Best things to do in Ligaria in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Ligaria is a small seaside resort on the north coast of Crete, in the Malevizi area 21 km northwest of Heraklion and 1.2 km east of Agia Pelagia. The name, also spelled Lygaria, comes from the Greek word for the wicker tree, which grows well around the bay. Ligaria began as an area of summer houses built by Heraklion residents, and it has since grown into a resort with small taverns, hotels and cafés along the shore.
Heraklion airport is the nearest airport to Ligaria, and the resort is built around one thing: its beach. The Bay of Ligaria closes the cove off from the region’s northwest winds, so the sea in front of the taverns usually stays calm.
Things to do in and around Ligaria
Five outings lie within about 3 km of the resort, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Swim at the village beach. Ligaria beach is coarse sand and clear turquoise water, organised with sunbeds, umbrellas and tavernas, and the sandy west end is the easiest place to get in.
- Swim round to Parasfougario. Parasfougario sits 400 m away on a steep incline between Ligaria and Agia Pelagia, and the only way in is a 20-25 minute swim from either beach or a set of stairs from a nearby house.
- Walk over to Madés. The coastal hamlet of Madés lies 500 m from Ligaria at Cape Bourouni of Rogdia, overlooking a tiny bay with a pebble beach ringed by rocks.
- Spend a day in Agia Pelagia. The resort village 1.2 km west wraps around an amphitheatric bay where rock outcrops almost encircle the water, and its seafront carries hotels, tavernas, cafés and bars. Our Agia Pelagia beach guide covers the sand itself.
- Hike the Spiliotissa gorge. The gorge at Rogdia starts 3.1 km away at the ancient Koukos watermill and drops past several small waterfalls to the 10-metre Rechtra falls, reached on a steep descent with ropes, before finishing at Paliokastro beach.
Ligaria beach
Ligaria beach is a sheltered, organised beach of coarse sand and clear turquoise water, and it is the main attraction of the resort. It sits inside the Bay of Ligaria, which closes the cove off from the region’s northwest winds, so the water here usually stays calm when the coast outside is not.
Sunbeds, umbrellas, water sports and tavernas line the shore, and the sand is laid out for family use and for visitors with mobility concerns. Equipment hire and lessons for several water sports run from the beach. One thing to know before wading in: the seabed close to shore is rocky in places, which makes the sandy west end the easiest entry point.
Beaches near Ligaria
Four more beaches lie within 1.5 km of Ligaria, and they range from an organised resort bay to a cove with no road at all.
- Parasfougario lies 400 m away in the Achlada district, a small beach of pebbles and coarse sand with a cave to its east and a slope of crithmum behind it. It faces the northern winds that its neighbours are shielded from, so it is one to skip on a blowy day.
- Madés sits 500 m away near the northernmost fringe of the Gulf of Heraklion, a tiny bay of pebbles enclosed by rocks and the small settlement of Madé. The local hotel runs the beach and puts out umbrellas and sunbeds for its guests.
- Agia Pelagia is 1.2 km west, a several-hundred-metre strip of sand mixed with small pebbles in a bay that Cape Souda shields from the summer meltemi. The Turks called its rounded natural harbour Tsanak Limani, meaning “plate harbour”.
- Tripiti stands 1.4 km away between Cape Katarameno and Cape Bourouni of Rogdia, a pebbled shore under towering cliffs, named “with holes” after the caves at its eastern end. The road that once served it was washed away by floods in 1995, so it is now one of the most remote beaches near Heraklion.
Where to eat in Ligaria
Eating in Ligaria means the taverns, restaurants and bars strung along the beach and the road behind it, with more 1 km west in Agia Pelagia.
- Liber Ligaria stands in the resort, 300 m from the centre.
- Bar.B.Q A’La Carte Restaurant serves grilled dishes à la carte 700 m out.
- Bostani Restaurant sits 900 m from Ligaria.
- Galea Restaurant lies 1 km along the coast.
- Bravo Seafood does fish and seafood 1.1 km away.
- Symposium Restaurant is 1.2 km out, in Agia Pelagia.
Getting to Ligaria
Drive out of Heraklion on the highway towards Chania and take the Ligaria / Mades exit, which drops down to the coast. Ligaria lies 21 km northwest of the city, and Heraklion airport is the nearest airport to the resort.
The same exit road serves the neighbours. Madés is signposted 1.5 km along it, and Agia Pelagia sits 1.2 km west of Ligaria with the larger share of the hotels, tavernas and bars on this piece of coast.
Inland trips run west and south from here. Fodele is 6.7 km away and Marathos 7.7 km, and two more ravines sit in the same direction: the Santorinios canyon near the Agios Panteleimonas Monastery at Fodele, 6.8 km out, and the Almiros gorge, a short, easy hike 7 km from the resort.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Ligaria in Crete?
Ligaria lies on the north coast of central Crete, 21 km northwest of Heraklion in the Malevizi area. Agia Pelagia is its nearest neighbour, 1.2 km west along the same shore.
Is the sea at Ligaria calm?
The sea at Ligaria usually stays calm, because the Bay of Ligaria closes the cove off from the region’s northwest winds. The nearby beach at Parasfougario is the exception on this stretch, since it faces those winds directly.
Is Ligaria beach suitable for families?
Ligaria beach is laid out for families and for visitors with mobility concerns, with sunbeds, umbrellas and tavernas along the sand. The seabed is rocky in places near the shore, so the sandy west end is the easiest place to swim from.
How do you get to Ligaria from Heraklion?
Take the highway towards Chania and turn off at the Ligaria / Mades exit. Ligaria sits 21 km northwest of Heraklion, and the same exit road carries on to Madés, which is signposted 1.5 km in.
What does the name Ligaria mean?
Ligaria takes its name from the Greek word for the wicker tree, which grows well in the area. The resort is also spelled Lygaria, and both spellings refer to the same bay east of Agia Pelagia.
Where Ligaria is
Best things to do in Ligaria in 2024 is located at Ligaria. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
