On the beach
Right now
Live conditions from Open-Meteo, refreshed hourly.
7-day outlook
7-day marine forecast from Open-Meteo.
Sea temperature
Next 7 days, °C
Wave height
Next 7 days, metres
View as table
| Day | Sea temp (°C) | Wave height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 | 26.5 | 0.2 |
| Thu 3 | 26.4 | 0.4 |
| Fri 4 | 26.2 | 0.4 |
| Sat 5 | 26.5 | 0.4 |
| Sun 6 | 26.2 | 0.3 |
| Mon 7 | 26.3 | 0.6 |
| Tue 8 | 26.0 | 0.7 |
Water quality history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Excellent2015
- 2016: Excellent2016
- 2017: Excellent2017
- 2018: Excellent2018
- 2019: Excellent2019
- 2020: Excellent2020
- 2021: Excellent2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Excellent2023
- 2024: Excellent2024
- 2025: Excellent2025
Excellent in the most recent season, and 11 of 11 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Excellent |
| 2016 | Excellent |
| 2017 | Excellent |
| 2018 | Excellent |
| 2019 | Excellent |
| 2020 | Excellent |
| 2021 | Excellent |
| 2022 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Excellent |
| 2024 | Excellent |
| 2025 | Excellent |
Typical sea temperature by month
Modeled estimatePlausible seasonal climatology derived from latitude, for illustration — not a measured average.
Monthly sea temperature
Typical range across the year, °C
View as table
| Month | Typical sea temp (°C) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 17 |
| Feb | 16 |
| Mar | 17 |
| Apr | 19 |
| May | 22 |
| Jun | 24 |
| Jul | 26 |
| Aug | 27 |
| Sep | 27 |
| Oct | 25 |
| Nov | 22 |
| Dec | 19 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- Plakias596 mCrete
- Souda2.3 kmCrete
- Damnoni2.9 kmCrete
- Schoinaria3.9 kmCrete
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- Easy by car — there's parking close to the beach.
- Nearest ferry landing is about ~310 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Πλακιάς, about ~400 m away.
- 32 places to eat within 1 km Closest is On the Rocks, about ~50 m away.
- 11 places to stay mapped nearby Closest is Creta Mare, about ~60 m away.
- 2 shops nearby, the closest about ~180 m away
What kind of beach is this?
This beach sits in a built-up resort setting, with hotels, restaurants and services clustered around it — a full-service stretch of coast that tends to be busy in peak season and quieter outside it.
Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).
- Full-service days
Is the water clean at Plakias?
Plakias sits on a stretch of coast classed as a coastal bathing site, carrying an official EU Bathing Water rating of Excellent for the 2025 season. Under the EU Bathing Water Directive, national authorities test for intestinal enterococci and E. coli through the season and report the results the following spring — the 2025 rating was published in spring 2026, and 2026's won't follow until spring 2027. In addition to that yearly rating, some national authorities — for Croatia, the national environmental authority — publish individual water sample results during the season itself, ahead of the annual report. It sits in Crete. There's parking about ~40 m from the beach.
That rating has been consistent: every one of the 11 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. If you're timing a visit around water temperature rather than crowds, July–September is the safest bet, with August typically the peak — expect a cooler, calmer sea either side of that stretch. The nearest town, Πλακιάς, is about ~400 m away.
“Excellent” is one point on a four-step scale — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — assigned once per year from that season's water samples, not a live reading. It describes how the site performs on average across the season, not the exact water quality this afternoon; for day-to-day sea conditions, see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above. There are 32 places to eat within a kilometre — On the Rocks is the closest, about ~50 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to go in the water at Plakias?
Yes, without much reservation. Plakias holds the top EU Bathing Water classification, Excellent, for 2025, and 11 of 11 classified seasons here have rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
What is the sea temperature at Plakias today?
Plakias's sea temperature currently sits at around 26°C, based on the latest update — check the “Right now” panel above for the full live picture. That's the reading right off Crete. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When is the best time to swim at Plakias?
For swimming, July–September is usually the best call — that's the modeled window when the sea here runs warmest. That applies to the water around Crete. Within that window, August is typically the single warmest month.
Who measures the water quality rating, and how?
It's based on official water samples: authorities test for intestinal enterococci and E. coli through the season, then report the full-season results to the European Environment Agency each spring, which assigns one of four grades — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor. A few national authorities, including Croatia's IZOR, also publish individual samples during the season itself, ahead of that annual report — that isn't yet available for Plakias.
Is there parking near Plakias?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. There's a ferry landing about ~310 m from the beach. The nearest town is Πλακιάς, about ~400 m away.