The famous Balos beach is a well-known lagoon found approximately 56km northwest of Chania and 17km northwest of Kissamos, situated between Cape Gramvousa and Cape Tigani below the range of Platiskinos. It is highly photographed and a popular subject for tourist guides in Greece. It was also visited by Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their private yacht many years ago.
Balos is renowned for its striking turquoise waters, picturesque natural scenery, and stunning exotic beauty. During summer, thousands of visitors arrive mostly by ferry from Kissamos port. However, it can be overcrowded, especially in July and August, so it is advisable to visit in the morning before the boats arrive, to enjoy a few hours of isolation in this breathtaking paradise.
The lagoon’s white-pink sandy beaches feature vivid blue and turquoise waters, which are very shallow and warm, ideal for young children. The sand has a lovely pinkish hue in many areas due to millions of crushed shells. The water beyond the lagoon’s rocky boundaries is deeper and colder, perfect for snorkelling. The wider area, including the lagoon, has rare flora and fauna species and is protected under the Natura 2000 program. Eleonora falcons, shags, and cormorants nest in the caves of the area, while the monk seal and the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), which are protected species, also find refuge there.
Balos Lagoon Updates
Balos Lagoon, designated as a protected Natura area, boasts breathtaking golden-pink sands and crystalline turquoise waters, providing habitat to diverse marine and avian species. While its allure draws many visitors, it’s imperative to uphold the integrity of this fragile ecosystem. Therefore, visitors are urged to exercise conscientious behavior by properly disposing of all waste, minimizing plastic use, and refraining from removing sand or oysters to preserve the lagoon’s pristine condition for generations to come.
In 2024, significant conservation efforts include the implementation of reduced ferry services and a cap on visitor numbers. Additionally, plans are underway to introduce shuttle buses in Kaliviani to reduce car traffic. To further minimize environmental impact, consider visiting during less crowded times such as early mornings or late evenings.
Get directions to Balos Beach and Lagoon
The best time to visit Balos Beach and Lagoon is during the summer months, from June to September, when the weather is warm and sunny.
Yes, Balos Beach and Lagoon is suitable for families with children. However, parents should keep an eye on their children as the water can be deep in some areas.
Yes, visitors can hire kayaks and paddleboats. You can also enjoy swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing.
Yes, visitors are allowed to bring their own food and drinks to Balos Beach and Lagoon. However, there are no facilities available for cooking or grilling.
No, there is no accommodation available near Balos Beach and Lagoon. Visitors can stay in nearby towns such as Kissamos or Chania.
The water colour of the Balos beach is turquoise.
The Balos beach has white sand with a lovely pinkish hue in many areas due to millions of crushed shells.
The water at the Balos Beach and Lagoon is shallow.
The sea surface at the Balos Beach and Lagoon is usually calm.
Yes, the Balos Beach and Lagoon is a crowded place.
Food and water are available nearby, and umbrellas and beds are also provided.
You can get to Balos beach by car or by boat. The boat leaves from the port of Kissamos Port daily.
The boat to Balos costs around 29€.
Yes, the Balos Beach and Lagoon is a seaturtle nesting point.
Balos Beach and Lagoon has received 1 reviews with an average rating of 5 out of 5
Find below list of things to do near Balos Beach and Lagoon:
This package handles the whole Balos day from your hotel door: minibus transfer from Chania or Rethymno to Kissamos port, boat tickets collected by your guide rather than queued for, then roughly 2.5 hours at Balos lagoon and 2 hours on Gramvousa island. Quality Travel runs it over 9 hours from €40.15, with a 4.30 rating across 2,888 reviews, and it ranks 15th among all GetYourGuide experiences in Greece.
The day is a transfer, a ferry and two long stops. Four stages fill the 9 hours.
First is the pick-up in an air-conditioned car or minivan from a point near your hotel and the drive west to Kissamos port. Second, your guide meets you at the Cretan Daily Cruises office and hands over the tickets, so you board without queueing. Third is Gramvousa: a 20-minute climb to the Venetian castle on its 137-metre rock, a swim by the chapel of Agioi Apostoloi, and the pirate-cove history the island is known for. Fourth is Balos, reached about 20 minutes further on, where white and in places pink sand meets the turquoise lagoon.
The order of the two stops depends on the day’s itinerary.
