10 Most Beautiful Beaches In Crete, Greece

beautiful beaches in crete
Nduku
Nduku 
Updated
| 5 min read

Crete is a beautiful region filled with spectacular beaches, breathtaking landscapes, restaurants offering delicious cuisines, and very friendly locals. While here, you can indulge in various outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, sightseeing, cycling, sunbathing on the sandy beaches, and lots more. Additionally, you can also learn about the rich historical background of the natives through the music, architectural structures, and the traditional cuisines being prepared. Some of the places you should visit include Heraklion, Agios Nikalaos, Elounda, Sitia, and many more. Check out below for more information on the most beautiful beaches in Crete, Greece for a holiday experience like no other.

1. Preveli Beach

Preveli Strand
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Olaf Tausch used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Come and relax at this spectacular beach with friends and family for a fantastic holiday experience. The beach is surrounded by restaurants, resorts, and hotels where you can go for some refreshments after a wonderful day basking in the sun. This place is popular among tourists and it receives lots of visitors all year round. Here, you will get to pose for pictures with scenic views of the landscape in the background. You could also chill on the sandy beach at sunset or sunrise and unwind with a breathtaking view of the horizon.

Preveli Beach

Address: 40 chlm notia apo to Rethymno, Lefkogia, Crete 74060, Greece

Website: Preveli Beach

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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2. Vai Beach

Good morning from paradise #Vai #Vai_Restaurant #Vai_Beach

Posted by Vai Palm Beach, Creative Restaurant & SeaSide Cafe on Thursday, 27 July 2017

Enjoy the breathtaking view of the landscape as you bask in the sun on the sandy Vai Beach. Here, the water is clean thus ideal for snorkeling and many other watersport activities. Additionally, for a small fee, you can rent sun loungers and parasols. Other than that, you can enjoy the view of the palm forest surrounding the beach area. Furthermore, you will also relish the view of animals such as the Cretan Marten. The palm forest is considered the largest in Europe and stretches several miles along the beach. This place is ideal for a summer vacation with family, spouse, or friends for an awesome fun time.

Vai Beach

Address: Epar.Od. Monis Toplous - Vai, Toplou 723 00, Greece

Website: Vai beach

Opening hours: 8:30am - 10pm (daily)

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3. Tymbaki Beach

Posted by Kitespot kalamaki on Monday, 26 September 2016

Chill out at this magnificent beach with your friends or family for a fascinating time. The beach offers you breathtaking views of the landscape and also a beautiful sandy beach where you can relax as you enjoy the breeze. The beach is an ideal spot where you can head for windsurfing, kayaking, kiting, fishing, swimming, and many more. You will enjoy the serenity and tidiness of the place since people are looking forward to a green economy. In this region, you will be able to find various accommodations to choose from.

Tymbaki Beach

Address: Tympaki, Crete 702 00, Greece

Opening hours: 24 (daily)

Price: Free

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4. Matala Beach

beautiful beaches in crete | matala beach
Source: instagram

Matala Beach is a beautiful beach on the coast of Crete. While here, you can relax on a cozy sun lounger as you relish the view of the scenic landscape. The spectacular sandy beach stretches a few miles filled with camping sites, snack bars where you can relieve your hunger, watersport activities for your entertainment, excursion boats for unforgettable tours, and many more. Some of the other scenery available in the area include natural caves which you can access by boat, archeological sites where you can learn of ancient history, and shipwrecks.

Matala Beach

Address: Matala, Crete, Greece

Website: Matala beach

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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5. Balos Beach

Posted by Kelly Webb Joanis on Monday, 7 October 2019

Enjoy as the currents rise and fall at the gorgeous Balos beach for an amazing holiday experience. The water is clear and ideally a wonderful place to swim with friends and family for fantastic bonding time. Additionally, you can relish a wonderful romantic walk with your spouse, for an awesome fun time during the sunset or sunrise. Some of the activities you can indulge in include hiking, camping, sightseeing, scuba diving and many more. From the beach, you can hop on a plane at Chania International Airport situated approximately 38.5 miles (62.2 kilometers) away.

