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.

Crete is a land of tall mountains and turquoise sea, with a thousand kilometres of coastline.  The best beaches in Crete are also among the best beaches in Europe, as we will find out..

Crete is the most southern one of any size, making it one of the hottest.  It’s also the largest of all the Greek Islands.  At 160 miles long its longer than Wales, and it’s 35 miles wide at its widest point.  This means that, unlike most Greek Islands holidays, where you can get from one end of the island to the other in a short trip, on holidays to Crete you’re practically restricted to a limited area of the island unless you want to spend much of the time travelling.

So remember, depending on where you are staying, not all of the best beaches in Crete will be within easy reach.  I’ve separated them into two groups, dividing the island in half down the middle, and in this article you can find out about the best beaches in the left-hand, western half of the island – mainly beaches that can be reached from Chania and other resorts in this half.
Let’s take a look:

The best beaches in Crete’s western half

Here is the Suntrap Holidays pick of the beaches in the western half, accessible from the resort of Chania and other resorts on the left-hand half of Crete:

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

The Best Beaches in Crete - Balos, courtesy of flickr.com user: wolfgangstaudt

This is a beach you will often see on the postcards, and it’s a natural beauty, with fine white sand and crystal clear water.  It’s on the Gramavoussa peninsula on the far West of the island, about 45 minutes’ drive from Chania.  The track to it is rough so be careful in the car or on the scooter.  The large lagoon here is shallow and safe for children – it’s also one of the best places for snorkelling or even scuba diving in Crete.  Because of its remoteness, there are no facilities on the beach and rubbish cannot be collected, therefore visitors should show respect and take their litter with them.

Elafonisi

The Best Beaches in Crete - Elafonisi, courtesy of Wikimedia user: Gatm

This is the beach famous for its pinkish sand said to be caused by tiny particles of coral broken down over many years.  On the far south east of Crete, it’s about an hour’s drive from Chania – and what a drive.  Up through the Gorge of Topolia and through pretty mountain towns like Elos and Kefali, before arriving at this special place.

It’s also one of the best places for birdwatching in Crete, because migrating birds use this part of the island as a rest stop when flying to and from Africa.

Sweetwater Beach (Glyka Nera)

Best Beaches in Crete - Sweetwater, courtesy of flickr.com user: bryceedwards

This spectacular and quieter beach is about 40 minutes by car from Chania, and on the south coast.  It’s called Sweetwater because if you dig a hole deep enough on the beach, “sweet” pure water will seep out.  The sea is warm here, and the sand has a reddish tint.  The beach is nothing like the bustling resorts of Northern Crete, and has for many years attracted those wanting to get away from it all, including naturists.  There is a little cafe selling water, but the beach is undeveloped and retains all of its natural beauty.  Well worth a visit.

Preveli Beach

Best Beaches in Crete - Preveli, courtesy of Wikimedia user: Oltau

On the south coast about a third of the way along from the left-hand end of Crete, you can get to Preveli, truly on of the best beaches in Crete, in about 90 minutes from Chania.  As a matter of fact, you can get there in not much more time than this from Heraklion, because Preveli is not far from the centre of the south coast.  Look for the monastery and the nearby car park, from which there are steps down to the beach.  Sadly, this route is not suitable for people with walking disabilities, but fortunately there is a boat from nearby Plakias at 10am, leaving the beach at 4pm, avoiding all the steps!
Preveli is a beautiful palm-fringed sweep of a bay with clear waters.  You can lie under the trees for some shade during the hottest parts of the day, so you may decide you don’t need the sun beds and umbrellas on offer here.  It can get busy here, but this is understandable when you see how beautiful it is.  During quieter times it’s possible to go naturist in the rocks to the left as you face the sea.

Well, that’s a quick Suntrap Holidays to the best beaches in Crete – the western half.  If you are based in or around Heraklion or the resorts of the right-hand, eastern side of Crete, please take a look at the sister guide to the best beaches in Crete’s eastern half.

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