The route crosses the north-west of the island from the Chania coast.
The fare covers the transfer, the guiding and the boat, with extras sold separately at the port.
Included:
Not included:
We recommend this version over buying the ferry ticket alone for one reason: the stop times are stated and they are long. Two and a half hours at Balos and two on Gramvousa is more than most Balos packages give you, and time at the stops is the single most common complaint about every other operator on this route. Here it is written into the listing.
The second reason is the ticket handover. Your guide meets you at the Cretan Daily Cruises office and gives you the tickets directly, which removes the port queue on the busiest boat departure in western Crete.
Reviewers consistently praise the guides by name, Dania and Donia both appear, described as attentive, organised and informative throughout the drive. A British reviewer called the coach and ferry transport well organised and the whole trip excellent. A Romanian guest praised the guide’s organisation in every way.
Three things to know, because this scores 4.30 and the complaints cluster tightly.
The morning wait at the port is the recurring problem. Three separate French reviewers raised it: a 90-minute wait with no explanation, arriving at 09:10 for a boat that leaves at 10:55, and a 90-minute wait described as simply too long. Pick-ups run early to cover the whole coast, and the boat leaves when it leaves.
Seating on the boat is tight. A Polish reviewer found it a bit short on seats though still possible to find a place, and another warned about crowds when disembarking. The boat is the large Kissamos ferry, shared with everyone else on that sailing.
Group timekeeping varies. One British reviewer wished the guide had stayed with the group to manage people who were late back to the boat.
If you have your own car and would rather not pay for the transfer, the boat ticket alone from Kissamos port costs about the same as this whole package.
Be early at the pick-up point, bring the €1 coin, and plan for the port wait.
Personalised pick-up information arrives by separate email from Quality Travel around 20:00 the day before, check your spam folder. The bus waits a maximum of 5 minutes at the pick-up point.
Bring comfortable and hiking shoes, sunglasses, a hat, swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, water, beachwear, cash and a credit card. Pets are not permitted.
You get about 2.5 hours at Balos and 2 hours on Gramvousa, which is longer than most packages on this route.
Pick-up and drop-off are included by air-conditioned car or minivan, from a point near your hotel in the Chania or Rethymno area.
No, your guide hands over the tickets at the Cretan Daily Cruises office, so you board without the port queue.
Reviewers report waits of up to 90 minutes. Pick-ups run early to cover the coast, and the boat departs at its fixed time of 10:35 or 10:55.
Lunch is an optional extra, offering a choice of main with a small Greek salad and a bottle of water.
The Kissamos municipality environmental fee, payable in cash by every visitor to Balos and Gramvousa.
Check dates and prices for the Balos and Gramvousa cruise with transfer.
This is the main ferry to Balos and Gramvousa, sailing from Kissamos port on Crete’s north-west coast. The boat spends about an hour crossing the bay, stops at Gramvousa island with its Venetian castle and shipwreck, then anchors at the Balos lagoon between the Gramvousa peninsula and Cape Tigani. CRETAN DAILY CRUISES runs it over 7 hours from €40, and it holds a 4.09 rating across 8,482 reviews, the second most-booked GetYourGuide experience in all of Greece.
The ferry runs a loop from Kissamos and the order of the two stops varies by day. Three stages fill the 7 hours.
First is the crossing, roughly an hour along the bay past steep cliffs, secluded beaches and a large cave believed to have been an ancient shipyard. An audio guide runs in Greek, English, German, French and Polish. Second is Gramvousa, where the boat docks at the small port: a shipwreck sits on the beach, a Greek Orthodox chapel stands by the shore, and a steep 20-minute climb reaches the Venetian castle on the island’s high point. Third is Balos, the lagoon listed among the most photographed beaches in the world, where the water is shallow and emerald and you swim off the sand.
Depending on the itinerary, Balos may come first and Gramvousa second.
The route covers the two landmarks of the north-west corner of Crete.
The ticket covers the boat and the audio guide, and it excludes the road transport at both ends.
Included:
Not included:
Purchases on board are card only, no cash is accepted.
We recommend this ferry as the practical way to reach Balos, and the practical case is strong. The overland route to Balos is 12 kilometres of unsealed track ending in a 20-minute walk down a cliff path, and most hire car agreements exclude it. The boat removes all of that, and at €40 for a 7-hour day including both stops it is the cheapest way to see either.
