Villages called Platanos are not uncommon in Crete (and Greece as a whole). Platanos actually means "plane tree" after the tree that you regularly see on Crete. The village of Platanos I describe here lies in southern Crete on the border of of the Lassithi and the Heraklion district. It can be reached via an exit in Timbaki and then through the village of Klima to the north (in this case you drive through the village itself and go up), or via a junction on the route between Agia Galini and Timbaki (via Apodoulo and Vathiako). In the village there are a number of churches, including a fairly large one on the top of the village and a smaller old one in a square below in the village. The latter is the most interesting one. In the facade above the door is a sculptured "skull". The big church on the top of the village has a large bell tower.

In Platanos there are a number of war memorials that remember the First and Second World War. New houses that look recently painted are interchanged by old dilapidated buildings. Many of the houses have pots of flowers standing in the front and there are some fruit trees. In the village there is a mini market and there is a kafenion / grill house.