Platani beach
Platani is located 7km west of Sitia and 60km east of Agios Nikolaos. To get to this point you should follow the road leading to Faneromeni Monastery, starting near the village Skopi. 2km after Skopi, just before the monastery, two neighboring small pebbly beaches are shaped with crystal clear waters. The first, known as Agii Pantes is formed at the exit of the lush Agii Pantes gorge, that is easily accessed via a hiking trail. Near the beach you will see some amazing limestone formations reminding of pleurotus mushrooms. Inside the gorge you will meet two fresh water springs, one called Koutsounari and another (inside a cave) called Hosto Nero. The beach of Agii Pantes gets flooded in winter and turns to an important wetland.
The second one, Platani, is formed at the exit of another lush canyon, running parallel to Agii Pantes. This gorge starts from Faneromeni Monastery. The name Platani means platan tree in Greek and is taken after the platan trees on the beach. Next to the beach, there is a spring with fresh water. The area is totally undeveloped and is ideal for seclusion and quiet swimming. Finally, the area west of the Cape Trahilos, called Papadiokambos, is considered an ideal spot for windsurfing.
If you come till here, it is worth visiting the Monastery of Panagia Faneromeni, which is located next to the gorge of Platani. The monastery was built probably in the 14th century and was renovated in 1624. In the church there are paintings (dated in 1455), blackened by the devastating raids of the pirate Barbarossa in 1538 and in 1829 by the Turks. The name of the monastery (Faneromeni means Revealed) is taken after the image of Viggin Mary that "appeared" in a small cave next to the church. Today the monastery is not inhabited.
