Swimming in Crete
Sandy beaches across Crete, from Falassarna and Elafonisi in the far west to the palm-backed bay at Vai in the east, with Preveli on the south coast. The sea is still about 23 °C in October and 20 to 21 °C in November. At Elafonisi and Vai the dunes and the palm forest behind the sand are fenced off.
- Spots20
- Water in Nov20 to 21°
- Free to enter19
Every spot in Crete
Typical water temperature in November.
Agia Pelagia Beach
Beach, Agia Pelagia
The main beach of the resort village of Agia Pelagia, in a small bay on the Malevizi coast west of Heraklion.
20°NovFree- 21°NovFree
Balos Lagoon
Beach, Kissamos · Natura 2000 protected area (Gramvousa); the Municipality of Kissamos collects a use fee on site in the 2026 season.
White sand runs out between the Gramvousa peninsula and the small Tigani headland, closing off a lagoon only a few centimetres deep, with deeper water for swimming on the right-hand side of the bay.
20°Nov
Josep M. Gracia, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAElafonisi
Beach, Elafonisi · Protected area (Natura 2000): no vehicles past the barrier, dunes and cedars fenced off
A low sandy islet about 1.5 km long sits roughly 150 m off the beach, and a shallow channel lets you wade across to its dunes.
21°NovFreeElounda Beach
Beach, Elounda
The municipal beach of Elounda, a sandy beach right beside the harbour in Schisma, Elounda's main settlement, 10 km from Agios Nikolaos.
20°NovFreeFalassarna
Beach, Falassarna · Inside the Natura 2000 site for Gramvousa, Tigani and Falasarna (GR4340001)
Five sandy beaches run into one another at Falassarna, and the two in the middle can get busy.
21°NovFreeFodele Beach
Beach, Fodele
A sandy beach at the head of the bay of Fodele in Malevizi, west of Heraklion, with the Fodele Beach hotel on the shore.
21°NovFreeGeorgioupoli Beach
Beach, Georgioupoli · Inside a Natura 2000 site (GR4340010, which also covers Lake Kournas)
A long sandy beach where the Almyros river meets the sea at Georgioupoli, inside a Natura 2000 site that also covers Lake Kournas.
21°NovFreeKalathas
Beach, Kalathas
A sandy beach below Kalathas village on the west coast of the Akrotiri peninsula, about 11 km north-east of Chania.
20°NovFreeLivadi Beach, Bali
Beach, Bali
A sandy beach on the south side of the bay of Bali, one of several small coves around the village 34 km east of Rethymno.
21°NovFreeMarathi
Beach, Marathi
A sandy beach on the Akrotiri shore of Souda Bay, about 17 km east of Chania, looking across the bay to the White Mountains.
20°NovFreeMatala Beach
Beach, Matala · The caves in the cliff are an archaeological site with its own ticket and opening hours
A bay of coarse sand on Crete's south coast, closed at its north end by a cliff of soft porous rock cut with dozens of caves.
21°NovFreeNea Chora
Beach, Chania
A town beach about 1 km west of the centre of Chania, reached along the coast road from the Venetian port, with a line of rocks about 200 m offshore.
20°NovFreePanormo Beach
Beach, Panormo
The village beach of Panormo, a coastal village 20 km east of Rethymno, with white sand beside the small harbour.
21°NovFreePlakias Beach
Beach, Plakias
A sandy beach of more than a kilometre along the bay in front of Plakias village, on Crete's south coast 40 km south of Rethymno, with a naturist section.
21°NovFreePreveli Beach
Beach, Preveli · Path access since the July 2026 wildfire: not confirmed
The Kourtaliotis river runs out through a palm grove onto this sandy beach below Preveli Monastery, reached by a 15-minute walk down from a car park at the end of a track.
21°NovFreeSeitan Limania
Cove, Chania · Paths closed by the Municipality of Chania after a rockfall in April 2026; rockfall warning signs
The authorities closed both cliff paths down to this narrow inlet on the Akrotiri peninsula after rocks fell onto the old path in April 2026.
20°NovClosedStavros Beach
Beach, Stavros
A sandy beach beside a small fishing harbour at the northern tip of the Akrotiri peninsula, under the steep mountain that rises behind the village.
20°NovFreeVai
Beach, Vai · Protected palm forest: fenced, no entry to fenced areas, no camping, no fires
A 60-hectare palm forest, guarded by the Forest Service, grows right behind this beach of fine sand and pebbles, 24 km from Sitia.
20°NovFreeVoulisma Beach
Beach, Istro
The largest municipal beach of Kalo Chorio, a long stretch of sand near the resort of Istro on the Gulf of Mirabello, south-east of Agios Nikolaos.
21°NovFree
Nothing here for that filter.
Questions about Crete
Can you swim in Crete in October and November?
Yes. The sea around Crete is typically about 23 °C in October and 20 to 21 °C in November, after 25 °C in September. The swimming season runs from May to November.
How do you get to Balos?
Either by day boat from Kissamos port, about an hour each way, or by a rough dirt road to a car park above the lagoon and then a path down to the sand that takes 35 to 40 minutes, uphill on the way back. There is an access fee for the protected area; the amount is on the official site.
Which Crete beaches are in protected areas?
Balos and Falassarna are Natura 2000 sites. At Elafonisi cars stop at a guarded barrier, and the dunes and cedars behind the beach are fenced off. At Vai the palm forest behind the beach is fenced, and camping and fires are banned.
Which Crete beaches can you reach by bus?
KTEL Chania-Rethymno buses serve Falassarna from Chania and Kissamos, and run a summer service to Elafonisi. For Balos, the bus goes to Kissamos port, where the day boats leave. Vai has KTEL buses from Sitia bus station.
What is the water quality like in Crete?
In the 2025 EEA bathing season, 17 of the 18 places listed here with a monitoring site were classified excellent. Preveli Beach was classified good.