Best Beaches with Sunbeds in Crete

We rank the 26 beaches with sunbeds and umbrellas in Crete. Elafonissi Beach (Greece) comes first with 4.8 / 5, followed by Falassarna Beach, Stavros Beach, Crete.

The sea reaches about 25 degrees C in season, and most of these beaches are at their best from June to September. 23 of the 26 have easy access, and 9 are hidden gems.

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1Elafonissi Beach

Crete, Greece · 4.8 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

A rare pink-sand lagoon at the southwestern tip of Crete, where shallow crystal-clear waters meet rose-tinted sands.

2Falassarna Beach

Chania, Crete, Greece · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A long, wide beach of pale sand and clear shallow water on the far west coast of Crete, known for its sunsets.

3Stavros Beach, Crete

Akrotiri, Chania, Crete · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

Stavros is a small, sheltered bay of fine sand and clear shallow water on the Akrotiri peninsula of Crete.

4Voulisma Beach, Istro

Voulisma, Istro, Lasithi, Crete · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 26 °C

Voulisma is a beach of soft pale sand near the village of Istro in the Mirabello Bay of eastern Crete.

5Agios Pavlos Beach, Rethymno

Agios Pavlos, Rethymno, Crete · 4.5 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

Agios Pavlos is a quiet bay on the south coast of Crete, with pale sand dunes, a small chapel and a rocky cape that shelters the water on one side.

6Kalathas Beach, Chania

Kalathas, Akrotiri, Chania, Crete · 4.5 / 5 · Easy access · about 26 °C

Kalathas is a sandy bay on the Akrotiri peninsula near Chania in Crete, with shallow turquoise water and bare hills around the shore.

7Matala Beach

Matala, Heraklion, Crete · 4.5 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A curved sandy bay on the south coast of Crete, overlooked by a sandstone cliff riddled with ancient caves that give the beach its unmistakable look.

8Vai Beach

Sitia, Crete, Greece · 4.5 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A sandy bay backed by a large natural palm grove on the far east coast of Crete.

9Xerokambos Beach, Crete

Xerokambos, Sitia, Lasithi, Crete · 4.5 / 5 · Easy access · about 26 °C

Xerokambos is a remote beach on the south-east coast of Crete, with pale sand, clear turquoise water and bare hills behind the shore.

10Xerokampos Beach, Crete

Xerokampos, Sitia, east Crete · 4.5 / 5 · Moderate access · about 25 °C

Xerokampos is a remote bay in the far east of Crete, with pale sand, flat white rocks and clear blue water.

11Damnoni Beach

Crete · 4.4 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A sandy bay on the south coast of Crete, with mountains behind and clear water in front.

12Elounda Beach, Crete

Elounda, Lasithi, Crete · 4.4 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

Elounda has several small beaches of sand and gravel along a calm, sheltered bay on the northeast coast of Crete.

13Frangokastello Beach, Crete

Frangokastello, Sfakia, Crete · 4.4 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

Frangokastello is a long beach of pale sand on the south coast of Crete, beside a square Venetian castle with the White Mountains rising behind.

14Georgioupoli Beach, Crete

Georgioupoli, Chania, Crete · 4.4 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

Georgioupoli has a long, gently shelving beach of sand and fine gravel on the north coast of Crete, with a lively village and a small harbour.

15Kommos Beach, Crete

Kommos, near Matala, south Crete · 4.4 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

Kommos is a long beach of coarse golden sand on the south coast of Crete, close to Matala and beside the excavated site of a Minoan harbour town.

16Plakias Beach

Plakias, Rethymno, Crete, Greece · 4.4 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A long sandy beach of about 1.

17Sougia Beach, Crete

Sougia, Chania, Crete · 4.4 / 5 · Moderate access · about 24 °C

Sougia is a small village on the south-west coast of Crete with a long pebble beach in front of its tavernas.

18Triopetra Beach

Rethymno, South Crete · 4.4 / 5 · Moderate access · about 23 °C

A long, quiet beach of sand and fine pebbles on the south coast of Crete, named for the three rock formations standing in the water.

19Agia Pelagia Beach, Crete

Agia Pelagia, Malevizi, Heraklion, Crete · 4.3 / 5 · Easy access · about 26 °C

Agia Pelagia is a small resort on the north coast of Crete west of Heraklion, with a curved bay of sand and coarse pebbles and a calm sea.

20Agia Roumeli Beach, Crete

Agia Roumeli, Sfakia, Crete · 4.3 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

Agia Roumeli is a small village on the south coast of Crete with a long pebble beach, reached on foot through the Samaria Gorge or by ferry.

21Almyrida Beach, Crete

Almyrida, Apokoronas, Chania, Crete · 4.3 / 5 · Easy access · about 26 °C

Almyrida is a small village on the north coast of Crete east of Chania, with a long sandy beach, shallow calm water and a gentle slope into the sea.

22Marathi Beach

Kato Marathi, Chania, Crete · 4.3 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A sandy bay beach near Chania in western Crete with clear water, rows of umbrellas and sunbeds in season, and a tree-lined backdrop.

23Agia Galini Beach, Crete

Agia Galini, Rethymno, Crete · 4.2 / 5 · Easy access · about 26 °C

Agia Galini is a fishing village on the south coast of Crete, built on a hillside above a small harbour, with a beach of dark sand and pebbles beside the village.

24Myrtos Beach, Ierapetra

Myrtos, Ierapetra, Lasithi, Crete · 4.2 / 5 · Easy access · about 26 °C

Myrtos is a small village on the south coast of Crete with a long beach of grey pebbles and coarse sand in front of whitewashed houses.

25Hersonissos Beach

Hersonissos, Crete · 4.0 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

Hersonissos has a sandy town beach and many smaller coves along the north coast of Crete, with warm clear water and a lively promenade.

26Malia Beach, Crete

Malia, Crete · 4.0 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

Malia has a wide sandy beach on the north coast of Crete, with lifeguard stations, sunbeds and mountains behind.

Quick comparison

How we picked these beaches

Included when our practical info says sunbeds or umbrellas can be rented on or next to the beach, then ranked by editorial score. Prices change each season, so confirm locally. See how we rate beaches for the full method.

Frequently asked questions

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