Agios Pavlos beach
The coastal village of Agios Pavlos (St. Paul) is located 58km south of Rethymnon city, west of Agia Galini, and very close to the tip of Cape Melissa. You can access the area by driving from the village Sachtouria; owners of land in Agios Pavlos come mainly from Sachtouria. It's a peaceful place, well-hidden in a sheltered bay, which is ideal for quiet family holidays.
The bay has a beautiful beach with green deep waters and magnificent rocky seabed. Near the beach you can find a few rooms and taverns. Moreover, basic services are provided on the beach, such as umbrellas, sunbeds and pedal boats. Above the beach you can visit the small church of Saint Paul; according to the legend Saint Paul lived here during his journey to Rome (this legend is also adopted for some other places in Crete, such as Kali Limenes and Selouda).
Although the beach in front of the village is pretty, some visitors prefer Agios Pavlos for accommodation and food, but swim in the nearby idyllic beach with the huge sandhills. Akoumiani Gialia or Melissa, as this beach is called, is behind the western edge of Agios Pavlos bay and is considered one of the best beaches in Rethymno prefecture but it's usually wavy. You can get there through a path that starts from Agios Pavlos.
The geological folds of the rocks at position Apoplystra, between the village of Agios Pavlos and the Sandhills of Melissa are remarkably colorful and have been proposed to be listed to the Natural Monuments of Greece.
