Ranked · Updated May 2026
Ten beaches that justify a detour, ranked on the water, the effort to reach them and how they feel at four in the afternoon in high season.
1
Best for the landscape
A moonscape that happens to have sea in it
White volcanic rock, worn smooth, running straight into water so clear the boats look like they are floating on nothing. There is no sand, no shade and no taverna — bring water and go at eight in the morning or after five. Everyone else will be there at noon taking the same photograph.
2
Best for families
Pink sand, and shallow for a hundred metres
The pink comes from crushed shell, and it is real, though weaker than the photographs suggest. What matters more is the lagoon: warm, waist-deep and enormous, which makes it the most forgiving beach in Crete for small children. The drive from Chania is two hours of switchbacks. Go early; the car park fills by ten.
3
Best for the view down
The one you see from the road before you see it from the sand
White pebbles between two cliffs, and water that turns an implausible blue by mid-morning. The viewpoint on the road above is where the famous photograph comes from, and it is worth stopping there first. Steep shelving and no lifeguard — fine for confident swimmers, less so for children.
