At the crossroads of three continents, there lies a blessed place. A unique landscape, an unrivaled culture, and remarkable people. This place is Crete, an island famous for many things — including its beaches of extraordinary beauty.
Different from one another, yet all distinctive and special, Crete’s beaches feature landscapes that evoke exotic destinations. Some are framed by sand dunes, others by pink sand; some lie beneath ancient castles, others where a cedar forest reaches all the way to the sea. There are beaches accessible only by boat, beaches sheltered by towering cliffs hundreds of meters high. All of them boast crystal-clear waters in every imaginable shade of blue.
Below are 20 beaches in Crete where anyone visiting the island truly deserves to take a swim.
Frangokastello
Frangokastello is located in the municipality of Sfakia, in southwestern Crete, about 13 km west of Chora Sfakion.
A beach set against the backdrop of a castle. A truly unique landscape — it hardly feels like you are in Crete. The waters are exceptionally shallow, making the beach ideal for families with children.
Glyka Nera (Sweet Water Beach)
Glyka Nera is located in the Sfakia region. The beach can be reached either by boat from Loutro or on foot via the European long-distance trail E4. To find the trailhead, you need to drive from Chora Sfakion toward Anopoli.
After about 2.5 km, you will spot the clearly marked entrance to the trail on your left, at a sharp bend in the road, with signage painted directly onto the rock.
The descent takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes. It is a truly breathtaking beach, stretching beneath an awe-inspiring landscape, with steep cliffs rising up to 500 meters above the shore.
The waters are crystal-clear and icy cold, and it is definitely worth seeing — and visiting — the small taverna built on a rock, right in the sea.
Domata Beach
The enchanting beach of Domata is located 7 km east of Sougia and 58 km south of Chania, in the Tseses area.
Access to this beach is also by boat.
A magical and extremely secluded beach, where chances are you will find only yourself, the sea, and the sun. Beyond its deep blue waters, Domata is home to a unique natural monument: sharp, roof-like cliffs shaped over time by the endless motion of the sea, the wind, and the vast amounts of soil and pebbles carried down by the Klados and Flokos gorges, which end at the beach.
Kedrodasos Beach
On the southwestern coast of Crete, Kedrodasos Beach is a stunning stretch of coastline that is rightly described as an earthly paradise.
Kedrodasos is located 76 km southwest of Chania and just 1 km west of the famous Elafonissi lagoon.
Yet despite its proximity to such a popular destination, the scenery here is entirely different, as the crowds of tourists are notably absent.
This distinctly tropical beach is filled with juniper trees — often mistaken for cedars — and sand dunes that evoke the tropical shores of Lebanon. The trees lend the landscape a fairytale-like atmosphere, while the pure white sand and turquoise waters transport you somewhere far away, creating a setting that feels more like a destination outside Europe than within it.
Elafonissi Beach
Just a few meters beyond the usually tranquil Kedrodasos lies the popular Elafonissi.
Its turquoise-blue waters, pink sand, and extraordinary landscape infused with a strong sense of exoticism have propelled this beach to international fame — there is nothing quite like it anywhere else in Greece.
And if you find yourself in Crete, no matter how crowded it may be, you simply have to visit. The scenery is truly one of a kind, evoking images of beaches found only in the Pacific.
Balos Lagoon
Next to Gramvousa lies by far the most photographed — and in recent years the most crowded — beach in Crete.
Gramvousa, with its Venetian-built castle, is a peninsula on whose western side stretches the enchanting beach of Balos. It is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean and has been awarded as one of the best beaches in the world by TripAdvisor.
Ultra-fine white and reddish sand, shallow waters, and, at one point, a lagoon with clear turquoise-blue waters create a truly spectacular setting.
To reach Gramvousa and Balos Beach, you can take one of the boats that depart daily from the small port of Kissamos (Kastelli). Balos Beach is also accessible by land.
Falassarna Beach
Located 17 km from Kissamos (Kastelli), in northwestern Crete, Falassarna is a breathtaking beach known for its crystal-clear waters and seemingly endless stretch of sand. The white and reddish hues of the sand, combined with the view of the imposing mountains that surround it, create a truly unforgettable landscape.