The scenery does the selling. Reviewers describe Balos as breathtaking and the turquoise water as the best they have swum in, and an American guest recommended sneakers for the castle climb specifically because the view from the top is worth the effort.
The boat’s size is a genuine advantage in one way. A Spanish reviewer pointed out that a big ferry is exactly what you want when the sea gets rough on this exposed corner of the island, and reviewers from Italy and France both praised the organisation and punctuality.
Now the reasons this scores 4.09 rather than higher, because on 8,482 reviews the pattern is real.
Guiding is the weakest dimension at 3.5 out of 5, and it is the lowest guiding score of anything we list. A German reviewer described the staff on the ship as really unfriendly and the food as below average, though French and Italian reviewers rated the bar service and included meal well. Experiences clearly vary by crew and by day.
The boat is very large and very full. A Spanish reviewer noted it is tough to find a spot on the top deck, an Italian one that boarding and disembarking take a long time because of the boat’s size, and a Polish reviewer warned to expect crowds especially when getting off. This is mass transport, not a small cruise.
Time at the stops is the recurring complaint. GetYourGuide’s own review summary says travellers want more time at each stop and at Balos in particular, and a French reviewer who enjoyed the trip said the same.
If you want the same two stops on a small boat with a two-hour stop at each, the Limeniskos speedboat tour carries 17 people at roughly double the price. If you want this same ferry with a hotel transfer included, there is a packaged version from Chania and Rethymno.
Bring a card rather than cash, wear shoes you can climb in, and get to the top deck early.
Departures run at 10:35 and 10:55 depending on the option, and the meeting point varies with it. You reach Kissamos port yourself, no transfer is included.
Bring comfortable shoes, a hat, swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a credit card. The Kissamos municipality collects €1 from every passenger over 13 before boarding, and the trip is flagged as likely to sell out.
The cruise runs 7 hours from Kissamos port, covering the crossing plus stops at both Gramvousa and Balos.
No transfer is included. You make your own way to Kissamos port, or book the packaged version that includes pickup from Chania and Rethymno.
The climb takes about 20 minutes up a steep rocky path, and reviewers recommend trainers rather than sandals.
No, purchases on board are card only. Bring €1 in coins separately for the municipality fee.
It is a large ferry. Reviewers note that helps in rough sea but makes boarding slow and top-deck seats hard to find.
The Kissamos municipality collects €1 from every passenger over 13 before boarding, as an administrative fee for visiting Balos and Gramvousa.
Check dates and prices for the Kissamos port boat cruise to Balos and Gramvousa.
Enjoy a scenic day trip to Gramvousa and Balos Beach. Enjoy the convenience of being picked up at your hotel. Drive to either Kissamos or Kastelli Port along the National Road. Board your boat and sail to the Gramvousa island. This small scenic island is known for its Venetian fortress, and the exquisite views along the shore. Choose to take a dip in the Island’s crystal clear waters, or take a hike to up to the Venetian castle.
After exploring the island, head back to your boat and sail 15 minutes to the Lagoon of Balos, one of Crete’s most photographed beaches. Take a relaxing stroll along the lagoon’s white sand beaches. Swim in the lagoon’s idylic waters. Afterward return to your boat, return to port, and then finally drive back to your hotel after a day of sun and surf.
The Limeniskos speedboat tour reaches Gramvousa and Balos in a fraction of the time the Kissamos ferry takes, and it carries 17 passengers instead of several hundred. The Limeniskos departure runs daily from 10:00, lasts 5 hours, and gives you a two-hour stop on Gramvousa island and a second two-hour stop at the Balos lagoon. Falassarna Activities operates the boat, and the price starts at €92 per person against a 4.83 rating from 664 verified bookings.
The tour crosses open water from Limeniskos to the north-west tip of Crete, stops twice, and returns to the same jetty. Three stages make up the 5 hours.
First, the speedboat runs north along the cliffs of Gramvousa, where the Venetian fortress sits on the island’s highest point. Second, you land on Gramvousa for two hours, which covers the 20-minute climb to the fortress, a walk on the sand, or a look at the scrub and seabirds that make up the islet’s ecosystem. Third, the boat transfers you to the Balos lagoon for another two hours of shallow, warm water, with the option of staying on the sand instead of swimming.
