These indigenous palms love Preveli Beach. They’ve packed themselves together densely to form a magical shaded forest lining the inside of the gorge and river. The little river leads right into the sea on a sandy beach. Although the palm trees aren’t really actually on the beach itself, you’ll still find plenty of shade to enjoy under the tamarisk trees between swims.
Exploring Preveli’s Palm Forest
Follow the path into the gorge to walk through the palm forest. The forest isn’t very big but the path keeps going for quite a long way. The path gets a bit challenging, so bring some water, walking shoes and suncream if you want to explore further inland. Expect to climb over rocks and duck under trees.
Preveli Beach is a fantastic spot for a swim or snorkel. You can’t go out very deep because of boat lanes, but the water is clear. You can see a few fish if you dive down to meet them. There’s a massive rock on the one side of the beach that leads the way to some pretty cool sea caves.
Lunch on the Beach
After a walk and a swim, lunch might sound like a great idea. Under the trees is a changing room, WC and a restaurant with slightly overpriced dishes. We tucked into a feast of slouvaki with fries and tzatziki. I had a frappé as well, but wasn’t super impressed by the drink.
Finding Preveli
The parking area is on a hill, overlooking the sea. I think there’s a small fee for parking (€2). Once you’ve found parking, walk from there to reach the valley and beach. The downhill walk takes about 15 and is very steep, so take your time and enjoy the look out points. You’ll be able to get great views from the rocky path.
Quick tip: If you enjoy exploring monasteries, there’s the Museum of the Monastery of Preveli right nearby.
