Crete is an ideal summer destination for many travelers because it is the largest and most populous of all the Greek islands! Crete has an elongated island shape that is over 260km from one side of the island to the other with various mountains, valleys, gorges, rivers and lakes throughout the entire island. There are numerous small surrounding islands that are environmentally protected. What's more, are the beautiful beaches on the island of Crete!
If you're looking to plan your summer beach hopping plans, look no further than this beach guide! We will give you information, tips, and tricks about the top 10 best beaches in Crete! The ten best beaches include:
- Balos
- Elafonissi
- Vai
- Falassarna
- Preveli
- Matala
- Rodakino
- Plakias
- Tympaki
- Istro
Balos
Location:
Balos is in the region of Chania on the northwestern side of Crete. It can be reached easily by car through a track road (around 60km away) from Kissamos or by a boat departure from Chania Town or Kissamos.
Beach Features:
Visitors seeing Balos for the first time will be quick to note the tranquil, exotic waters, soft white sand and huge island with a castle on top. Balos Beach is special because the tides of the beach form a lagoon with shallow and warm waves. There is also a distinct "pink" sand because of the abundance of broken shells. There are no hotels or hostels directly on the beach, but there are plenty in the town of Kissamos.
TAKE A BREAK FROM BEACHING & EXPLORE CRETE: CRETE SAFARI EXPERIENCE
Crete hides so many treasures that it would be a shame if you left without exploring them. In order to do that without breaking a sweat, we highly recommend you taking a tour. Of course, you don't need to make any research, cause we found the best safari tour company for you and it's called Safari Crete Experience. These lovely guys offer their expertise to the visitors of Crete, showing places that they would never think to visit otherwise. And, if you think that you will find things to do in Crete like a local, other than the mainstream, with a Google Search, then you will definitely reconsider after doing so. So, pack your stuff and get ready for an experience of a lifetime!
Elafonissi
Location:
Elafonissi is also located in the region of Chania, but on the southwestern side of Crete.
Beach Features:
Elafonissi is distinct from other islands because of it's beautiful white and pink sand and hovering cedar trees on the coast that provide natural shade. This beach is good for families that have children who just want to run around and explore the area, but also for couples who want to enjoy basking in sunbeds with umbrellas. Especially for kids, there is a shallow lagoon area! Even though the beach is extremely popular, because of its massive size, it is always quiet. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and accommodations walking distance away.
Vai
Location:
Vai Beach is located on the northeastern side of Crete in a region called Lassithi and can be reached by car or motorbike.
Beach Features:
Vai is unique because it is home to the largest palm tree forest in Europe, which has over 5000 trees in it. It even used to be a free camping location and a favorite for families since there was an abundance of soft sand, clear water and natural shade. However, now there is a small fee for camping. There is a restaurant, beach and nude beach within walking distance.
Falassarna
Location:
In the region of Chania near the small town of Kissamos lies Falassarna, on the western side of Crete.
Beach Features:
This beach is ideal for family and adventure seekers! There are many organized activities and soft sand for building sandcastles and holding contests. There is also facilities for windsurfing, snorkeling and boating activities. For history lovers, there is an archaeological site of Ancient Falassarna directly above the beach. Because the beach is facing the West side, there are often plenty of waves, making it more difficult for swimming activities.
SAFARI TOURS: EXPERIENCES OF A LIFETIME
There are currently 6 excursions and tours which you can attend and they are all equally breathtaking. They all last 7 to 8 hours, except the Wine Safari Tour that lasts 6 to 7 hours. If you want to explore the not-so-popular side of Crete, you must take the Hidden Gems Tour. It's the perfect tour for nature lovers, starting from Agios Nikolaos, while going through Istron Village and a couple of gorgeous beaches. Highlights of the tour include passing by the oldest olive tree in the world, passing by an amazing trail within the gorge and talking through the picturesque, traditional village of Tourloti.
