6 Best Beaches in Crete
Crete has some of the most epic beaches in all of Greece, and a few that are often ranked among some of the best beaches in the world! I loved Crete and it’s beaches. It was my favorite of all the Greek islands I’ve visited.
Crete is huge and there are beaches all around the island. If it’s your first time visiting I recommend basing yourself in Chania or Kissamos, the two cities closest to Crete’s three most famous beaches. All of these beaches are located in Western Crete. There are other nice beaches on the island, but these are definitely the three you want to prioritize!
Head to best beaches in Crete map.
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
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Best Beaches in Crete Map
Balos Beach
Balos is my top beach recommendation in Crete. Balos is honestly out of this world. I can’t even explain how my jaw dropped when I made it to the viewpoint after a treacherous drive and a very muddy hike (more on that below, but RIP to the white sneakers in this photo)
Balos Beach is a shallow lagoon featuring every possible shade of blue you can imagine. There is a large sandbar running through the lagoon that divides the beach into two sides, offering plenty of shallow area for swimming.
The absolute best views of Balos are from the viewpoint (about a ten minute light hike from the parking lot) and about 850 stairs up from the beach itself. This climb (both down and up) is no joke, especially in the Greek heat! You definitely need to be in decent shape to get up and down. They do offer donkey rides for a cost (although I don’t recommend)
In terms of amenities, Balos is a little light. In the peak season there is a beach bar that sells drinks & snacks, although food sells out fast! They also have a small stand in the parking lot, but you probably want to bring a lunch! There are public restrooms on the beach during May-October.
I feel like this adds to the charm of Balos overall, it still feels a bit natural and wild, especially if you visit on the shoulder season. I was there in early April!
Balos is not the easiest place to reach, but it is honestly so worth the trip and I recommend prioritizing it on any trip to Crete. See details below for getting there and where to stay.
Getting to Balos Beach
As I mentioned getting to Balos can be a bit of an adventure. The two main options for getting there are driving your rental car or taking an organized cruise to Balos from Kissamos. Both options have their pros and cons.
Driving to Balos Beach
On my most recent trip to Balos I drove my rental car to the beach. It was early April and the boats weren’t actually running yet, so I didn’t have many options! The nearest town to Balos is Kissamos, which is about 35 minutes from Chania. Kissamos is also where the boats to Balos depart from.
The ride from Chania to Kissamos is easy and mostly highway. Once you get outside of Kissamos towards Balos beach you’ll have to purchase a ticket (1 euro) to access Balos. This is where the road becomes a dirt road for the 6.5km (4 miles) up the mountain to the parking lot for Balos.
I read a lot of mixed reviews on the conditions and safety of this road, but seeing as the boats weren’t running and I really wanted to visit I didn’t have many options. I tried to take as many videos as I safely could. See video of the most narrow part of the road above. The scariest part was that the mountainside on the right had falling rocks because it had rained on my way up.
TLDR: The road isn’t that narrow or windy but it is VERY rocky, and insurance won’t cover damage to rentals on an un-paved road, so drive very slow! I went comically slow haha.
There are no guardrails for the majority of the ride, but I wasn’t worried about that, in most places the road was quite wide. Also, I went early, so almost no cars were coming down while I was going up. If you’re scared of heights you might disagree on it not being too bad!
My tiny little rental car was fine (as were the many others that I saw at the top of the mountain) so I think as long as you go slow you shouldn’t have to worry about driving.
It took me about 45 minutes to get up (I really was going so slow) I also was driving during a crazy thunderstorm, if the weather was nicer you could go much faster. I was mostly nervous about getting a flat tire.
To see more videos of the drive click here!
Pros of Driving:
- You can go early or late to avoid the crowds
- You can stay as long as you want
- The best view of Balos is from the viewpoint near the parking lot (so even if you take the boat you’ll want to climb up for the view!)
Taking the Ferry/Boat to Balos Beach
An easier option for reaching Balos is taking the ferry, although it offers less flexibility and is not an option year round.
The ferry saves you the hassle of the drive and worrying about your rental car & has a bar where you can purchase food & drinks all day. The cruise also stops at Gramvousa in addition to Balos, allowing you to see a second place.
Gramvousa is a small island where you’ll have an hour and a half to explore the infamous church, historical Venetian fortress and view the lonely shipwreck on the beach.
After Gramvousa you’ll head to Balos, where you’ll have two and a half hours to explore. I highly recommend still making the climb up to the viewpoint, even though the boat brings you right into the lagoon itself. The viewpoint is really the best part!
Tickets:
Can be purchases either directly through the company here. 29Euro for adults and 14 Euro for kids under 12.
You can also book with hotel pickup through Viator here.
Times: Cruises depart twice daily at 10:10AM and 12:40PM and last about 7 hours.
Departures: The boat departs from the Port of Kissamos. Details can be found here.
Other Options for Getting to Balos Beach
- chartering a private boat given that I was traveling solo this was a bit out of my price range, but is a cool option for a group!
- There are also some guided Jeep tour options that usually include Balos and Falasarna in a small group in an off road vehicle!
Where to Stay Balos Beach
Reaching Balos is easiest from Kissamos, but you can also stay in Chania (35 minutes from Kissamos.)
I spent a night in Kissamos on my most recent trip and really enjoyed it. I stayed at the Nautilus Bay Hotel and cannot recommend it enough! It’s such good value for your money. I paid $100 a night for a king bed with ocean views. The hotel is modern, clean, has a private beach, pool, beachside bar, free parking & more!
