Petres and Gerani: The Honest Guide to the Two Gorge-Mouth Beaches West of Rethymno
Two small, mostly rocky beaches on the open coast just west of Rethymno town, each where a gorge meets the sea below the national road: what they are like underfoot and in the water, what the north wind does to them, and why they are snorkelling stops rather than a replacement for the town's long sand.
Petres and Gerani are two small, mostly rocky beaches on the open coast just west of Rethymno, each sitting where a gorge reaches the sea below the national road to Chania. On a calm morning they are clear-water snorkelling stops with very few people; on a day of north wind they are rocks and waves. They are worth a detour for a swimmer with a mask, not a substitute for the town beach’s long sand. Described from our own visits; distances, prices, hours and rules are a check of published sources, November 2026.
The honest facts
- Where
- Gerani’s beach, usually listed as Kamari beach, about 6–7 km west of Rethymno town; Petres about 12–14 km west, at the eastern end of the Episkopi beachfront. Published distances vary.
- The streams
- Gerani is at the mouth of the Vederi gorge, whose water is listed as lasting until spring; Petres is where the river of the Petres gorge reaches the sea.
- Underfoot
- Gerani is small, with pebbles, some sand and rocky patches; Petres is a string of small coves of sand and small stones over a rocky seabed.
- The sea
- both face north and are open to the north wind; on calm days, both are listed as good for snorkelling.
- Facilities
- light — a few umbrellas in season, with tavernas and rooms nearby; after October, expect little or nothing open.
- Getting there
- by car on the national road towards Chania; Crete has more than one Gerani, and this is the one in Rethymno municipality.
Gerani: a gorge, a bridge and a small harbour
The beach below Gerani is what listings call Kamari beach: small, pebbly with some sand and rocky patches, at the exit of the Vederi gorge. The national road crosses the gorge on the Gerani bridge right above it, so this is a swim with traffic overhead. Beside it are a small harbour and the church of Panagia Kamariani. The municipality’s tender for beach-accessibility equipment lists Rethymno town beach and Platanias, not Gerani, so do not count on step-free sea access here.
Close by, beside the national road above the beach, is the Gerani cave, found by accident when the highway was built — in 1968 by the Wikipedia entry for the village, on 15 March 1969 by a regional cave listing. Its Neolithic layers matter to archaeologists, and some finds are in the Archaeological Museum of Rethymno. The cave listing describes it as sealed: it is not a cave you can walk into.
Petres: the rocky end of a long beach
Petres means “stones”, and the beach earns the name. The Petres listing describes small coves of sand and many small rocks, with umbrellas and less sand in the northernmost bay; its Greek version names Vythos as the best-known cove, while the English one gives that name to the umbrella bay. The rocky seabed is why it is recommended for snorkelling, and it is described as quiet.
The name comes from the Petres gorge, whose river ends here, with a wetland near the mouth. That listing contradicts itself on the water: its text says the river flows all year, its summary says until spring. West of Petres the coast opens into the long sand of Episkopi, the alternative for anyone who finds Petres too rocky.
Wind, waves and the stream mouths
This is the open north coast, and the wind decides the day. The Petres listing calls the sea usually wavy because of the north winds; for Gerani the listing says usually calm, yet open to frequent north winds. Check rather than assume: read the forecast the evening before, aim for the morning, and on a meltemi day go where the wind-shelter guide sends you. Waves do the most harm on small rocky beaches, and the flags mean what they say.
Entries are over pebbles and rock, so water shoes help. After heavy rain, stay away from the stream mouths: a gorge carries whatever the rain washes into it.
Getting there, and how they compare with the town beach
From Rethymno take the national road west towards Chania: Gerani’s beach lies below the Gerani bridge, and Petres is reached by paved road a few kilometres on. A car is simplest. Both beach listings mention a bus, but no official timetable for these stops could be checked for this guide; ask at the Rethymno bus station and read the bus guide first.
The town beach is long, sandy, organised and a walk from the old town; Petres and Gerani are small, rocky and lightly serviced, and their appeal is clear water over stone and few people. In November the season is over: umbrellas gone, beachside tavernas possibly closed, calm days rarer. Verify seasonally.
The honest downside
Both beaches are small and rocky, with little sand and awkward entries over stone. Gerani sits under the national road and its traffic. The north wind closes both often, facilities are thin even in summer, and the bus is not something to plan a day around. The payoff is underwater, and only on calm days.
Worth it if: you have a mask and snorkel, a calm morning, a car, and you want clear water and few people within a short drive of Rethymno. Skip it if: you want sand, shade, facilities or shallow water for small children, the north wind is blowing, or you are relying on the bus.
Described from our own visits; distances, prices, hours and rules are a check of published sources, November 2026. Distances, access, rules and any figures were checked against regional beach, gorge and cave listings in English and Greek, the Wikipedia entry for Gerani, the Municipality of Rethymno’s beach-accessibility tender, the National Observatory of Athens forecast site and this site’s own Rethymno beach guides, for the date shown at the top of this guide. Nobody pays to be featured in a guide — no business, no sponsor, no paid mention, ever. Adverts, where they appear, are labelled as adverts.
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The two beaches
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Where are Petres and Gerani beaches?
Petres and Gerani are on the north coast just west of Rethymno town, in Rethymno municipality. Gerani's beach, usually listed as Kamari beach, is about 6–7 km from town; Petres is about 12–14 km out, at the eastern end of the long Episkopi beachfront. Published distances vary by a kilometre or two.
Are Petres and Gerani sandy beaches?
Only partly. Beach listings describe Gerani's Kamari beach as small, with pebbles, some sand and rocky patches, and Petres as a string of small coves of sand and small stones over a rocky seabed. Neither is the long, soft sand of Rethymno's town beach.
Are Petres and Gerani good for snorkelling?
Both are described in beach listings as good for snorkelling because of their rocky seabed. That only holds on calm days: both beaches face north and are open to the north wind that often raises waves on this coast.
Can you get to Gerani or Petres by bus?
A car is simplest. Beach listings say both beaches can be reached by bus, but KTEL timetables on this stretch change with the season, so check the current one at the Rethymno bus station before relying on it, especially in winter.
Is Gerani near Rethymno the same as Gerani near Chania?
No. Crete has more than one Gerani. This guide is about the village and beach about 7 km west of Rethymno town, part of Rethymno municipality, where the national road to Chania crosses the Vederi gorge on a bridge above the beach.
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