The Unknown Crete Tour is another exceptional tour that introduces you to the most historical places of Crete. The tour starts with a stop at the village of Kritsa, a renowned village featuring various religious monuments. Then comes a scenic drive to Katharo Plateau, through which you can see goats, sheep and, sometimes, Cretan vultures. Highlights of the tour include beautiful views over Mira a Belo Gulf, cooling off at Sarakina Gorge, and the last stop at Myrtos Village.
The Hippie Beach Tour starts from Heraklion to Matala, where all of 1960' hippies used to hang out. Highlights of this tour include visit at the palace of Phaistos, the scenic route towards Matala, and the caves where the hippies used to live. Last but not least, you will love the Wine Safari Tour, through which you will discover the history of wine in Crete, as well as various cellars and wineries in Heraklion and Peza. You can even ask to stay in a suite inside of a winery!
Preveli
Location:
In the small region of Rethymno lies Preveli beach. It is close to Plakias but requires driving or a boat to reach it. However, there is a large car park for free, but visitors will still need to walk down 400 steps to reach the beach.
Beach Features:
This beach hosts tons of water sports and is a fantastic place to swim as it is a river flowing into the sea, providing seclusion and safety in small water regions. There are also many palm trees providing natural shade and coverage from the sun. here is also a snackbar at the beach level from the months of April to September.
Matala
Location:
Matala is near the region of Heraklion where many excursions for Crete depart from. It takes around 3 hours by car to get from the North side near Heraklion and Hersonissos to drive there, but the drive itself is beautiful and will give a scenic tour of Crete. There is ample parking that is free near Matala beach!
Beach Features:
Matala is home to numerous caves that were made to be explored! It used to be a famous place for hippies, but is now a perfect family vacation destination. There is a beautiful seaside village and a long and organized beach with plenty of activities. Near the beach is also a sea-side market with plenty of shopping, restaurants and bars to check out.
Rodakino
Location:
Rodakino is in the region of Rethymno and close to the popular village of Plakias.
Beach Features:
This beach is plenty of amenities such as sunbeds, umbrellas and accommodation to stay in such as taverns and apartments. There is also amazing soft sand and crystal waters making it perfect for families and couples alike.
Plakias
Location:
Near the southern side of Rethymo, lies a tourist town called Plakias that has many tourist facilities.
Beach Features:
Plakias beach is situated directly in front of the village where there is plenty of sand, clear water, but most importantly, mountains all around. There are also plenty of sunbeds, umbrellas, hotels, restaurants and shopping in the area! P.S. This is a nude beach so be prepared!
CRETE EXCURSIONS & OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: SEA, LAND & IN-BETWEEN
Your Crete exploration will not be limited to the tours referred above. You can also enjoy a series of wonderful activities, as well as some thrilling excursions. From the activities, you can try sea kayaking in Spinalonga, Poseidon, the passage from Elounda to Tsifliki, or pass under the bridge of ormos in Agios Nikolaos. Or, you could try trekking in one of Crete's wonderful forests and gorges like Kroustas Forest, Adrianos Gorgle, Kritsa Forest & Gorge, and Kavousi Minoan Path. The more adventurous can go climbing at Peza.
Among the excursions, you can choose between sea, land and multi (mix). For the Sea Excursion, you will love the Chrissi Island Cruise that starts from the port of Ierapetra and ends at Chrissi Island. Highlights of the cruise include including at a pristine, white-sand beach and enjoying a rich lunch tailor-made for you. From the land excursions, you are given 3 choices: The Stone Roads, Sea Breeze and Cool, and Minoan Paths for Wine Enthusiasts.
Tympaki
Location:
This beach is tucked away in the southern side of Heraklion region. It is located between two large tourist destinations of Matala and Agia Galini, meaning many excursions will deport from this location.
Beach Features:
Tympaki has beautiful waters and sandy and pebbled beaches. There are also many organized beach features such as sunbeds, umbrellas and water sport equipment.
Istro
Istro is close to the town of Agios Nikolaos in the region of Lassithi.
Beach Features:
This is the ideal place to swim because of the relaxing environment and small crowds. It is a large beach, so there are definitely places for privacy and places more crowded.
We hope this guide was informative and got you excited about all the beautiful beaches there are to visit in Crete!