<The village and the beach of Ravdoucha or Ravdouha on the Rodopos peninsula on Crete
Ravdoucha is a village on the Rodopos peninsula, about 10 km away from the larger town of Kolimbari. A visit to Ravdoucha can ecellently be combined with a visit to Kolimbari, where you can also take a look at the 17th century Monastery of Gonies. You can also walk through the nearby village of Rodopos with its Roman column and Byzantine church, and then eventually end up in the tavern on the beach of Ravdoucha for a drink or some food and possibly take a cooling dip into the sea.
Ravdoucha is located on the west side of the Rodopos peninsula. It is a village of mostly older stone houses, but also with some newly constructed ones. There is a nice little church on the square that was built in 1897. Ecept for a few kafenions there is not much of facilities available. At Ravdoucha you take the road down which leads to Ravdoucha Beach, which is two kilometers away. And although it is sometimes written that the road is not good, this information is now outdated. The whole stretch to the beach is paved, even if it is not very wide on some places, and here and there it is a bit steep: it's doable.
On the way to Ravdoucha Beach you'll pass by another, larger church (left) and a beautiful old white church with a cemetery (right). Here you can make a stop to enjoy the magnificent view over the Gulf of Kissamos. At this white church there is a fork in the road and here you go further down where after a few hundred meters on the right side of the road you will see the Byzantine church of Agia Marina. It is indicated with a (brown) sign. You walk up the stone stairs to get to the the small church.
In the Byzantine church of Agia Marina are fairly well preserved frescoes of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and saints. Of the image of the face of Jesus only half has survived, but Mary and some saints have stood the test of time better. The church is very small, but definitely worth a look.
After the Agia Marina church the road goes further down and not far from the church down there is another fork in the road. The two signs - if you go right or left - refer to the different beaches of Ravdoucha. You can go to the right in which case you will end up on a beach that is not really beautiful and not very clean. There are some rocks in the sea and there is a sort of pier. There are a few houses and the beach is totally deserted. Here and there the rare and protected white sand lily emerged and you can see its flowers in the sand. Further down the beach the pebbles turn into boulders that get larger and larger.
If you take the road to the left you will drive along a nice church after a few hundred meters. This church is built partially into the rock. Inside is a whole collection of icons and you can burn a candle here. At the end of the road lies the beautiful pebble beach of Ravdoucha.
The beach of Ravdoucha is not large, about 300 meters long, but it's a beautiful sight, with a high cliff at the end and with very clear water. It looked like a lagoon and the water was beautiful in color. Ravdoucha is not a destination where many people will go to, but it was not completely abandoned (although no one was lying on the beach, there were just some people in the tavern). I got the impression that there is a special kind of audience here. People who love peace and quiet, a bit of the alternative kind. The atmosphere was ecellent. The tavern at the beach also rents out rooms and they were busy. Besides the tavern there is nothing at the beach. Anyway, we liked it here very much, certainly a place to return to at another time. What a glorious peace, what a beautiful beach, what a nice atmosphere and what a good food.
On the menu on the Waves on the Rock Taverna are several traditional Greek dishes such as omelettes, various salads, fish, mousaka, spagethi and various appetizers. We wanted to eat but only a little something and we ordered the zucchini balls, tzatziki and saganaki (cheese from the oven). On arrival there was immediately a large jug of water put on the table and we got a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and olives for free. The white house wine is just fine, the bread is crispy, the tzatziki was delicious and the rest is all good as well. The place is also very nice. Afterwards we also get free fruit and a bottle of iced raki.
Our verdict: very nice eperience, a 9 out of 10
Our studios are equipped with kitchen, air condition, hair dryer, parking, seaview. Ravdoucha Beach Studios is the ideal place for someone who is eager to have pleasant and unforgettable vacations.
Located in lush surroundings right on the pebbly beach of Ravdoucha, this family-run property offers air-conditioned studios with balcony overlooking the Cretan Sea. Cretan dishes and fresh fish are served at a tavern 30 metres away. A kitchenette with cooking facilities, fridge and dining table is provided in all studios at the Ravdoucha Beach Studios. Featuring a shower the private bathroom comes with a hair dryer. Kolimvari is 8 km away and has many shops, bars and taverns. Cruises to the Balos Lagoon depart from the small harbour of Kissamos, 15 km away. The famous Falasarna Beach is at a distance of 20 km. Free private parking is possible on site.
Check availabilities and prices & book Ravdoucha Beach Studios - click here.