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Top 3+1 beaches in Crete (West)

You must see these beaches in Crete

TOP 3+1 beaches in Crete (West)

You know… In every holiday destinations, there are sights, natural or human-made wonders, which if they were not visited during your holiday it would be like to miss the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Acropolis in Athens, or the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

And if you travel to a big island like Crete, the number of places you put on your „must see” list will undoubtedly multiply, and since we’re talking about a paradise with more than 1000 km of coastline, it’s no surprise that you can’t set a limit to sort the turquoise beaches.

But can be one vacation enough to explore all the bays and all the colorful beaches in Crete, or is it better to make a selection in advance?

If your time is limited, I recommend you to start with Crete’s top-listed beaches and get to those beaches that you might seen in the travel brochure before you chose your holiday to Crete.

Here are 3 + 1 beaches in Crete (West) which you would really regret to miss

To make your life easier, I will also give you a few extra tips how to discover them

1. Elafonisi

The world-famous Elafonisi, which shines sometimes in white and sometimes in pink, is guaranteed to make your eyes sparkle, but in fact, even the journey will write itself into the book of your Cretan adventures.

You can reach the lagoon traveling from northern Crete to the southwestern corner of the island while you’re crossing tiny Greek villages and dancing beside deep gorges.

You’ll walk through the ankle-deep water, and you will find yourself in a nature reserve of the Natura 2000 program, in a small island, which is Elafonisi itself. Check the map here to see where you can find Elafonisi.

How to get to Elafonisi?

By rented car (Click for renting a car)
By organised excursion wich is the easiest way if you don't have a car (Click for excursion here)
By public bus from Chania if you don't mind the rare number of running busses and the doubt if the bus will really come

MyCCollage tips to visit Elafonisi

When you arrive and leave the parking don't stop at the organised beach area with umbrellas. Walk across the lagoon and explore the less touched island. You'll find less touristic bays with more pink sand.
If you don't mind the heat walk all the way to the end of the island and climb to the top of the hill. You'll find a small chapel and you can see all of Elafonisi from there.
Be prepared with umbrella (better if you have beach canopy), because it can be a challenge to find shaded places in the beach.
If you have a rented car, arrive in the afternoon/evening hours, when there are less tourists and you can even enjoy an amazing sunset at the end of the island.

2. Balos lagoon

I can only mention Balos and Elafonisi on the same page, and this caribbean paradise is one of the favorites of beach lovers.

In the largest part of the lagoon, you can wander in the ankle-deep sea and if you’re lucky, you can even sink your feet into the pink sand.

Like Elafonisi, Balos is also a nature reserve and that’s the reason why is it waiting for you just with a few parasols and with a small beach bar. The West Cretan wonder is considered one of the top in the world and attracts millions of tourists in each year. Check the map here to see where you can find Balos.

How to get to Balos?

MyCCollage tips to visit Balos

Choose a less windy day, because if a strong wind dominates the area, you'll not enjoy your day as you could.
If you are going with a rented car, take a jeep which is better suited to the road conditions, and in this case go early in the morning or late at afternoon. (Because of the less number of tourists, because it's easier to find a parking lot, and because you don't have to climb the mountain in the heat.)
Choose the private boat tour, which will allow you to reach the lagoon in a short time, you'll avoid many tourists, and you can also explore the underwater world of Balos by snorkeling around your boat.

3. Falassarna

Would you like to keep the exotic beaches as your priority, but are you prefer a larger and therefore less crowded beach? Visit Falasarna and enjoy the foam of the azure sea in this spectacular paradise.

Try adrenaline-pumping water sports, or sit down in a family tavern and while enjoying the beauty of the coast, nibble from the tasty Greek dishes.

Check the map here to see where you can find Falassarna.

How to get to Falassarna?

MyCCollage tips to visit Falassarna

Choose a less windy day, because if the beach has red flag and there are big waves, it'll be not possible to enter the sea
Be active and move from the big Falassarna beach to the smaller one in order to find more relaxed bays
Watch sunset in Falassarna. It is said that it has one of the most beautiful in Crete
Kill two birds with one stone: Go from Falassarna to Balos and after your private boat excursion you can continue your beach time in Falassarna. (Click for a private boat trip here.)

+1. Seitan Limani

My personal favorite, but once you see this beach, you’ll might have the same oppinion.

Seitan Limani, means Satan’s harbour, may even remind you of the shipwrecked Navaggio Bay of Zakynthos, and although there are no wrecks here, the contrast of the sea breaking its way between the small white pebbles and red rocks forms a bright blue bay that will almost dazzle your eyes.

The beach is small, so it can be crowded on summer days, but the wonderful view and the goats, who make sure to not to get bored on the beach will compensate it.

Check the map here to see where you can find Seitan Limani.

How to get to Seitan Limani?

MyCCollage tips to visit Seitan Limani

If you walk from the parking (so you're by car or public bus) keep a pair of sneakers with you and wear it while you're climbing down to the beach
Even if you want to skip the hike you can go to the parking just to see the view of the beach and take some nice photos
Take some food and drink because the beach isn't organised. You may find a greek to sell water and beer but it's also not sure.
Don't be surprised if you can find place for your towel just between the rocks. In the summer time it's almost every day crowded here.

