The most incredible beaches of Crete
This famous white- and pink-sand beach is noted for the pink crushed seashells that line the shore, giving it a slight tinge of rose color that contrasts beautifully with the turquoise glow of the sea. It’s one of the most impressive pink sand beaches in the world.
Balos Beach
A cozy bay is formed between Cape Tigani and the rocky island of Gramvousa. The water impresses with its fantastic shades from light blue to deep azure, turning in places into turquoise. The Greeks are very fond of beautiful stories, so they call the bay of Balos “The Kiss of the three seas” – the Ionian, Libyan and Aegean seas, at the confluence of which the water plays with such bright colors.
Voulisima Beach is one of the most spectacular beaches on Mirabello Bay, if not the entire north coast. A long curving stretch of sand with towering cliffs in behind set in a wide bay. The light blond sand combined with the clear water makes for a spectacular shade of turquoise. The water is warm and shallow well out into the bay.
Vai Beach (Palm Beach)
Set at the very easternmost area of Crete, this beach has one of Europe’s largest palm groves, reputed to have over 5,000 trees. Only “discovered” in the mid 1970s when a Bounty chocolate bar television commercial was shot here, the beach is completely undeveloped. Clear water, soft sand, and unending views out over the sea.
Vai isn’t the only palm forest in Crete, you can find a smaller version at the beach of Preveli. The surrounding landscape here is lush and breathtaking, a real surprise on an island as dry as Crete. The beach is set between two steep hills and has a freshwater stream flowing through the center.