The spot
Plakias... a place for beginners, advanced learners and for everybody who cannot get enough...
Plakias is located in the south of Crete, 35 km from Rethymnon.
Plakias bay is oriented towards southwest, situated at the southern edge of a mountain range. Two gorges (Kourtalioti and Kotsifu gorge) lead through the mountains, acting as jets for the Meltemi and multiplying its intensity. Therefore, winds are strong here quite frequently, between 3 and 9 bft.* (see the wind table below), blowing side- to offshore. During winter and on few days in summer, there is south wind with up to 4 bft., bringing along larger surf waves.
* wind speed is measured in Beaufort (bft.), ranging from calm to hurricane forces (Beaufort scale from 0 to 12)
Wind table
This table shows the number of days per month with wind speeds above 4 bft.
| Year / month | May | June | July | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 13 |
11 |
19 |
17 |
10 |
10 |
| 2005 | 10 |
10 |
20 |
15 |
8 |
9 |
| 2006 | 15 |
20 |
22 |
20 |
15 |
12 |
