Crete Beaches, Coastline, Surfing and Water Sports

(Crete, Greece)

There are many truly beautiful beaches around the coastline of Crete, many of which are sun traps and perfect for sunbathing, swimming and generally relaxing. Other beaches on Crete offer a choice of water sports, such as windsurfing, water skiing, sea kayaking, speed boats, fun banana boat rides, or even the chance to hire you very own pedalo boat for a few hours.

Crete beaches vary greatly during the summer, with some quickly becoming crowded, while others are lesser known and remain almost deserted. There are usually good facilities not far from hand, and even the chance to sightsee at times, with archaeological sites even scattered around some of the actually cliff faces at times.


Wherever you are on Crete, you can be sure that some good beaches and just a short distance away, often little more than a few minutes. The beaches and fine weather are the main reasons that so many tourists flock here in the summer, and it is easy to see the allure of this spectacular Greek island at this time of the year.

List of the island's main beaches and resorts

The main beaches and resorts are listed below, being grouped by the island's four regions of Chania / Hania, Rethymnon, Heraklion / Iraklion and Lassithi.

Chania / Hania Beaches (Western Crete)

• Agia Marina Beach - a leading tourist hotspot in Crete and around 10 km / 6 miles from Chania
• Agioi Apostoloi Beach - close to Chania and offering a very touristy view, with a number of neighbouring hotels and eateries with good coastal views
• Drapanias Beach - south 30 km / 19 miles directly west of Chania and alongside Kissamos. Drapanias Beach is comprised mainly of small pebbles
• Georgioupoli Beach - a pretty coastal village situated on the scenic Armyros Plain
• Germaniko Pouli Beach - a large expanse of sand just 2 km / 1.5 miles to the west of Chania town
• Golden Beach - a short strong from central Chania and due to its closeness, often very busy and crowded with Crete tourists and families. This area is actually made up of three separate sandy beaches, with relatively shallow water making them very child-friendly
• Kalatha Beach - a stone's throw to the east of Chania and home to some very appealing views and lots of lovely soft sand
• Kalyves Beach - alongside the village of Kalyves and some 20 km / 12 miles from Chania
• Kiani Akti Beach - a very long and beautiful stretch of sand, around 10 km / 5 miles from Chania and close to Kalives

Rethymnon Beaches (West / Central Crete)

• Adele Beach - around 2 km / 1.5 miles directly each of Rethymno and next to the village of Adele
• Agia Galini Beach - known for its extensive array of water sports on offer and excellent facilities for Crete Tourists. Agia Galini Beach resides just over 55 km / 34 miles from Rethymno
• Bali Beach - right next to visit and very tourist-friendly, with good beach facilities, include eateries and nearby accommodation options
• Damnoni Beach - lying on the southerly side of Rethymno and just a short distance to the west of Plakias. This is one most undeveloped beaches in this part of Crete and is often very quiet. Expect to find many pretty coves and plenty of tranquility for everyone
• Geropotamos Beach - situated part-way between Heraklion and Rethymnon. Geropotamos Beach is recommended for those looking to top up their suntan and offers endless sun loungers
• Panormos Beach - a very clean and notable sandy beach, lining with tavernas and boasts some exceptional coastal views. Panormos Beach is around 20 km / 12 miles east of Rethymno Town
• Perivolia Beach - a mere 1.5 km / 1 mile from Rethymno, making it very popular with tourists holidaying on Crete
• Plakia Beach - amongst the busiest tourist-friendly beaches in the Rethymno area. Plakia Beach actually started life as nothing more than a small and unassuming Greek fishing village, and is today regularly flooded by crowded of tourists
• Platanias Beach - a huge expanse of sand joining up to the town of Rethymno and brimming with loungers and colourful parasols
• Preveli Beach - also often referred to as Palm Beach (Paralia Finikodasous). Preveli Beach resides at the mouth of the Kourtaliotis Gorge, where is amongst the island's most photographed beaches, simply because of its extreme beauty
• Rethymno Town Beach - amongst Crete's longest beaches, stretching for over 20 km / 12 miles in total
• Souda Beach - south of Rethymno and just a short distance to the west of Plakias village. Souda Beach is made up of fine sand and contains endless lines of sun lounger and umbrellas, although generally remains fairly uncrowded
• Stauromenos Beach - roughly 10 km / 6 miles to the east Rethymno and next to Adele, and offering a mixture of both sand and pebbles. Stauromenos Beach offers tourist plenty of sun loungers and beachfront bars
• Triopetra Beach - some 50 km / 31 miles directly south of Rethymno and named after its three very famous rock formations, which stand proudly in the sea