Agiannis Beach, Gavdos
Agiannis Beach is located on Gavdos, 4 km west of Sarakiniko. Remote and sandy, it is dotted with sea junipers and offers a wild, untamed landscape that feels closer to Africa than Europe. It is no coincidence that the Discovery Channel ranked it as the second-best beach in the world, after a beach in Hawaii.
Agios Pavlos Sand Dunes
Agios Pavlos Beach is located south of Rethymno, about 50 km from Agia Galini. Atmospheric and striking, it is defined by massive sand dunes — reaching heights of up to 30 meters — that cascade down from the mountains toward the sea, as well as by one of the most beautiful sunsets in Greece.
Souda Beach, Plakias
Souda Beach is located 41 km southwest of Rethymno, in the area of the picturesque village of Sellia, just 3 km east of Plakias. It lies at the mouth of a narrow, lush green valley through which the Phoenix (or Finikias) River flows, lined along its course with native Cretan palm trees.
At the end of this natural “passage,” Souda Beach unfolds, featuring coarse sand and an expansive shoreline.
The only downside is the wind, which often picks up here and can sometimes make conditions challenging for visitors.
Trypiti Beach, Asterousia Mountains
Trypiti Beach is located in the southern part of the Heraklion regional unit, about 73 km from the city of Heraklion and very close to Lentas.
In a word, the beach is spectacular, with crystal-clear, green-hued and consistently calm waters, combined with fine pebbles that enhance its pristine character.
Agiofarago Beach
Agiofarago is located south of the Heraklion regional unit, very close to Matala.
A unique stretch of coastline at the exit of a legendary gorge, Agiofarago can be reached either by a roughly 30-minute walk from the nearest parking area or by boat from Kaloi Limenes.
Kommos Beach
Kommos Beach is located between Matala and Kalamaki, about 66 km south of Heraklion, and just a five-minute drive from Matala. In ancient times, it served as the harbor of Phaistos, built around 2000 BC.
A sandy beach with distinctive gray sand, Kommos is undoubtedly one of the largest and cleanest beaches in Crete.
Chrissi Island
Chrissi is one of Crete’s 81 uninhabited islands and lies approximately 8 nautical miles south of Ierapetra. An earthly paradise, it features golden and white sand, centuries-old cedar trees, seashells, and tropical turquoise waters that display the full spectrum of blue hues.
Agia Fotia Beach
Agia Fotia Beach is located 47 km southeast of Agios Nikolaos and 12 km east of Ierapetra. It is a cosmopolitan beach set within a bay well protected from the winds.
The shoreline is framed by pine and olive trees, while the beach itself features crystal-clear, deep-blue waters and soft sand, making it an inviting and well-rounded seaside destination.
Alona Beach
Northeast of Xerokambos, beyond the salt flats and the river that flows through the Katsounaki Gorge, lies Alona Beach, known for its sand dunes and the white sea lily that blooms in autumn.
The beach features sandy shores and shallow, deep-blue waters, while to the east the coastline is abruptly interrupted by striking rock formations.
Vai Palm Forest Beach
East of Sitia, about 25 km from the town and 6 km from Palekastro, on Cape Sidero, lies the most famous beach in eastern Crete: Vai, home to the only natural palm forest in Europe.
The scenery is unmistakably tropical, evoking the atmosphere of a far-flung exotic coastline.
Erimoupoli (Itanos)
Located 96 km east of Agios Nikolaos and 26 km east of Sitia lies the ancient city of Itanos.
The area is home to three unique beaches, all surrounded by ancient ruins.
In fact, at one of them you can swim directly above the remains of the ancient city of Itanos — and with a mask and snorkel, you’ll be able to witness this magical sight beneath the surface.
Voulisma Beach
Located about 12 km southeast of Agios Nikolaos, on the road toward Sitia, Voulisma is known for its tropical-colored waters, fine sand, and lush green hillsides that frame the beach.
Kolokytha Beach
Kolokytha Beach is located in the Elounda area, about 16 km from Agios Nikolaos.
Turquoise-blue waters and a white sandy shoreline come together to create a truly paradisiacal and exotic setting.