In Chania I recommend:
Corinna Mare Hotel is a great beachfront hotel featuring two swimming pools, an on site restaurant, parking, and apartment style accommodations in addition to regular hotel rooms. It’s also only a ten minute drive from Old Town Chania, which can also be reached by local bus.
Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection For a more upscale option, this 5 star adults only resort is my top recommendation!
Elafonisi Beach
Elafonis was my second favorite beach in Crete. This large beach featuring pink sand, crystal clear blue waters & a stunning mountain backdrop is a can’t miss in my opinion!
The landscape of Elafonisi is also super unique as the tide goes in and out and it forms small pools and sandbars, making it a fun place to explore. Elafonisi is also huge, so even if it’s crowded, there is a ton of beach to spread out on!
Elafonisi is a bit farther from major cities than Balos or Falasarna, but it’s easier to drive to than Balos! I highly recommend a trip to Elafonisi if you’re in Crete. It also can be combined with Falasarna if you want to spend half the day at each beach (I did this on my most recent trip!)
Elafonisi has a few amenities, during the high season you’ll find a few pop up beach bar/snack shack type areas, but this area is still mostly unspoiled by mass tourism, which I love!
Getting to Elafonisi Beach
There are a few options for getting to Elafonisi from Chania (the closest major city) Generally, renting a car is your best option. The drive is about 90 minutes and isn’t too bad. If you’re visiting during the high season, you can also take a guided tour from Chania.
Driving to Elafonisi
The drive to Elafonisi from Chania isn’t too bad. It takes about an hour and a half and a lot of it is on major, well maintained highways. The last 45 minutes or so of the drive as you start to near Elafonisi gets a bit more challenging.
During this drive you’ll be going up and down the mountains of Crete, so you’ll encounter a lot of hairpin turns on narrow roads. These weren’t too challenging, but the roads do get REALLY narrow as you pass through the small villages that dot the roads. This is where it becomes difficult with cars going in both directions.
The roads weren’t too busy when I went during shoulder season, so I didn’t feel too worried, but if you’re a nervous driver, or not familiar with driving in mountains I would be careful! Luckily most of the rental cars are small!
Bus Tour from Chania to Elafonisi
If you don’t have a car or don’t want to deal with the stress of driving, there are guided tour options during the summer season! These are all day tours that also include a stop at the Agia Sofia caves and church on the way to Elafonisi. You get 4 hours to enjoy at the beach!
This is also a good option if you want to enjoy a few drinks with those Elafonisi views on your trip!
Where to Stay Elafonisi Beach
The area around Elafonisi is mostly unspoiled by tourism, so there are currently not many hotel or even restaurant options in this area! There are a few smaller motel/apartment style places that rent rooms, but generally I’d recommend staying in Chania
Falasarna Beach
Of the three most infamous beaches in West Crete, Falasarna is easily the most accessible & offers the most amenities. That being said, it was the least impressive of the three. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beauitful! But Balos and Elafonisi are unlike anywhere I’ve ever been, and Falasarna didn’t have that wow factor.
Falasarna, being the most accesible, did offer the most in terms of amenities on the beach and nearby. There’s a few great beach bars on Falasarna, also there are tons of great restaurants in the area. I had some of my best meals in that area! See my post on best restaurants in Falasarna here.
Getting to Falasarna Beach
As I mentioned, Falasarna is the easiest to reach. The roads to Falasarna are infinitely less intimidating the Balos or Elafonisi. It’s also a quicker ride. From Chania it’s about an hour, and from Kissamos, it’s only twenty minutes!
Where to Stay Falasarna Beach
Falsarna does have a few hotels in the area, most offering great cliffside ocean views of the sunset. It’s the perfect place to stay if you’re looking for a quiet beach getaway. Falasrna gets very low key at night and there isn’t much to do in terms of nightlife. If you’re looking for beach and nightlife I recommend staying in Chania and daytripping to beaches!
Adam Apartments
Great beachfront rooms with air conditioning, free parking and a restaurant on site. Each room features epic coastal and sunset views!
Alki villas Luxury Villas
Hotel offering great pool overlooking Falasarna beach & those epic Crete sunsets!
Hotel Plakures
Casual, clean hotel with a lovely pool and Falasarna views!
Other Best Beaches in Crete
I recommend prioritizing the three beaches above and sticking to Western Crete if it’s your first trip, but if you have more time to explore Crete there are tons of other great beach options around the island. Some of my suggestions are:
Kommos Beach
Kommos is a lovely, quiet beach in Southern Crete. It’s located about an hour south of Crete’s capitol, Heraklion. Kommos beach is large and will never seem very crowded, no matter how many people are there. It’s pretty bare in terms of amenities as it’s located near an important archaeological site and building is prohibited in much of the area.
Kommos is also an epic place to catch the sunset in Crete. It’s also located right near Matala, another popular beach in Crete.
Vai Beach
One of the best beaches to visit in Eastern Crete. It’s surrounded by a palm forest, very unique in Europe. This beach tends to get super crowded and is popular for watersports. The forest itself is very unique and worth a visit on your way to or from the beach!
Sitia is the nearest major city and it’s about a 30 minute drive to Vai beach. Get there early during peak season to ensure you can get a parking spot!
Plakias Beach
Plakias is another great beach option. It’s located in Southern Crete, about an hour and a half from Chania and 35 minutes from Rethymno. It’s a popular tourist resort area of Crete. The large, sandy beach offers a lot of space for tourists to spread out along the coast of the Libyan sea with the Cretan mountains serving as a stunning background to the North.
This area offers quite a few amenities in terms of cafes, tavernas, restrooms, beach rentals, etc.
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