The beaches of Crete
The best way to explore the island of Crete is to hop on a scooter and visit different beaches. Because if there is one thing to be found here, it is breathtaking places with crystal clear water. Here are my top 6 beaches surrounding Elounda and Agios Nicholaos.
Voulisma beach
Located on the northeastern coast, about 13 km from Agios Nikolaos, you`ll find one of the most popular beaches in the small bays of Istro. With its crystal clear turquoise waters, sand and pebbles it has been awarded the Blue Flag and made it as one of the top beaches in Eastern Crete.
There is a steep walk down the hill, the beach being very narrow. But the water is unbeatable. It can however become very crowded, so I recommend going early and leave around lunch time. Depending on how you like to spend your day of course. There is a small restaurant located on top of the hill, accessible from the beach and sun beds free for hire.
Almiros beach
Almiros is located 2.5 km south of Agios Nikolaos and is the most popular beach of the city. It is quite long, with sand and very shallow and calm water. The sun beds are very basic and there are toilets and a few canteens to be found. We made our way to one of the hotels on the south side of the beach for our lunch, which was no problem.
It is also home to several rare birds, towering eucalyptus trees and palm trees, as it is located next to the protected wetland of Almiros.
It is worth noting that the water is very cold in some places due to the river that flows out into the water. So when swimming, it could suddenly get very cold, and then the next second warm again. A bit funny!
Ammoudi beach
Ammoudi is right next to the city centre of Agios Nikolaos, in a well protected bay. It is small, with beautiful water, preferred both by locals and visitors.
It quickly turned to a favorite of ours, that we returned to several times. We rented sun beds through Amoodi, where we also had lunch. We not only loved it because of its location, but the fact that you could pre book sun beds, the water was simply amazing and the lunch the same. Drinks, water, coffee, food etc could also be ordered down to the sun bed if wanted. Parking with a scooter was super easy too, car not so much.
Only downside was the music being played from around lunch and rest of the day. Me being a reader and loving the quiet, well; this is not private and quiet. Still loved it though!
Plaka beach
Plaka is a picturesque village about 5 km north of Elounda and it is well worth the trip. We drove along the coastal road and stopped at the rocky Plaka beach, offering a direct view over to the spectacular Spinalonga Island.
The beach is as mentioned rocky, so it is a tad uncomfortable to get into the water. Also, the sun beds open to the public (not the ones featured below) are very basic and hard to move around. That being said, the beautiful turquoise water and the many lovely restaurants nearby makes it worth the trip. Just a short walk up the road we found the local pearl Maria`s Taverna. A real, authentic greek place that is a must try!
Kolokitha beach
This turned out to be a little adventure that without a doubt made it into our memory book! We scootered over to this little hidden gem, parking on the top of a hill before making our way down to Kolokitha beach by foot. Driving only really qualifies if you are driving an ATV or serious dirt bike.
This perfect hidden gem outside Elounda offers the most clear water I have ever seen. We decided to avoid the tiny beach and just found a cozy spot along the rocks, jumping in and dragging ourselves up from the water with the help from ropes that were places a little here and there. There are no facilities or restaurants here. Just you and the beautiful water.
Dianiskari beach
On the way over to Kolokitha there is this tiny, tiny little beach surrounded by rocks. This turned out to be our go to spot in the afternoons for a dip or two, drying up while enjoying the quiet. We had swimming shoes with us, making it easy to get in and out from the side of the rocks. This place offers no sun beds, has no restaurant nearby and no toilets. This is just you and nature and I this is where I felt completely at ease during our trip. Breathtaking and my personal favorite.
Lots of love from Henriette Sophia
