We’ve had two fantastic holidays in Crete and are going back again this summer for more! We’ve stayed once near Chania and once near Rethymno. Both villas come recommended. Already we’ve visited some fabulous beaches so I thought I would start a Crete list. The island of Crete is better known for its big resort towns and hotels than the kind of places we like to find, but with some research there’s a plethora of quaint and beautiful beaches to enjoy too!
Frangokastello
Just imagine building sandcastles in front of an actual castle that was defence against pirates, with mountains beyond it – quite spectacular.
Absolutely worth the drive through mountain village and narrow roads to get to. It’s perfect and unspoilt, surely the dreamiest spot on the south coast. The village is small with a few guest houses, people only go here if they’ve had a recommendation. There are two beach areas to choose from. A smaller one next to a sheltered lagoon or a bigger bit of beach a little more exposed. You can rent loungers and sunshades on both. We swam in the lagoon and it was divine, and there are little rockpools around the edge too. We found two restaurants – one right on the waters edge and another through the grasses in the centre of the village called meRaki where we ate.
Elafonisi
There are less than ten beaches in the world with pink sand, Elafonisi on the south west corner of Crete is one of them. It has to be seen to be believed and I would recommend a dawn raid.
We walked around the entire pink-sand promontory at about 9am and had it completely to ourselves, it was absolutely spectacular. There is of course a commercial beach, but the promotory is I think a nature reserve and is untouched. The pink shimmer of the sand is something I never expected to see and it’s still one of my top places that I’ve ever visited because it is just so unique. Once the rest of the island wakes up, there’s a lovely beach and a tidal lagoon. Plenty of loungers and shades to rent. It’s truly remote (all the best beaches are) but there are plenty of places to buy food and a little holiday resort nearby too.
Damnoni
Compared to the two beaches above this is a busy place. But it is a nice bustle, a village type bustle. Damnoni is a long and straight sandy beach on the south of the island. There are loungers dotted along it and showers too. This was in fact the first place that I’ve ever been to and rented a lounger! The waves are breakers, but small. It’s a stony beach once you are in the sea and shelves quickly, so it is a lot of fun for swimmers and fascinating for little ones. You can get boats from here round to the beach of Preveli. There’s plenty of watersports too. There’s a good choice of places to eat too. We ate in the shade at Akti and it was fantastic, we also got frappes from here for the beach. I’m sure one year we will rent a villa and stay on this beach, the vibe here was great and there were very few English voices!
Panormos
Up on the busier north coast it is harder to find a calm spot. We lucked out with Panormos which is a sweet little seaside village.
We’d first gone to Bali a little further to the east, but people were crammed onto the beach like sardines. When we drew up at Panormos we were delighted, as it was the reverse. There are two beaches and we stumbled across the sleepier one – the one to the east of the sea wall. We rented a cute little pair of loungers on the shingle beach. It’s a very protected beach, by cliffs and the sea wall and perfect for swimming and paddle boarding. Just above the beach is a little taverna, where we had a long lunch, and a coffee shop for frappes.
Georgiopoli
We’ve visited here twice, so a definite thumbs up. Although neither time have we ‘beached’. Both times we’ve visited to ogle at the chapel – at the end of a 100 metre stone walk way is a little chapel. I’m not a fan of physical exercise in the heat, but it is well worth donning a hat and trainers to go and see it. A pretty little white washed building in the middle of the sea. Georgiopoli is a small resort town that has a lot of charm, it is busy but laid back. Low rise hotels, plenty of places for food and drinks and plenty of parking. The north coast around Rethymno is busy so this makes a nice change. To the east of the main beach town there is lots of parking just off the main road for a slightly more rugged bit of the beach, as well as little restaurants dotted along the road too.
Marathi
A busy little beach, not far from Chania but far enough that locals out number tourists many times over. It’s on the little bit of land that Chania airport is on and looks south onto mainland Crete and the white mountains. A lovely spot to swim in the calm sea, enjoy a drink or even get a table at the taverna that looks onto the beach. It’s got a great vibe to it, despite being busy – it’s just a small beach, in a picturesque little cove away from nearby towns. Being able to wade into the sea holding a (plastic) glass of Mythos really is relaxing! We watched the moon rise there, with the mountains below – beautiful.
Geropotamos
I mainly love this place for its name! The beach is hidden away under the most enormous road bridge, down a steep dirt track. When we drove down there we kind of wondered if we were on a hiding to nowhere. Turns out we found a local gem! This shingle beach has the most beautiful view of sunset, we timed our visit perfectly to throw stones in the sea and watch the sun go down! Plenty of loungers to hire and a beach bar that serves food and drinks, what’s not to love. There are lots of large hotels along this bit of the coast but this struck us as a world away from the resort type beach as it’s difficult to get to without a car!
Spilies
This is another locals beach. It’s on the north coast near Rethymno and the small pebble beach is wedged between two (I assume limestone) cliffs. This is where locals head to at the weekend for sure, we visited on a Sunday and it was probably the busiest beach I’ve ever been to. But the business made it fascinating. There’s a restaurant and a bar, and toilets. So we grabbed a couple of beers and an icecream for the little one and enjoyed a spot of people watching, knowing just how touristy we looked with our milky white skin hiding from the sun! The cliffs make for great diving platforms and we watched the local youth climb up and jump into the water over and over!
Preveli
We didn’t make it to the beach itself, but will take a boat there on another visit. But we did admire the view from the top of the hill where the parking is. On the south of Crete, this beach is fringed with palm trees that extend up a verdant valley to a monastery. It’s stunning and quite unique. With an older child we would have carried on down the steep steps and footpaths to the beach itself, but in 30+ degrees with a 4 year old, we weren’t convinced we’d enjoy the walk back home later on in the day!
Paraplous Restaurant
On the north coast not far outside Rethymno you’ll find Paraplous. Thankfully the short distance outside town makes it a world away from the busy and touristy town. We had an early supper here one evening during our stay (you need to book but because 4 year olds eat early we were lucky). We arrived early and had drinks on the beach and played in the sand. It was absolutely divine. Then we climbed up the step ladder back to the restaurant and dined to perfection. We were the only tourists in the restaurant, it was full of local families and friends. Predominantly a fish restaurant, with plenty of pasta dishes too. The sunset view across the water is spectacular.
Tavernaki – Grecotel Luxme White Palace
When we booked our villa, I was tempted to stay in this hotel instead. I’m glad we didn’t (countryside views and a private pool for the win), but I’m equally glad we spent an evening there for drinks and dinner as it is a spectacular setting. The hotel has a number of waterside restaurants and we chose to eat in their traditional Greek restaurant – Tavernaki. We first had drinks on the roof terrace before dinner on the edge of the beach. Fabulous food, a great wine list and a jaw dropping sunset view!
Top tip – make sure you have change. All beaches have loungers and shades and they’re normally about 3-5 euros (cash) for the day. Sometimes you’ll need cash to park as well. We found that every beach, even the quieter ones, had a nearby coffee shop for water and frappe and a restaurant in walking distance for lunch.
We’re going back to Crete again this summer so I’ll keep adding to the list as we find more places. We’ve actually chosen our villa based on easier access to the south coast, but not too big a drive from Chania airport. Tell me – where should we visit? There are so many beautiful quiet little beaches and coves dotted along the north and south coast, but which ones are worth a visit? I’d love to see more of Crete, so tell me where is worth the drive out to the east or the south?
