Georgioupolis: Rent a Boat Safari Sea Tour
This safari hands you a small boat to drive yourself, in convoy behind a guide, for 3 hours along the coast from Georgioupolis. You need no boat licence, the guide teaches the controls, leads the group to the sea caves and the lighthouse, and stops at Omprogialos for swimming and snorkelling. Georgioupolis Safari includes fuel, safety guiding, snorkelling gear, fruit and water for €150 per boat, and the tour holds a 4.96 rating across 109 reviews, the highest score on this page.
What this boat safari actually does
You drive, the guide leads, and the convoy follows the coast east from Georgioupolis. Three things make up the 3 hours.
First is the briefing and the handover, where the guide teaches you to start, steer and approach obstacles safely. Second is the run along the coast to the sea caves, which the guide talks you into one boat at a time, and past the lighthouse. Third is a stop of about an hour in a sheltered cove at Omprogialos for swimming and snorkelling, with gear provided.
Boats run in small convoys, one reviewer described three boats with two German families and their own, so the guide stays within sight of everyone throughout.
Places this tour visits
The route follows the coastline east of the Georgioupolis river mouth.
- Georgioupolis, the boats launch and return at Georgioupolis, the long sandy stretch where the river meets the sea on the north coast.
What’s included and what isn’t
The €150 covers the boat and everything you need to use it, with nothing significant excluded.
Included:
- The boat for 3 hours
- Transfer
- Safety guide leading the convoy
- Petrol
- Snorkelling equipment
- Fruit and water
Bring a passport or ID card, it is required at check-in.
Why we recommend this experience
We recommend this one for a specific kind of traveller: somebody who has looked at a boat and wanted to drive it. Almost every sea trip in Crete sits you on somebody else’s deck. This puts you at the wheel with a guide 20 metres ahead, and the reviews make clear that this is the thing people actually remember. One reviewer called steering the boat themselves a fantastic experience, another joked about nearly sinking one and still rated it five stars.
At 4.96 across 109 reviews this is the highest-rated experience we cover, and the marks are even across the board, 5.0 for guiding, 4.9 for transport, 4.8 for value. Reviews back that up from several directions. Safety comes up constantly: guides described as putting safety first, boats in excellent condition, guides teaching first-timers patiently. One British couple noted feeling safe even when the sea was choppy. An Israeli reviewer singled out the staff as professional and patient.
Families rate it particularly well. A Polish family with children aged 6 and 9 described feeling safe and comfortable while still finding the ride thrilling and fast, and an Austrian family with three boys rated the snorkelling stop the highlight.
The honest caveats are small, which is unusual.
Value for money is the lowest dimension at 4.8 out of 5, and the reason is simply the price point, €150 is per boat, not per person, so a couple pays €75 each while four people pay €37.50 each. Fill the boat and the arithmetic changes completely.
The guide speaks to the convoy, not to your boat. One reviewer noted the guide switching between German and English across the group, and being lucky to have him in their own boat. In a bigger convoy you follow rather than listen.
CreteLocals insider tips
Fill the boat, bring your ID, and let somebody else lead into the caves first.
- Book as a full boat rather than a couple, since the €150 is per boat and splitting it four ways halves the cost each.
- Carry your passport or ID card, which the operator requires at check-in.
- Take the guide’s boat-handling briefing seriously, because reviewers who had never steered a boat all say the teaching is what made it work.
- Follow another boat into the caves first, given the entries are narrow and watching once makes the approach obvious.
- Bring a waterproof phone pouch, as the run along the coast is fast and wet and the caves are the photograph everyone wants.
- Snorkel at Omprogialos rather than the caves, since the cove stop is the hour set aside for it and the gear comes with the boat.
What to know before you go
The tour runs 3 hours including the briefing, the coastal run and the swimming stop. Transfer to the launch point is included.
Bring a passport or ID card, swimwear and sunscreen. No boat licence is required, the guide covers everything you need before you leave the mooring.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a boat licence?
No licence is needed. The guide teaches the controls before departure and leads the convoy throughout the 3 hours.
Is the price per person or per boat?
The €150 is per boat, so the cost per person depends on how many of you share it.
Is fuel included?
Petrol is included in the price, along with the boat, the safety guide, snorkelling equipment, fruit and water.
How long is the swimming stop?
Reviewers report about an hour in the cove at Omprogialos for swimming and snorkelling.
Is it suitable for children?
Families rate it highly. Reviewers travelling with children aged 6 and 9 describe feeling safe while still finding the ride fast and exciting.
What do you need to bring?
Bring a passport or ID card, which is required at check-in, plus swimwear and sunscreen.
Check dates and prices for the Georgioupolis rent-a-boat safari sea tour.
Location
Rent a Boat Safari Sea Tour is located at Omprogialos Beach. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
