Agia Pelagia is one of the coastal gems of Crete. Located a mere 20 kilometres away from the island’s capital of Heraklion, Agia Pelagia is the perfect starting point for touring Crete if seeing the sights is your goal for visiting the island. Nonetheless, if what you want is to have some time for relaxation and personal enjoyment, you can have it and more at Agia Pelagia.
The resort town of Agia Pelagia is situated on the shore, with its whitewashed buildings built along the slopes of the hills rising from the bay. The bay itself is protected, flanked on the east side by the Ligaria Cove and on the west side by the Mononaftis Bay. The view of the town as you approach it from the national highway coming from Heraklion is nothing short of picturesque.
History of Agia Pelagia
The Sea and Agia Pelagia
Agia pelagia the Sea
The main attraction that Agia Pelagia holds for tourists to Crete is the sea. Because the town lies on a protected bay, the sea remains calm and clear even on truly windy days. Embracing the sea is the Agia Pelagia beach made of fine sand, with a paved walkway meandering across it to allow visitors and residents a comfortable path for strolling the seaside.
Agia Pelagia has always had a special relationship with the sea. Before it became a resort town, the residents relied mainly on fishing and sea trading. The town as it is today – a haven for tourists in Crete – only began its transformation as a vacation spot in 1965.
Today, the sea is still the primary crowd-drawer of Agia Pelagia. Most of the best taverns, cafes and bars in town can be found by the seafront, allowing patrons to enjoy the view of the sea and to bask in its moods while having a meal or a drink or simply resting their feet.
For visitors wanting to experience the excitement of water sports in Crete, Agia Pelagia is the best place to engage in it. The sea at Agia Pelagia is perfect, not just for swimming, but also for jet skiing, canoeing and wind-surfing.
Travelling to Agia Pelagia
As mentioned above, Agia Pelagia is only 20 kilometres away from Heraklion, a short drive to and from the city by car. The town is also served by a public bus system.
How to get from Heraklion to Agia Pelagia
Because of its convenient location, Agia Pelagia can be a getaway for tourists who want to have some fun at the beach but without totally leaving the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Heraklion. The distance of the town from Heraklion also allows visitors to travel easily to the famous archaeological sites of Crete, particularly the Palace of Knossos.
If all you want for your vacation is to rest and relax in a place that will offer you a semblance of peace and serenity but without forsaking comfort and convenience, Agia Pelagia remains to be the perfect place to go to.
The weather in Agia Pelagia
How is the weather in Agia Pelagia? Just like the rest of Crete, Agia Pelagia enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate. This means that the weather in Agia Pelagia is typically hot and dry during summer while mild and rainy in the winter months.
Summer weather in Agia Pelagia
Summer in Agia Pelagia falls on the months of June to September. The weather in Agia Pelagia is hottest from June to August, the peak of the summer months. The temperature at these months range between 29°C to 38°C. Rainfall is rare on these months and the air can be truly dry. The heat during these months, however, is tempered by the breeze coming from the sea.
The weather in Agia Pelagia begins to cool towards the end of September. Though the sea is still warm enough for swimming, the temperature begins to drop at this time and falls between 23°C to 29°C. An occasional drizzle can be experienced, although straight days of rainfall are still uncommon during this period.
Winter weather in Agia Pelagia
AGIA PELAGIA WEATHER
Cold weather in Agia Pelagia starts in late November. There are more rainy days beginning this month and the air becomes chilly. The temperature at this time falls between 17°C to 26°C.
Agia Pelagia experiences winter from December to January. However, it rarely snows in Agia Pelagia, and the temperature hardly ever drops below zero. Winters in Agia Pelagia are more characterized by rainy weather, with continuous rains sometimes lasting a stretch of a day or two.
The rainiest months in Agia Pelagia are in February. Continuous and un-breaking rain-showers are common during this month. But by the end of February, the weather in Agia Pelagia slowly warms up again in time for summer.