Snorkelling gear is worth packing. Damselfish and wrasse sit in the rocks at both stops, octopus hide in the crevices, and loggerhead turtles pass through the lagoon.
The speedboat calls at two protected sites on the north-west corner of Crete, and both have their own page on this site.
The fare covers the boat, the crew and the drinks, and it leaves out food, guiding and your transport to the jetty.
Included:
Not included:
The missing guide matters more than the missing lunch. Nobody narrates the fortress or the lagoon for you, so read up before you board.
We recommend this trip for one reason above the rest: it gets you onto Gramvousa before the ferry does. We have watched Balos go from empty to shoulder-to-shoulder inside an hour when the Kissamos boats unload, and the difference between arriving at 10:30 and arriving at 13:00 is the difference between two versions of the same place. Travellers who have taken this boat say the same thing, and GetYourGuide’s own summary of its verified reviews leads on exactly that point, the speedboat reaches the stops ahead of the ferry crowds.
Three things come back again and again in the reviews. Boarding is quick, because 17 people step on and off a small boat in a couple of minutes rather than queueing. The two-hour stops are long enough to actually do something, the fortress climb is short and easy, though reviewers keep repeating that you want proper shoes for it. The drinks are genuinely unlimited, which on a five-hour boat in July is not a small thing.
Now the parts we would tell a friend about before they book. Value for money is the weakest score this tour carries, at 4.6 out of 5 against 4.8 for the boat and the crew, and the reason is plain: €92 is roughly double what the Kissamos port cruise charges for the same two stops. You are paying for speed, a small group and an early slot, not for extras.
The second caveat is the commentary. GetYourGuide’s review summary says outright that travellers want clearer and more frequent commentary, and no guide is included in the fare, so treat this as a boat ride rather than a tour.
The third caveat is timing at the second stop. Because Gramvousa comes first, the ferries have usually started unloading at Balos by the time you get there, and one reviewer who otherwise rated the day five stars said the crowd took the edge off the view.
Take the 10:00 departure, wear shoes you can climb in, and plan the day around the wind rather than the forecast temperature.
The boat leaves from Limeniskos daily, carries a maximum of 17 people, and asks you to be at the jetty 15 minutes before departure.
Pack swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and sports shoes. Sunscreen matters more than usual here, because a speedboat has no shade and the reflection off the lagoon is fierce. Getting to Limeniskos is your own responsibility, so allow for the drive out to the north-west coast when you pick a departure time.
The tour runs 5 hours in total, split between the crossing, a two-hour stop at Gramvousa and a two-hour stop at Balos.
The speedboat leaves from Limeniskos, on the north-west coast of Crete, and returns to the same jetty at the end of the day.
No guide is included. The fare covers the driver and the boat, and GetYourGuide’s own review summary notes that travellers would like more commentary than they get.
Balos suits young children, the crossing less so. The lagoon stays shallow and warm for a long way out, while the speedboat itself is fast and bumpy over open water.
The boat takes up to 17 participants, which is why boarding and disembarking take minutes rather than the half hour a ferry needs.
It is worth it for the early slot and the small group. The ferry costs roughly half as much and reaches the same two stops, so the extra cost buys you Gramvousa before the crowds rather than extra inclusions.
Check dates and prices for the Limeniskos speedboat tour to Gramvousa and Balos.
Embark on an unforgettable voyage through the crystalline waters of Crete aboard a luxurious catamaran. Departing from the enchanting Kissamos Port, prepare to indulge in a day of unparalleled adventure and relaxation as we set sail towards the mesmerizing wonders of Balos Bay and Gramvousa Island.
Step aboard the state-of-the-art catamaran, where opulence meets comfort, and allow our experienced crew to pamper you with impeccable service throughout your journey. As you glide gracefully across the azure Aegean Sea, soak in the panoramic views of the rugged coastline and vibrant landscapes that adorn the horizon.
Your first destination, the breathtaking Balos Bay, beckons with its idyllic white sands and crystal-clear turquoise waters. Dive into the refreshing sea or bask in the Mediterranean sun on deck as you immerse yourself in this natural paradise.
