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Crete is the largest island in Greece and also one of the most popular islands in Europe. In this blog we would like to introduce you to our top three beaches and bays that you should definitely not miss on your Crete trip. Although you will find all these beaches in many other blogs, we have a very special secret tip for snorkelers that you will probably not find anywhere else. If you're curious now, stay tuned to the end.
Seitan Limania
Seitan Limania is a small bay near Chania. Connected with a short walk down the cliffs and past goats, which often want to steal your food on the beach, you reach the beautiful bay with its turquoise blue water. Here it is advisable to come early because it can get very crowded around noon and then it gets very tide on the beach. In addition to cliff jumping, the bay also offers a beautiful backdrop for underwater photography. You won't find a lot of fish there, but the water is wonderfully illuminated by the light sandy bottom.
Elafonisi
The next beach we would like to introduce to you is one of the most famous beaches on Crete. A very beautiful mountain and coastal road takes you to the lively beach after a 1 1/2 hour drive from Chania. Unfortunately, it was very windy when we were there, which made relaxing on the beach uncomfortable. That's why it was time for us to get into the water and explore the underwater world. Already from the beach you can see the many small coral rocks in the crystal clear water where countless fish cavort. We have not seen such a large number of colorful fish anywhere else on Crete. Therefore, we recommend everyone who comes to Elafonissi to take their snorkeling gear and dive to one of the many coral rocks to explore.
Balos
Balos is the third beach that we would like to introduce to you. It takes about half an hour to get to the also well-known beach on a very bumpy road past herds of sheep and goats. Arrived at the parking lot, it is a 20-minute walk down to the long white sandy beach. Especially in the high season, when it can sometimes get over 40 degrees, we recommend the hike back to the car in the afternoon/evening when the sun is not that strong. In Balos you can escape the heat and relax, especially in the shallow water.
We now come to the already announced snorkeling spot. While Balos isn't exactly where you'll see the most exciting marine life, there is one spot we found on the way back down the bumpy road. Already from the road that runs on the other side of the peninsula where Balos is located, you can see beautiful turquoise water again and again. At one point (we have marked it on the map) there is a small road down to the water. We suspect that there used to be a small quarry. You won't find a sandy beach or inviting sunbathing areas there, but the underwater world was incredible. With a completely clear view, there were countless huge cut rectangular rocks and coral rocks that gave a unique picture under water. In addition, we were completely alone in this place. So we can only recommend a small stop on the way to Balos or on the way back from Balos to make a snorkeling stop there.
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