Matala Beach
Golden sand beneath sandstone cliffs honeycombed with Roman-era caves, famous for its 1960s hippie era.
- Beach
Good to know
- Type
- Beach
- Best for
- caves & laid-back sunsets
Nearby beaches on Crete
Other shores worth the trip — tap through to each beach's guide.
© Uoaei1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Preveli Beach
A palm-lined river meets the sea below a gorge — swim in both salt water and cool fresh pools.
Seitan Limania Beach
A slim fjord-like cove of vivid blue water wedged between towering limestone cliffs on Akrotiri.
© dronepicr · CC BY 2.0 Elafonissi Beach
Powder-pink sand and a warm knee-deep lagoon that kids can wade across to a dune-covered islet.
© MariaVanRhodes · CC BY-SA 4.0 Falassarna Beach
A kilometre of soft pale sand facing due west — Crete's benchmark for watching the sun sink into the sea.
© Sergio Alvarez · CC BY-SA 2.0 Balos Lagoon
A shallow turquoise lagoon cupped between a wild peninsula and a rocky islet topped by a Venetian fort.
© We Love Crete · CC BY 2.0 Vai Beach
Europe's largest natural palm grove crowds right down to a curving sandy cove of clear water.
Matala Beach on the map
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