaeological Site in Crete-Sept 2025
Beaches on Milos Island -Sept 2025
The Villages of Milos, Greece -Sept 2025
Sulfur Mines at Milos Island – Sept 2025
Kleftiko Boat Tour on Milos Island – Sept 2025
Discover the Quiet Beauty of Folegandros, Sept 2025
Hike to Livadaki Beach at Folegandros, Sept 2025
Hike to Agios Nikolaos Beach at Folegandros Sept 2025
Delos Island; A comprehensive Self Guided Tour September 2025
Mykonos One Day Itinerary Sept 2025
Great Places to Eat in Plaka, Athens and Nearby. Updated Sept 2025
Self Guided Tour to Acropolis Sept 2025
Tower of the Wind, Athens Sept 2025
The Roman Forum in Athens, Sept 2025
National Archaeology Museum Athens, Sept 2025
Crete Past Adventures
2023 Crete
Sunken City of Olous-September 2023
Elounda Peninsula Hotel-Revised 2023
Hike to Agiofarago Beach-Sept 2023
Preveli Beach, the Easy Way-Sept 2023
Swim at Kourtaliotiko Falls-Sept 2023
Boating on the South Central Sea in Crete-Sept 2023
A Challenging hike Loutro to Marmara Beach, Crete-Sept 2023
Anopolis, Arradena Bridge and Lykos Beach in Southen Crete-Sept 2023
Aptera Crete, Closed on Tuesdays Sept 2023
Return to Chania, Crete September 2023
Crete 2021
Ancient City of Lato, Sept 2021
Aforesmenos Lighthouse, Crete, Sept 2021
Avli Lounge Hotel, Rethymno, Sept 2021
Matala Beach Caves, Crete, Sept 2021
Hike to Martsalos Beach, Sept 2021
The Chapel at Georgioupoli, Sept 2021
Koutalas Beach and Sea Cave, Sept 2021
A Walk Through Chania, Sept 2021
Crete 2019
Elounda Peninsula Hotel, Sept 2019
Knossos Palace, Crete Sept 2019
Seitan Limania Beach, Sept 2019
Katholiko Monastery, Sept 2019
Greece Itineraries
8 Days in Greece, Athens, Milos,Santorini. Oct 2018
10 Days in Greece Athens ,Crete, Santorini Sept 2019
14 Days in Greece Crete, Naxos, Santorini, Athens Sept 2021
2 Weeks in Greece, Delphi, Meteora, Corfu, Santorini Sept 2022
10 Day Peloponnese Itinerary August/September 2024
The Gen-X Travels recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences unless noted. We are not sponsored by any business or company and all trips are at our expense. All photos are by myself or my husband unless otherwise noted. We are affiliates of some companies such as Amazon,Viator, and others which we do receive a small commission from, at no cost to you if you buy or book through one of our links.
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