Are you interested in similar tips for your holiday in Crete? How to travel to Crete? Where to stay in the island? What to do? What to eat and which secret places don’t miss?

As they said...

Crete Guide

Travel to Crete

Make it easy with your Crete Guide

How to get to Crete? Where to stay? What about the weather? Which is the best period of the year to visit the island?

Your holiday planning begs several questions just find the time to answer all of them. Planning my first trip to Crete caused me a great puzzlement. I didn’t even have an idea where I should stay. I was searching on the Internet for days before everything felt into place, and even so there were quite a few questions to remain.

Oh, I wish I had a little Crete Guide to tell me where to start to plan my holiday in Crete. Fortunately, it will be easier for you, because below you can find the most basic informations to the biggest Greek island that will help you before packing. Check them to not get unpleasant surprises during your vacation.

How to get to Crete?

You have more than a wide range of options which you can choose for your Cretan holiday and either you decide to take the airplane or the ferry boat to come to Crete, you’ll have also the opportunity to decide in which part of the island you want to step first.

Crete has 3 airports: in Heraklion, in Chania and in Sitia.

Sitia is just working with domestic flights but the 2 biggest airports, Heraklion and Chania serve also for international planes. In the peak-season, from May to November, many international flights are landing in Crete but is doesn’t mean that in other period of the year you can’t visit the island easily. From the mainland of Greece, especially from Athens and Thessaloniki there are many flights which can be good choice even if the Cretan summer is over. In addition, the island has 3 ports Heraklion, Chania and Rethymno and they are connected to the mainland with several ferries.

The most common way to come to Crete from the mainland is to use the Piraeus port as departure port and arrive in Heraklion or Chania (Souda) within a 9-hours sailing. Ticket prices for ferries and flights between the mainland of Greece and the island of Crete are very similar in the last years.

Where to stay in Crete and how to decide about it?

Considering the size of the island, it is worth choosing the accommodation according to which sights and beaches you would definitely like to visit during your holiday. (Some ideas for sights you can check also here.)

Getting from one side of the island to the other and back (west-east direction) can take up to half a day and you probably don’t want to sit in your car so long instead of enjoying the beautiful nature and monuments of Crete.

North-and South Crete

North and South Crete are different and it can help you also to decide what the best is for you.

If you know that you prefer more touristically developed resorts, the northern part of the island will be definitely more attractive for you, but if you are more a fun of the authentic, less frequented areas, you will find more secluded, hidden gems in south.

East Crete

The eastern side of the island is home of the island’s capital, Heraklion and many holiday resorts and nightlife paradises are situated here. They could be good choice if you vote for typical touristic areas with a wide range of services.

Western Crete

The western side of the island is dedicated to the old Venetian towns, like Rethymno and Chania and the mass tourism is less developed here compared to the east.

Lively holiday towns you will also find here and this is the place from where it is the most easiest to discover Crete’s most beautiful beaches.

Additional useful information

Weather in Crete

Crete’s size and topography allow you to enjoy the benefits of several climates without to leave the island. While you can sunbathe in the Mediterranean climate in the north and in most parts of the island, in the south you taste the heat of North Africa, despite the fact that you still haven’t left Europe. In general, the summer on the island is hot and dry, while the winter is mild, the northern areas have more rain, and snowfall occurs only in the higher elevations.

The warmest months are July and August, with an average temperature of 20-30 degrees, while the coldest month is January, but the average temperature does not fall below 10 degrees. When you choose the date of your holiday in terms of weather, it largely depends on what exactly you want to do during your trip. The hot summer months are not exactly for sightseeing tours and visit monuments, but anyone who thinks that an October vacation is not suitable for bathing is also wrong.

The sea temperature reaches 20 degrees even in November, and although the number of rainy days may be more compared to the summer months, this period is suitable for discovering the island’s beauties.

Wind is not an unknown phenomenon on the island, but the famous Meltemi wind typical of the summer months cools the air rather than disrupting our beach vacation.

Language in Crete

The official language is Greek, but English is spoken in almost all resorts, and the menus of restaurants and taverns are also multilingual. There are also many places where German and French are also understood, but they are not the first foreign languages.

Currency, payment, tipping

The official currency of the country is the Euro and because there are not a high number of exchange offices it may easier to make the exchange in your home country. (Banks in Crete make also exchange.)

Bank cards are accepted in most places, supermarkets, shops, taverns, restaurants, and major bus stations, but the locals still prefer to pay in cash, for which they often offer also a discount.

ATMs can be found in many places and depending on the bank and the amount, the fee for withdrawing cash can range from €2-4. (+home banking costs)

There are restaurants where the price of the service is added to the bill, but it is more typical that you decide about the tip, which is generally around 5-10% and is accepted by the locals with great pleasure due to the low salaries. Not only in restaurants, but also for bus drivers and tour guides, it is typical to thank them for their kindness with a tip.

Is it safe?