Continuing your voyage, navigate towards the legendary Gramvousa Island, crowned by its majestic Venetian fortress perched atop rugged cliffs. During your stop at Gramvousa Island, indulge in a sumptuous lunch featuring the freshest seafood delicacies, meticulously prepared by the talented onboard chefs. Savor the flavors of the sea while taking in the unparalleled beauty of your surroundings.
Throughout the day, savor delectable gourmet cuisine and refreshing beverages served onboard, ensuring that every moment of your experience is nothing short of extraordinary. For those seeking further adventure, take advantage of the complimentary snorkeling equipment, stand-up paddleboards (SUP), and fishing equipment. Dive beneath the surface to discover the vibrant marine life, glide atop the waves on a paddleboard, or try your hand at fishing in the azure depths.
Start your day of adventure from Falasarna Big Beach. From here you will set-off on a jet ski ride to Balos Lagoon that will last an exhilarating 25-minutes. Feel comfortable in the presence of a guided boat that will follow you throughout your tour.
Stay at Balos Lagoon for 1-hour to swim, take photos, and relax on the turquise shallow watrers. On our way back we will also have a quick pass from the island of Gramvousa, to take some nice photos of the shipwreck. Enjoy the flexibility of choosing one of the three time slots. Morning one for the calmness that area offers as you wil be reaching Balos Lgoon before the crowds,in between at 14.00, or join the 17.00 group as the temperature is ideal that time of the day.
Find below the list of hotels near Balos Beach and Lagoon:
Surrounded by a well-tended garden, Agarathos Traditional Rooms with Pool is located in the medieval village of Kaliviani, around 1 km from the nearest beach. It offers spacious rooms and studios, and a restaurant serving local dishes and breakfast. Free WiFi is available.
Located on the ground floor, all rooms and apartments at Agarathos Traditional Rooms with Pool open to a patio with garden and mountain views. Each includes air conditioning a and a TV. Some units come with a separate bedroom and a seating area.
Guests can easily explore the surroundings, such as the famous Elafonisi Beach (50 km), Balos lagoon (9 km) and Falasarna Beach (10 km). The scenic Town of Chania with its Venetian Port is at a distance of 40 km. Free, private parking is available on site.
from
€63
/night
Set in Kalivianí, 1.2 km from Beach Kaliviani and 1.6 km from Trachilos Beach, Trigonaki Studio – Kaliviani village offers air-conditioned accommodation with a patio and free WiFi. The property has city views and is 1.6 km from Meri Pigadi Beach and 4.1 km from Kissamos / Kasteli Port.
The holiday home has 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, bed linen, towels, a flat-screen TV, a dining area, a fully equipped kitchenette, and a terrace with mountain views.
Ancient Falassarna is 13 km from the holiday home, while Agios Dimitrios Church is 33 km from the property. The nearest airport is Chania International Airport, 57 km from Trigonaki Studio – Kaliviani village.
Situated 1.2 km from Beach Kaliviani, Agarathos Deluxe Homes offers a garden, and air-conditioned accommodation with a terrace and free WiFi.
Featuring a kitchen with an oven and a fridge, each unit also comes with a safety deposit box, a satellite flat-screen TV, ironing facilities, wardrobe and a seating area with a sofa. There is a private bathroom with shower in all units, along with a hair dryer and free toiletries.
The restaurant at the holiday home specialises in Greek, Mediterranean and grill bbq cuisine.
A car rental service is available at Agarathos Deluxe Homes.
Trachilos Beach is 1.6 km from the accommodation, while Meri Pigadi Beach is 1.6 km from the property. The nearest airport is Chania International, 57 km from Agarathos Deluxe Homes, and the property offers a paid airport shuttle service.
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€72
/night
Set in Kalivianí and only 1.2 km from Beach Kaliviani, Sokaki House offers accommodation with mountain views, free WiFi and free private parking. This holiday home provides air-conditioned accommodation with a balcony.
The holiday home with a terrace and sea views features 1 bedroom, a living room, a flat-screen TV, an equipped kitchen with an oven and a toaster, and 2 bathrooms with a shower.
A bicycle rental service is available at the holiday home.
Trachilos Beach is 1.6 km from Sokaki House, while Meri Pigadi Beach is 1.6 km away. The nearest airport is Chania International Airport, 57 km from the accommodation.