Heraklion / Iraklion Beach (East / Central Crete)

• Agia Pelagia Beach - situated on the northern shoreline of Crete and directly to the north-western side of Heraklion. Agia Pelagia is a long stretch of pale, soft sand and ideal for sunbathers and includes both the beaches of Mononaftis and Psaromoura
• Amnissos Beach - around 8 km / 5 miles to the west of Heraklion and edged by several small restaurants, where seafood regularly features on the menu
• Amoudara Beach - boasting a huge expanse of soft, golden sand and a limited number of facilities
• Analipsi Beach - some 20 km / 12 miles to the east of Heraklion, next to Gournes, and the proud owner of an EU Blue Flag for its cleanliness and prized sand
• Hani Kokkini Beach - residing on the eastern side of Heraklion and overlooked by several surrounding hotels
• Hersonisos Beach - approximately 27 km / 17 miles to the east of Heraklion. Hersonisos Beach have become one of the leading resorts on Crete and crowds of tourists flock here when the sun shines
• Kalamaki Beach - on the south-western side of Heraklion and near to both Matala and Tibaki
• Karteros Beach - some 8 km / 5 miles from Heraklion and favoured by the local Greeks on Crete. Several pretty tavernas overlook the shoreline
• Kato Gouves Beach - around 20 km / 12 miles and the holder of an EU Blue Flag. Kato Gouves Beach sits near to Gournes and is highly regarded in Crete for its spotless golden sand
• Komos Beach - a long expanse of sand found to the south-west of Heraklion and near to Pitsidia
• Lygaria Beach - around 15 km / 9 miles to the east of Heraklion and within the Agia Pelagia area, offering good facilities for beach-goers holidaying on Crete
• Malia Beach - roughly 30 km / 19 miles directly east of Heraklion. Malia Beach is amongst Crete's most outstanding sandy beaches and an absolute must for sunbathers and swimmers
• Matala Beach - on the south-western side of Heraklion, near to Pitsidia, and stretching for more than 300 metres / 985 feet. Matala Beach is one of the most famous beaches not only on Crete, but throughout Greece. The attractions are numerous and include soft golden sand, thatched parasols providing shade, and sun loungers available for hire
• Paleokastro Beach - a picture-postcard beach with a scenic backdrop provided by cliffs. Paleokastro Beach is close to Linoperamata and just 10 km / 6 miles to the south-west of Heraklion
• Stalida Beach - a very attractive and appealing tourist resort, with lots of seasonal planting nearby, along with colourful flower displays. Stalida Beach lies just over 30 km / 19 miles to the east of Heraklion

Lassithi Beaches (Eastern Crete)

• Agios Nikolaos Beach - next to the town of Agios Nikolaos and comprises of small, smooth pebbles
• Almiros Beach - just a short drive from Agios Nikolaos and widely considered to be amongst the best beaches on offer on this part of Crete, coming complete with sun loungers and various beachfront bistros
• Ammoudara Beach - located directly south of Agios Nikolaos and known for its soft sand and summer crowds
• Elounda Beach - with two separate expanses of adjoining sand, complete with sun loungers and adjacent accommodation. Elounda Beach lies around 8 km / 5 miles to the north of Agios Nikolaos and close to Elounda
• Havania Beach Beach - around 2 km / 1.5 miles from Agios Nikolaos and offering tourists sand, sea, sun loungers and plenty of restaurants to go round
• Istro Beach - a combination of three individual beaches near to Istro, two of which are covered in small pebbles. The remaining sandy beach is the one to choose if you are looking to bronze up you tan a little
• Sissi Beach - around 25 km / 16 miles to the north-west of Agios Nikolaos and next to Sissi. This has become one of Crete's most popular resorts