Matala Beach

Golden sand beneath sandstone cliffs honeycombed with Roman-era caves, famous for its 1960s hippie era.

Thomas Meienberg · Public domain

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Good to know

▸ Along the coast

Other shores worth the trip — tap through to each beach's guide.

A palm-lined river meets the sea below a gorge — swim in both salt water and cool fresh pools.

A slim fjord-like cove of vivid blue water wedged between towering limestone cliffs on Akrotiri.

Powder-pink sand and a warm knee-deep lagoon that kids can wade across to a dune-covered islet.

A kilometre of soft pale sand facing due west — Crete's benchmark for watching the sun sink into the sea.

A shallow turquoise lagoon cupped between a wild peninsula and a rocky islet topped by a Venetian fort.

Europe's largest natural palm grove crowds right down to a curving sandy cove of clear water.

Where it is

This beach is the larger gold pin; the other gold dots are nearby beaches on Crete (numbered by island rank) — toggle them with the Filters control.

Matala Beach · Nearby beaches on Crete · 7 beaches