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€98
/night
Located in scenic Kalyviani Village, 800 metres from the beach, Arhontariki is a traditional, self-catered villa with a private heated swimming pool and free Wi-Fi. It features furnished verandas overlooking Kissamos Bay.
The fully air-conditioned Villa Arhontariki is furnished with antiques and features wooden ceilings and stone walls. It includes a fully equipped kitchen and dining room. Each bedroom features en suite facilities.
There is lots of seating space in the living room where guests can watch TV by the fireplace. A small gym and playroom with table tennis facilities are available. The heated swimming pool area is surrounded by a well-tended garden with lemon trees, palm trees and bougainvilleas. Free bicycles are offered to the guests.
Kalyviani Village is lively and has cafés and taverns serving Cretan dishes. The Port of Kasteli is just 800 metres away while the city of Chania is at 35 km. Free private parking is offered on our premises the Arhontariki Villa.
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€65
/night
This traditional guest house, located at the tip of cape Gramvoussa, in the traditional village Kaliviani Traditional Hotel, offers accommodation with a satellite TV and unobstructed views of Kissamos Gulf. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout.
This 2 storey building features a spacious lounge on the ground floor and bedroom on the first floor with balcony enjoying views of both the sea and the plain.
Traditional homemade breakfast is served daily.
Kaliviani Traditional Hotel is located in the northwest of Crete, just a 5 kilometres distance from Kissamos and 35 kilometres from Chania.
Hotel Kaliviani Traditional Hotel can serve as the ideal starting point to visit the lagoon of Balos, Falassarna beach and Elafonisi.
from
€91
/night
Find below list of beaches near Balos Beach and Lagoon:
Imeri Gramvousa is the small, visited islet off the north-western tip of Crete, reached by excursion boat from Kissamos and usually paired with the Balos lagoon. Imeri Gramvousa sits in Kissamos Bay in the Chania region, opposite Cape Gramvousa and about 3 kilometres from the Balos lagoon. Its name means “tame” Gramvousa, which sets it apart from Agria, the “wild” sister islet just to the north that stays steep, rocky and closed to visitors.
The islet draws day-trippers for three things: a Venetian fortress on its summit, a rusting shipwreck on its beach, and a white-sand cove with clear turquoise water. All three sit on one small, walkable island that is reached only by boat, so a visit combines a short climb, a swim and a piece of Cretan history in a few hours ashore.
Imeri Gramvousa lies about 20 kilometres north-west of Kissamos, at the north-western tip of Crete in the Chania region. The islet stands in Kissamos Bay, opposite the tall Cape Gramvousa and about 3 kilometres from the Balos lagoon, and it is administered by the municipality of Kissamos. Two bays open on its southern side, and the western cove, below the castle, holds the beach that visitors come for.
The Venetian fortress on Imeri Gramvousa was built between 1579 and 1584 to defend Crete from the Ottomans. The fortress stands about 137 metres above the beach on the island’s highest point, and a climb of about 20 minutes up a steep, uneven path reaches it and opens wide views over the bay. During the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, Cretan insurgents used the island as a fortified refuge and lived as pirates in the surrounding sea, and at times up to 3,000 people sheltered here. The islet takes its name from Vousa, a pirate chief’s wife and the only inhabitant to evade capture when the pirates were finally removed, and local legend still claims a pirate treasure lies buried somewhere on the island.
The beach lies in the western cove below the castle, next to the Church of Agioi Apostoloi. The cove has white sand with rocks in places and turquoise water that stays calm and clear, and tamarisk trees behind the sand give natural shade. The seabed is rocky and rich, so the cove suits snorkelling. A rusting shipwreck sits on the shore of the same cove and has become the islet’s landmark and a favourite photo spot.
Reach Imeri Gramvousa in two steps, since the islet is accessible only by boat:
The boats carry food and water from onboard bars, because the islet itself has no shops or facilities.
A trip to Imeri Gramvousa almost always includes the Balos lagoon, about 3 kilometres away. Boats stop at the islet for the fortress, the beach and the shipwreck, then sail on to Balos, one of Crete’s most photographed lagoons, or take the two in the reverse order. Both sites lie in a Natura 2000 protected area, so the islet stays uninhabited and overnight stays are not allowed.
