Best things to do in Kalathas in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Kalathas is a seaside village on the Akrotiri peninsula in the Chania region of Crete, 12 km northeast of Chania city. Kalathas occupies a natural bay at Cape Akrotiri that is open to the north winds. The village is a recent settlement, built up by residents of Chania who wanted to live away from the city centre.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport, 6.3 km from the village in a straight line. Kalathas is a place for swimming: the beach in front of the village has fine sand and shallow, clear water, a small island lies opposite within swimming distance, and 7 more beaches sit within 9 km.
Things to do in and around Kalathas
Six outings lie within about 8 km of the village, listed here from nearest to furthest.
- Swim at the village beach. Kalathas beach lies 600 m from the centre, with fine sand and shallow, clear water. It is organised, with umbrellas, water sports, restaurants, hotels, lifeguards and mini markets, and the small island opposite is an easy swim.
- Find the quiet bay to the west. Past the rocky end of the main bay lies a second sandy cove, secluded and unorganised, for anyone who wants sand without sunbeds.
- Go round to Agios Onoufrios. The beach 1.9 km away is quiet and sandy, in a deep bay that shelters it from the wind, beside a small port. Agios Onoufrios keeps sunbeds, showers, changing rooms, a lifeguard and two volleyball courts, though fuel tanks stand northwest of the sand.
- Walk down to Maherida. The white sand cove 2.7 km away faces southwest into a calm bay enclosed by sharp rocks, 1 km west of Chorafakia village near Tersanas. Maherida has no sunbeds, umbrellas or tavernas, and its clear shallow water suits swimming and snorkelling.
- See Vardies at Stavros. The camel-shaped mountain above Stavros, 4.8 km away at the far point of Cape Akrotiri, stood behind Anthony Quinn’s Sirtaki dance in “Zorba the Greek” in 1964. The main beach below it forms a protected semi-circular lagoon beside the harbour.
- Hike the Avlaki gorge. The 2 km route runs from Gouverneto Monastery down to Katholiko Bay, 7.3 km from Kalathas. Avlaki takes about an hour, drops 280 m, rates 2 on a scale of 1 to 10, and passes caves, hermitages and the abandoned Katholiko Monastery on the way to the sea.
About the village and its setting
Kalathas is a seaside village on the Akrotiri peninsula, and its setting is a natural bay that opens to the north wind rather than a closed cove. The village is a recent one: people from Chania moved out here to live away from the city centre, and the settlement grew from that. Hotels, restaurants and mini markets now serve the beach.
Two places within 8 km give the village its wider context. Chania, 7.2 km away, is the capital of the prefecture and one of the oldest cities on Crete, with Venetian and Turkish monuments, a harbour, a lighthouse and an old town of winding streets. Souda, 7 km away at the head of Souda Bay, is the port of Chania, where ferries from Piraeus arrive and cruise ships call; building between the two has made Souda feel like a seaside suburb.
Beaches near Kalathas
Kalathas has its own beach and 7 more within 9 km. They range from an organised village bay to undeveloped coves with nothing on them at all.
- Kalathas lies 600 m away, fine sand and shallow clear water in front of the village, fully organised, with a small island opposite and a secluded unorganised bay west beyond the rocky end.
- Agios Onoufrios sits 1.9 km away, sandy and quiet in a deep bay that keeps the wind off, beside a small port. Local people come for the setting and the traditional tavernas.
- Maherida is 2.7 km away, a white sand cove with turquoise water, enclosed by sharp rocks. The name comes from the Greek machairi, knife, after the cape at the north end of the bay.
- Stavros lies 4.8 km away, below the camel-shaped Vardies mountain. Once a fishing hamlet, it is now a busy village with hotels, and its main beach forms a sheltered semi-circular lagoon of white sand beside the harbour.
- Koum Kapi sits 6.2 km away, a 1 km strip of sand on the eastern edge of Chania’s old town, just beyond the Venetian port. It is known for the coastal street of cafés and bars behind it rather than for beach days, and it stays unorganised.
Three more lie within 9 km. Katholiko Bay, 7.6 km away, is where the Avlaki gorge reaches the sea, while Nea Chora at 8.1 km and the Lazaretta islet at 8.3 km sit on the Chania side.
Where to eat in Kalathas
Eating in Kalathas runs from the beachfront to the streets behind it. Twelve places to eat, drink or stay sit within 2.2 km, and the nearest is 300 m from the centre.
- Lena Beach Restaurant is 300 m from the centre, at the beach.
- Irene’s Tavern stands 1.6 km out.
- Alibertos Food & Wine sits 1.7 km out.
- Bourakis Restaurant lies 1.9 km out.
Getting to Kalathas
Kalathas is reached by road from Chania, 12 km to the south-west, on the route out onto the Akrotiri peninsula. Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport, 6.3 km from the village in a straight line. Souda, 7 km away, handles the ferries from Piraeus.
A car is useful but not essential for a beach stay, since the village beach is 600 m from the centre and the nearest restaurant 300 m. The gorges need one: Avlaki starts 7.3 km away and Diplohahalo, a technical canyon with six descents and a 38 m waterfall, 9.3 km.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kalathas in Crete?
Kalathas lies 12 km northeast of Chania city, on the Akrotiri peninsula in the Chania region. The village occupies a natural bay at Cape Akrotiri.
Does Kalathas have a beach?
Kalathas beach lies 600 m from the village centre, with fine sand and shallow, clear water. It is organised, with umbrellas, water sports, restaurants, hotels, lifeguards and mini markets. A second sandy bay west of the rocky end of the main beach is secluded and unorganised.
Can you swim to the island at Kalathas?
The small island opposite Kalathas can be reached by swimming. It lies off the village beach, in the shallow, clear water of the bay.
Is Kalathas beach windy?
The bay at Kalathas is open to the north winds. When the northerly blows, Agios Onoufrios 1.9 km away sits in a deep bay that keeps the wind off, and Maherida 2.7 km away faces southwest into a calm bay.
How far is Kalathas from Chania airport?
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport to Kalathas, 6.3 km away in a straight line. That figure is a great-circle distance, so the drive runs longer than 6.3 km.
Where Kalathas is
Best things to do in Kalathas in 2024 is located at Kalathas. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
