Chania: Menies Beach & Chironisia Bay Cruise with Snorkeling

This cruise sails from Kolymbari around the Rodopou peninsula to two beaches you cannot drive to: Menies, on the site of the ancient sanctuary of Diktynna, and Chironisia bay, reachable only from the sea. Smile Cruises runs it for 4 hours with snorkelling gear and a guide included, from €40, departing at 10:15 and 14:30. The tour holds a 4.51 rating across 663 reviews.

What this boat cruise actually does

The boat rounds the Rodopou peninsula, the northernmost finger of Crete, and stops twice. Both stops are for swimming, and both reward a snorkel.

First is Menies beach, which sits on the site of ancient Diktynna, where the most important temple to the goddess Britomartis once stood. Remains of the Roman temple are visible on land, along with an abandoned 9th-century monastery of St George. In the water sits the sunken base of a gun carriage from the Second World War, shallow enough to snorkel down to. Second is Chironisia bay, a small hidden inlet with deep blue water and small caves you can swim into with the gear provided.

The boat anchors about 6 metres offshore at Menies, so reaching the sand means a short swim in shallow water.

Places this tour visits

The route covers the Rodopou peninsula west of Chania, and two of its points have their own page here.

• Menies beach, the first and longer stop is Menies beach, where the ancient Diktynna sanctuary sits directly behind the shingle and the WWII gun carriage lies just offshore.
• Chania, Kolymbari is a short drive west of the city, so the trip pairs easily with the rest of the beaches around Chania.

What’s included and what isn’t

The fare covers the boat, the guiding and the snorkelling kit, and food and drink are sold on board rather than included.

Included:

• Four-hour cruise around the Rodopou peninsula
• Two swim and snorkel stops
• Snorkelling equipment
• Guide
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off, on the option that includes it and from selected hotels

Not included:

• Food and drinks, which are available to buy on board

Why we recommend this experience

We recommend this cruise because it reaches two places a hire car cannot. Menies is at the end of a rough track that eats rental tyres, and Chironisia has no land access at all, so the boat is not a convenience here, it is the only sensible way in. That is a genuinely different proposition from the beaches you can park at.

What reviewers consistently praise is the time in the water. Guests describe plenty of swimming and snorkelling at both stops, and several say the trip length is exactly right, long enough to feel like an outing, short enough to leave the rest of the day free. One family travelling with children aged 8 and 10 reported the snorkelling as the highlight of their trip. Another group went ashore at Menies and found goats on the beach.

The archaeology is a real bonus rather than a marketing line. A Roman temple site and a 9th-century monastery sitting behind an empty beach is unusual, and no other boat trip out of Chania puts you there.

Three caveats worth knowing.

The boat gets crowded. GetYourGuide’s own summary of the verified reviews says travellers find the boat busy and would prefer fewer people on board, and that is the single most repeated criticism. It scores 4.4 out of 5 on guiding, its weakest dimension.

The commentary is hard to hear. Multiple reviewers mention a poor speaker system on deck, and one French guest noted nobody spoke French. If the history is your reason for coming, read about Diktynna before you board.

The snorkelling is variable. One reviewer rated the underwater life as less spectacular than expected, with few fish at the first spot. The clear water is reliable; the fish are not.

CreteLocals insider tips

Take the morning boat, bring water shoes, and read up on Diktynna before the guide starts talking.

1. Book the 10:15 departure, since the afternoon sailing runs into the wind that builds off Rodopou most summer days.
2. Pack water shoes, because Menies is a smooth-stone beach and reviewers who walked ashore recommend them.
3. Swim the 6 metres to shore at Menies rather than staying aboard, as the anchorage sits off the beach and the temple remains are on land.
4. Bring cash for the on-board bar, given food and drink are sold rather than included.
5. Stand near the front for the commentary, since reviewers repeatedly report the deck speakers being hard to follow.
6. Check your spam folder the day before, because the pick-up time arrives by email and lands there often enough to be worth mentioning.

What to know before you go

Look for the Smile Cruises boat at the port of Kolymbari. Departures leave at 10:15 and 14:30, and hotel pick-up runs from between 1 hour and 10 minutes before departure depending on where you are staying, the exact time comes by email.

Bring comfortable shoes, swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and beachwear. The tour does not run in poor weather, and the boat anchors 6 metres off the shore at Menies, so you need to be comfortable swimming in shallow water.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Menies and Chironisia cruise?

The cruise runs 4 hours, split between the sail around Rodopou and two swim stops.

Where does the boat leave from?

The boat leaves from the port of Kolymbari, west of Chania, where the Smile Cruises vessel is moored.

Can you reach Menies beach by car?

Menies is reachable overland only by a rough track, and Chironisia bay has no land access at all, which is why both are visited by boat.

Is snorkelling equipment provided?

Snorkelling equipment is included, and the sunken WWII gun carriage at Menies is the main thing to look for with it.

Is food included?

No food or drink is included, though both are available to buy on board.

Is the boat suitable for children?

Children snorkel happily on this trip, with reviewers reporting 8 and 10-year-olds enjoying it, though everyone needs to swim the short distance from the anchorage to the beach.

Check dates and prices for the Menies beach and Chironisia bay cruise.