The island’s public safety is basically good, especially compared to the Greek capital, but you should pay attention to your values in any case, especially on the crowded beach. If the accommodation has a safe, take advantage of it. In any case, it is worth making a photo or photocopy of your documents and keeping this with you instead of the original document.

Drinking water and health

It’s said that it’s better to avoid the tap water generally in Greece although the tap water in Crete is drinkable but because of its disinfection with chemicals may not taste first for those who are not used to drink it. But even if it’s so Greeks and me too drink the tap water in Crete for years without any problem.

If you decide to not try the Cretan tap water you’ll always have the chance to buy mineral water from the supermarket and its price is usually lower than in other European countries.

Several towns on the island, mainly along the northern coast, have hospitals and/or doctors’ offices, and there are pharmacies in every corner, where pharmacists can also provide professional help in case of minor health problems.

Toilets

You’ll not find public toilets often in the island but luckily many restaurants and cafes allow you to use their toilets even if you are not their guest. But if it’s so don’t forget to say them thank you and if you leave them some Euro as well they will appreciate it more than you can imagine.

As in all parts of Greece also in Crete you can’t flush paper down the toilet. The narrow sewage system can’t cope with paper waste and even if you’re in a 5-Star hotel where it should work well it can easily clog and even if it’ll be unstopped the bad smell of the room will remind you for the accident for hours.

Plug Types and Electrical Output

You can find 2 plug types in Crete: „C” and „F” which are the same with many European countries. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.

Driving

To drive in Crete you need a valid driving license but an international driving license is no longer required in Greece however be aware to hold a valid ID/Passport with photo if you want to rent a car.

Although from the age of 18 it is possible to drive in Crete, most of the car rental companies do not allow or just allow with extra risk to drive under the age of 21.

In Crete you drive on the right and as an unspoken rule it’s is also true that slow driver try to pull onto the hard shoulder to let the faster pass by.

Seatbelt in the car, helmet on a motorcycle, moped, scooter, or quadbike is required and because of the conditions of the rental car companies the consumption of alcohol when you drive is not allowed. (Even if the legal blood alcohol limit is 0,5 gr of alcohol per liter of blood.)

Since you can’t get far with a small motorbike or quad and there are long distances in the island the best idea and the most comfortable way to explore Crete is to rent a car.

What kind of clothes should you take to Crete?

If you visit Crete in the summer months, you should mainly focus on your beach clothes, and not on your warm clothes, but when packing, pay attention to what programs you will be participating in.

For hiking, but also often for going down to steep-to shore, you will need suitable footwear, hiking boots, at least sneakers suitable for that, and a light, waterproof wind jacket can be good going through gorges or sitting in a boat.

Not only the tourists, but also the Greeks pay a lot of attention to their clothing when they visit taverns in the evening hours, so we can put one or two summery but more elegant clothes in our suitcase.

The necessary accessories for the beach, such as hats, watershoes, beach clothes, snorkelling equipment, sunscreen, sun oil, can also be purchased in the island for an affordable price, but pay attention also to not leave your sunglasses at home because you’ll definitely need it due to the strong UV radiation and wind.

What about the beaches in Crete?

Many of Crete’s beaches are blue flagged, and since the entire island has more than 1,000 km of coastline, it’s not worth sitting in just one of the several beaches. Some beaches are pebbly and sandy; others have fine sand, while you can also swim on rocky shores at any time.

In almost all cases, you have to pay for the parasol and sunbed, if not otherwise, with mandatory consumption in the beach bar or restaurant which owns the beach articles.

In the heat, you will need shade, so if you want to reduce the cost of sunbeds and sunshades every day, you could even buy your own sunshades at the nearest store, which you could then leave for the guests who come to your accommodation after you.

Opening times, afternoon siesta

You are in a Mediterranean country so it’s not a surprise to meet the afternoon siesta which can affect also the opening time of the shops.

Some shops and even pharmacies are closed between 3 pm till 6 pm in Crete however it is less common in touristic areas or less applies for shops which are serving tourists. The good news that even if you may face the siesta the shops are waiting for the customers until late at night. (9-10 pm)

Emergency numbers

Tourist police: 171 (In English, German, French, Greek)

Athens tourist police: 1571 (In English, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek)

Central Police: 100

Ambulance: 166

Fire Department: 199

European hotline for missing children: 116000

As they said...

We spent a wonderful week in Crete at the end of September. In Edit's website, we found a lot of useful information for planning the holiday. We started emailing from home. She was extremely kind and helpful, we received countless good advice from her and we took part in a memorable Santorini boat tour organized by her office. So we had the opportunity to meet her, as well. I can only recommend everyone who travels to Crete to contact Edit! We are very grateful for her help!

A friend of mine suggested me Edit who told me that they had just good experiences with them when they traveled to Crete. Since then I’m grateful to him for this advice because everything from the organization to the participation in the programs was perfect!! You can explore and travel Crete safely, comfortably, predictably, and properly informed if you choose MyCCollage! Thank you very much Edit and your team!! 😊😉😊We would like to come back and we will definitely choose you 😉😊😊😊