The Best Beaches in Crete – Eastern Crete

On a holiday in Crete, faced with over a thousand metres of coastline, you are spoiled for choice.  So how do you find the best beaches in Crete?  Read on..

Crete, that most southerly of Greek islands apart from little Gavdos, is just about the hottest and sunniest place in Europe.  It’s also very large at about 160 miles east to west and 35 miles from north to south at the widest point.  Therefore, when you are planning a holiday to Crete, you need to choose your resort carefully if you aim to spend some time on the best beaches in Crete without facing several hours travelling each way.

That’s why Suntrap Holidays produced this little two-part guide to the best beaches in Crete.  In this part, we look at the top beaches in Crete’s eastern half, reachable from Heraklion, Malia and the other resorts on the right-hand side of the island.

Let’s take a look:

(To see the beaches on a Google map, click this link: Map of the best beaches in Crete – Eastern Half.)

The Best Beaches in Crete – Matala

Best Beaches in Crete - Matala, courtesy of flickr.com user: storem

Matala, about two hours from Heraklion by car, is a long-established beach that started to gain popularity back in the 70s with the hippy movement.  Renowned for the ancient cave tombs carved into the rocks that overlook the white sand and crystal-clear water, Matala is definitely worth a visit.  Actually, being fairly central on the southern coast, it is also just about accessible for a day trip from the resorts in the Chania area on the western side of Crete, perhaps some two-and-a-half hours by car from Chania.
If you go here, be sure to try some of the really fresh local fish in one of the great little tavernas on the beach.

The Best Beaches in Crete – Makriyialos

The Best Beaches in Crete - Makrigialos

This lovely long sandy beach is about 90 minutes’ drive from Heraklion.  This side of the island tends to be quieter apart from one or two resorts, and the beach here, being so long, offers plenty of opportunity for you to escape from the crowds.  The water here is shallow, making it an excellent choice for families with younger children.

The Best Beaches in Crete – Vai

The Best Beaches in Crete - Vai, courtesy of flickr.com user: paulmannix

About two hours’ drive from Heraklion, the beach at Vai has been described as “Caribbean-style”, which is a reference to the palm grove that surrounds the beach – it’s the largest palm grove in Crete and does indeed give the beach a  somewhat un-Greek feel!
Vai is certainly a beautiful place, and the whole area is protected to keep it that way.  In high season, it can get busy here though; the beach is fairly small and popular because of its beauty.
Beach facilities are limited because of the protected status of the area, but there is a small snack bar.

The Best Beaches in Crete – Itanos

Just two kilometres north of Vai, there are fewer of the famous palm trees here – but also fewer people, so it’s a good alternative if you arrive at Vai only to find it pretty busy.  There are actually three different beaches in Itanos, the most northern sandy bay being the best for swimming.  It is here that you can explore the underwater ruins of the ancient town of Itanos that gives the area its name.

The Best Beaches in Crete – Hiona

The pretty little sandy beach of Hiona is only about 300 metres long but it’s a real gem.  It’s also in the same area as Vai and Itanos, so you can make a day of it from Heraklion or Malia and see all three beaches.  Hiona is about 22 kilometres from Sitia and three km north-east of Palekastro.  The final kilometre or so of road to the beach is pretty rough, so go slowly!  The beach is also subject to the prevailing wind, so best on calm days.

The sea here is beautifully clear, and the sand is golden.  There is some shade at the back of the beach from the Tamarisk trees.  The sea shelves gently too, so it’s pretty safe for kids.  There are some little coves to the south-east which are clothing optional.

The three tavernas on the beach do such wonderful things with the locally-caught fresh fish that they are famous throughout Crete, so definitely worth taking a meal here.  The fish soup is especially good – maybe when the heat of the sun has diminished towards the end of the day!

I hope you have enjoyed this quick Suntrap Holidays guide to the best beaches in Crete’s eastern half.  If you are based in or around Chania or the resorts of the left-hand, western side of Crete, please take a look at the sister guide to the best beaches in Crete’s western half.

You can check availability on some great holiday deals to Crete here: Holidays near the best beaches in Crete.