Kalyves town: Beaches, Stays, Things to do

Kalyves is a seaside village and family beach resort in the Apokoronas region of Crete, about 20 km east of Chania on Souda Bay. Kalyves keeps its traditional character, where old stone houses with red-tiled roofs stand beside modern buildings. The Xydas river runs through the town and splits the older quarter on the west bank from the newer quarter on the east. Green olive-grove countryside rises behind the town toward the White Mountains, and a water mill on the town square, one of the oldest in the area, marks the old centre.

A sandy beach forms where the Xydas river meets the sea, and it carries a Blue Flag. The beach shelves gently into shallow water, which makes it easy for families with young children. A small harbour sits at the north end of the beach, and tavernas, cafes, and shops line the seafront and the square. The town has a bakery, a supermarket, a pharmacy, a bank, a post office, and a petrol station. The ancient city of Aptera stands about 8 km inland, and the resort villages of Almyrida and Plaka and the quieter Kera Beach lie a short drive east.

Getting to Kalyves

Reach Kalyves by the coast road east of Chania, along the southern edge of Souda Bay. The nearest airport is Chania International (CHQ), about 25 km west, and regular buses run between Kalyves and Chania. A car makes the beaches, the ancient sites, and the Apokoronas villages far easier to reach across a spread-out coast. Many visitors sort out their car rental in Crete.

Kalyves beach: character, access and facilities

Kalyves beach is 2 sandy, shallow stretches lying either side of the Xydas river mouth, both equipped with standard tourist amenities and both open to northern winds. Kalyves beach splits at the river mouth, with Xidas on the east side and Maistrali on the west, and a small bridge connects the two. Each stretch shelves gently, so the shallow water reaches a long way out before it deepens. The full layout of both beaches is set out on our guide to Kalives beaches.

The sea here runs cooler than the water along the rest of this coast. The Xydas and Mesopotamos rivers reach the sea at the village’s eastern edge, and springs rise in the seabed offshore, and between them they pull the temperature down around the river mouths. Northern winds hit both beaches directly, so an exposed afternoon can bring chop to water that is calm in the morning.

Access is on foot from the village, since the sand begins where the streets end and the seafront runs the length of it. The harbour sits beside Maistrali, and regular buses connect Kalyves with Chania for visitors without a car. Banks, post offices, clinics and shops stand in the streets behind the beach, and the seafront itself carries tavernas and cafes, among them Akrogiali Restaurant just off the sand, Restaurant Mistrali 500 m along and Kantina Bananas Beach Cafe Cocktail Bar at 600 m.

A third beach sits north of the village at the mouth of the Kiliaris river, named Kiani Akti or Glaros. The Kiliaris carries water down from the White Mountains and runs all year, which is rare on Crete, and the sea beside its mouth stays cool as a result. That stream is the main tributary gathered by a canyon inland, described on our guide to the Diktamos Gorge, which drains onto Kalyves beach.

4 more beaches lie within 6 km along the south shore of Souda Bay, each a short drive east or north of the village.

• Kera lies 1.4 km away, soft sand with the occasional pebble under tall cliffs, shallow and clear but unorganized. Karga island sits offshore, and an elongated rock at the west end is called Karavos, meaning ship, for its shape.
• Almyrida sits 2.7 km away, 2 shallow sandy bays split by a small rocky peninsula topped with a white chapel, backed by tavernas, sunbeds and a watersports centre. The village behind it is covered on our page for Almyrida.
• Kalami is 3.5 km away, rounded pebbles and deep water 500 m north of Kalami village, with a small harbour at its east end. It stays a local favourite and holds only a handful of umbrellas and some tamarisk trees.
• Loutraki lies 5.1 km away, a sheltered cove on the Akrotiri peninsula across the bay, with fine sand, shallow clear water, sunbeds, umbrellas and taverns under the trees.