Preveli

Preveli tickets: which one to buy

The Monastery of Preveli stands on a cliff above the Libyan Sea on the south coast of Crete, about forty kilometres south of Rethymno, and a small admission is charged, including the museum. It is one of the most historic monasteries in Crete, famous for its role in the island's struggles for freedom. A car is the easiest way to reach it, along a winding road through the Kourtaliotiko gorge.

Visitors often combine the monastery with Preveli Beach, a famous beach with a palm forest at the mouth of the Megalopotamos river, reached by a steep path from a car park or by boat from Plakias and Agia Galini. The ruins of the lower monastery, Kato Preveli, stand beside the road. The monastery is active, with a few monks, and visitors should dress modestly; wraps are available. Boats from Plakias to Preveli Beach run in summer and avoid the steep walk down from the car park.

Visiting Preveli: what to see

The monastery, dedicated to Saint John the Theologian, was founded probably in the sixteenth century, and its present buildings date largely from the nineteenth century. It has long been a centre of Cretan resistance. During the Cretan revolts against Ottoman rule in the nineteenth century, the monks supported the rebels, and the monastery was attacked and burned. During the Second World War, after the German invasion of Crete in 1941, the monks hid British, Australian and New Zealand soldiers and helped organise their evacuation by submarine from the beach below; a memorial near the monastery honours them. The church holds a venerated cross, said to contain a piece of the True Cross. The museum displays icons, vestments and historical objects. The terrace and courtyard offer views over the sea, and a fountain in the courtyard has an inscription from 1701.

The monastery's church has a carved wooden iconostasis and old icons. The courtyard's fountain carries an inscription and a carved cross. The museum's collection includes silver crosses, manuscripts and priestly vestments. The monastery's walls rise above the cliff, with small windows facing the sea. A memorial statue shows a monk and a soldier holding a rifle, recalling the wartime rescue. The monastery's farm buildings produce olive oil and honey. The terrace offers views of the coast and the Libyan Sea. Goats graze on the hillsides around the monastery. Kato Preveli's ruins include a stone bridge and old walls. The palm forest at the river mouth is one of the few in Europe. The river forms a pool where visitors can swim. The monks welcome visitors and pilgrims.

Preveli opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery is open daily, with a break in the afternoon and shorter hours in winter. Summer is hot, and Preveli Beach is crowded in July and August, when the path down is exposed to the sun. Spring and autumn are the best seasons. The feast of Saint John the Theologian on 8 May brings celebrations. Allow about forty-five minutes for the monastery and museum, and walk down to Preveli Beach, bringing water and good shoes. Plakias, a small resort about twenty minutes' drive west, has a long sandy beach and boats to Preveli Beach.