A day trip to Imeri Gramvousa begins on land, at the port of Kissamos, and the drive there is simpler with your own car than by bus in high summer. Having a car lets you reach the port in time for the morning boat, carry beach gear for the family, and combine the trip with Falassarna or the villages around Kissamos on the way back. For flexible timing on the drive to the port, book a car rental in Crete.
This is Imeri Gramvousa, the tame, visited islet off the north-western tip of Crete, in Kissamos Bay in the Chania region. It sits opposite Cape Gramvousa, about 3 kilometres from the Balos lagoon, and should not be confused with Agria Gramvousa, the wild, inaccessible sister islet to the north.
Yes, Imeri Gramvousa is worth a visit for its Venetian fortress, its shipwreck and its white-sand beach, usually combined with the Balos lagoon. The day trip pairs a short climb to the castle with a swim in the turquoise cove below.
Reach Imeri Gramvousa by driving or transferring to Kissamos and then taking an excursion boat, because the islet is accessible only by boat. The boat takes about an hour and stops at the islet before or after Balos.
The excursion boat from Kissamos takes about an hour to reach Imeri Gramvousa. It then continues to the Balos lagoon, about 3 kilometres away.
The Venetian fortress on Imeri Gramvousa was built between 1579 and 1584 to defend Crete from the Ottomans, and it later sheltered Cretan insurgents who lived as pirates during the Greek War of Independence. The fortress stands about 137 metres above the beach, and a climb of about 20 minutes reaches it.
Yes, Imeri Gramvousa has a white-sand beach in the western cove below the castle, with turquoise, calm water and tamarisk trees for shade. A rusting shipwreck on the shore is the beach’s landmark.
No, Imeri Gramvousa has no facilities, because it is uninhabited and protected under the Natura 2000 program. The excursion boats carry food and water from onboard bars, and overnight stays are not allowed.
Yes, Imeri Gramvousa suits families, with calm water in the western cove and the fortress, beach and shipwreck to explore. Keep children close near the water and the rocks, and bring your own food and water, because the islet has no shops.
Tou Meri to Pigadi is located 8km northwest of Kissamos and 44km west of Chania, on the eastern side of Peninsula Gramvousa. The name means “Meri’s well”, probably named after the name of someone, who owned a well in the area. Meri Pigadi has three consecutive small protected bays, with fine pebbles and crystal clear deep waters. There are no facilities on the beaches; it is an ideal place to relax, away from the noise of cities.
There are a few small trees, under which you can find shade. The first bay, just behind the ticket kiosk of Balos lagoon, is called Mouri Lakkos. To get to Meri’s Well, you have to walk or drive 1.5km into the dirt road that starts from Kaliviani and leads to the lagoon of Balos. If you visit the beaches, do not forget to have water with you.
1.5km north of Meri Pigadi, at position Kakia Skala, there is a small beach with fine pebbles and gorgeous deep blue water, adjacent to the eastern cliffs of the cape. Access to the beach is not easy, as the rocky cliffs make the descent impossible.
Kalyviani Beach, situated a mere 1km north of the eponymous traditional village at the foot of the Gramvousa Peninsula and 7km northwest of the town of Kissamos, is a lengthy stretch of coast that serves as a viable option for swimming for those visiting the scenic village of Kaliviani. However, its overall rocky terrain with sparse sandy patches doesn’t make it a favourite among swimmers. It is advised to avoid the beach during gusty days, as the large waves coupled with the rocky seabed can make swimming hazardous.
Despite its proximity to Kissamos and Kaliviani village, where accommodation and dining options are available, the beach lacks tourist facilities. It also tends to be less than pristine, as it often becomes a depository for trash brought in by the currents and waves.
Located 3km northwest of Kissamos town and 38km west of Chania, you’ll find the beach of Vigglia on Crete island. This beach begins near the “Madonna of the Harbor” church (Panagia) by the port of Kissamos, stretching along a 2km coastline featuring many coves, all the way to Kaliviani to the west. Notably, Vigglia’s primary beach boasts a nearly semicircular shape, with its coarse sand and transparent water. There are areas where the sandy beach is replaced with pebbles and rocks.
Although Vigglia doesn’t provide extensive tourist services, there are a few hotels in its vicinity and some basic facilities. Despite not being highly organized, Vigglia attracts many admirers who appreciate the area’s tranquillity and pristine sea. If you’re seeking a family-friendly destination in western Crete, Vigglia would be an excellent recommendation.
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