Great Family Beaches on Crete Island
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Crete is one for those islands that people love to visit. Fabled birthplace of Zeus and home to the fabled Minoan civilization, it is certainly rich in history. However, there are also plenty of other sites to see, such as its gorgeous beaches. Here’s a look at some of the best family oriented beaches the island has to offer:
Falassarna Beach
Falassarna Beach is located about an hour from Chania and is also near Platanos village. This beach can get busy but it is still possible to find some quieter corners. There are also tavernas and other accommodations nearby. The beach itself is nearly always lightly peopled by other tourists, so you’ll see just a few other people snoozing beneath their umbrellas. This makes for a clean beach, freer from litter and other pollution than almost any other place in Greece. Falassarna’s reputation has peceded it, so that it tends to attract people more interested in the otherworldly sunsets and soft gold sand than in wild partying. Except when the winds pick up, the turquoise waters offshore are wonderful for swimming.
Matala Beach
An hour southwest of the town of Heraklion, Matala Beach is best-known for its impressive cliffs. Ancient people in Matala used to hack caves into the cliffs, and those caves were a popular hippie hideout during the 1960s. Between these periods, Matala was best known as a village dependent upon fishing, but tourism is the primary business of the area today. While the caves are now closed to the public, the island is a fully developed tourist destination with numerous modern accomodations. The locals of Matala are expert in providing these modern touches wthout sacrificing the old-world charm of their 300 meters of beach.
Rodakino Beach
For some travelers, any development at all is too much and they prefer quieter beaches that are off the beaten track. If you’re that kind of traveler, Rodakino Beach is the destination for you. There are several intimate beaches along the 43 km stretch of road between Plakias village amd the town of Rethymno. Rodakino Beach is the best-known of these beaches and is located near Plakias. All share an air of quiet and relaxation, the sort that only comes from escaping the modern world entirely for a time. Rodakino is the place to stay for some blissful isolation.
Plakias Beach
Rodakino Beach might be near Plakias, but there is also a Plakias Beach 40 km to the south of Rethymno. This beach is fully developed for tourism, including numerous entertainment, dining and hotel/room rental options. It’s easy to get the umbrellas, sun beds, and whatever else you might need to stretch out for a few hours on the sands, but there’s also everything you need for water sports just offshore.
Istro Beach
Stretching south from Agios Nikolaos to Mohlos is a road that bypasses several blue-water beaches. Istros Beach, in particular, is renowned for its soft, white sands that gorgeously complement the clear sea. All around it is thick green vegetation covering picturesque slopes. Istros is just developed enough, and the best part of that development is the delicious Cretan seafood, lightly cooked to perfection.
There are certainly some great beaches on Crete, but these are some of the best choices for families. You should consider visiting at least one of these during your stay!
Categorized in: About Crete Greece, Greek Travel Guide
This post was written by Greek Boston