Balos Beach

Address: Kissamos, Crete 734 00, Greece

Website: Balos Beach

Opening hours: 12am - 11:59pm (daily)

Price: From 2 USD

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6. Rodakino Beach

Rodakino has the best sunsets #Rodakinobeachbar #agiamarina #chania #crete

Posted by Rodakino Beach Bar on Tuesday, 10 July 2018

Feel revitalized as you comfortably relax with your friends, spouse, or family at Rodakino. The beach offers you magnificent views of the Mediterranean Sea as you enjoy the soothing warmth from the sun. The strong winds provide you with a perfect spot for various watersport activities such as surfing, kayaking, kiting, and lots more. While relaxing on the tavern under a nice umbrella, you will have a feeling of paradise. Surely, this is a wonderful place for a family outing since you can bring your homemade food with you for an awesome time.

Rodakino Beach

Address: Agia Marina 730 14, Greece

Website: Rodakino beach

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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7. Istro Beach


Unwind on the sandy beach and the fascinating sight of the landscape at Istro beach for a fantastic holiday experience. The clear water gives you a spectacular view of the marine life and also a revitalizing swimming fun time with spouse, friends, or family. You can also lazy in the sun as you enjoy your favorite beverage. Apart from that, other activities you can indulge yourself in include hiking, sightseeing, camping, diving, snorkeling, and many more. The beach is located at approximately 7.4 miles (12 kilometers) to Agios Nikolaos on the mainland where you can go to various destinations by road.

Istro beach

Address: Ayos, Ag. Nikolaos, Greece

Website: Istro beach

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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8. Falassarna Beach

Posted by Playa Paraiso Falassarna (Official) on Wednesday, 29 August 2018

Set yourself to a whole new world of relaxation and scenic beauty at Falassarna. This place is blessed with clear waters where you can enjoy swimming, sandy beaches where you can chill and relax, or take long walks with spectacular views of the natural landscape. Additionally, you can enjoy your favorite beverage or snack at the various bars available around. You can also get to munch on traditional Cretan dishes at one of the many taverns around the area. Some of the activities you can indulge in include windsurfing, sand soccer, beach rugby, kayaking, and many more.

Falassarna Beach

Address: Falassarna, Crete 73400, Greece

Website: Falassarna

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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9. Elafonissi Beach

Posted by Lee Ferwagen on Thursday, 10 October 2019

Experience a soothing breeze as you relax with family or friends at the wonderful Elafonissi Beach. This place is quiet, secluded and an ideal area if you would like to unwind and relish the magnificent view of the landscape. The mile-long island is filled with amazing spots where you can pose for photographs. During some other time of the year, you will find the sand to be pink due to ecological changes and other factors. Children are advised to swim in the warm, calm and shallow waters to avoid possible accidents. This place is also ideal if you would like to enjoy windsurfing.

Elafonissi Beach

Address: Elafonissi, Crete, Greece

Website: Elafonissi Beach

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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10. Plakias Beach

Crete Plakias1 tango7174
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Tango7174 used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Immerse yourself in a world of natural scenic beauty at Plakias Beach. Here, you will find the sandy beach stretching approximately 0.8 miles (1.3 kilometers) across the Mediterranean Sea where you can have a wonderful sunrise or sunset stroll. This place is scenic with beautiful mountains to the north and a sea to the south. Furthermore, you will be able to view different species of plants and animals in the region. The strong summer winds bring out tide waves where you can enjoy windsurfing. Apart from that, there are plenty of activities you can indulge in such as hiking on the mountain ranges, cycling, diving, and many more.

Plakias Beach

Address: Plakias, Crete 740 60, Greece

Website: Plakias

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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Chill out in Crete

Crete offers you spectacular views of the sea and landscape. The place is perfect for you to bring your family or friends for a memorable holiday vacation. With our list of the best beaches in Crete, you’ll be able to explore this exotic destination to get the full Cretan experience.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Nduku Mulwa is an accomplished online freelancer with a penchant for travel. She has explored various countries, including Canada, South Africa, Ghana, and Japan, in pursuit of stunning landscapes,...Read more

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