Balos Beach — Attraction in Municipality of Kissamos

Undoubtedly one of the top attractions and must-visit places in Crete. It’s known as the best beach in Greece.It’s about 56 km from Chania, 163 km from Heraklion, and approximately 90 km from Rethymno.To get to Balos, if you’re not into long trails or willing to spend a few hundred euros on a private boat, you have two main options: driving (and hiking a bit) or taking a ferry. We decided to drive there, and I think this is the best way to experience what Balos has to offer. Driving there is an adventure in itself, offering breathtaking views. The journey from Chania,took us through a mostly good road, well-maintained until you reach the final 8 km, which is a rough, unpaved track with some narrow, winding sections. This part of the drive requires careful navigation, but the stunning coastal views make it worthwhile. You can do this drive with any type of car as long as you go slowly and carefully. If you rent a car, most insurance policies won’t cover you here as it is considered off-road. You might consider adding extra insurance for this trip or just be aware that you’re at your own risk. There’s a small entrance fee of 1€/person.Parking costs 3€, and from there, you’ll need to hike to the beach. In my opinion, this is the best part. As you walk down, you get to see one of the best sceneries in the world.It's a shame to go to Balos and not get to see everything from the top. The hike is about 2.5 km,around 20-30 mn, depending on your pace. It’s a bit challenging with around 800 steps and some uneven rocky parts, but most people, including families with older kids and active seniors, can handle it.Take your time and snap plenty of photos, the surrounding landscape is unforgettable. Just make sure to wear good shoes and bring water. Going back up, though, isn’t the easiest task.After a long day in the sun, make sure to cover your head; there’s not much shade on the way, and please use sunscreen! I was shocked to see so many sunburned tourists.If you prefer, you can take a ferry from Kissamos port(19€ for kids; 38€ for adults), and the ride to Balos is really scenic. This is also the only way to explore Gramvousa Island, which is included in the trip. It’s a special place to visit with an old Venetian Fortress and a shipwreck that are worth exploring. However, due to a new law in 2024 that aims to preserve this natural protected area, ferries can’t drop you off right on the shore anymore. Instead, you have to wade through water up to your shoulders on a rocky, slippery surface. This can take up to an hour, so if you think about embarking back and the 2 hours you have in total to explore the area once you get there, you have to be among the first people to get off the boat and one of the last to get back on to enjoy the beach for a bit. Despite this, the ferry ride itself is enjoyable with great views of the coastline and nearby islands, and definitely has its advantages. You don’t have to worry about driving or hiking if that’s not enjoyable for you.When you finally arrive, you’ll be blown away by its beauty.Exploring Balos can take 1 to 2 hours, depending on what you want to do. You can swim, snorkel, or just relax and take in the stunning scenery. There are also a few amenities like toilets (1€ fee) and a small kiosk for snacks and drinks. There are a few sunbeds with umbrellas that you can rent for 20€ (2 sun loungers + umbrella), but you have to arrive before 11:00 to find some available.Extra tip: make sure to avoid visiting Balos on a very windy day, it will change your experience completely.And bring water shoes! That white strip you see from the top is not all fine sand; it’s rock for the most part.It’s important to know that the whole area is protected by European environmental programs, which means they can’t change anything about the place.Overall, our visit was amazing.I’m sure you’ll have a great experience if you know what to expect. See our experience or check out the new disembarking situation before visiting, we made a video about Balos on...

We read a lot of reviews before visiting Balos and i feel like we had to write one too because we didn’t agree either what people were saying (we are from italy) First of all the best way to visit Balos is by renting a quad! Don’t rent a car or a boat because they are way more expensive and with them you lose all the great views. Plus we had so much fun driving a quad instead. We rented one from Kaliviani rental and it was super cheap, the host was extremely nice too. Please know! Most car rentals are not gonna let you do the travel to Balos. The insurance on the car will not cover any damage done on dirt roads and they do have a gps. There are car rentals near Balos at the Kissamos port but, as I said before, some parts of the road are really terrible and surely not doable without damage if you don’t have a 4x4. Plus, don’t forget the fun and money saved by renting a quad :) About the walk down, after reaching the parking with the quad there is a short hike. People were absolutely overreacting about it as we found it pretty easy. You can do it in flip flops, we don’t really recommend it (we didn’t have shoes so we wore sea shoes with socks instead and it was a great choice) but you’re gonna be just fine with them. Of course you have to be decently fit but it was not difficult at all. We reached it in around 15 minutes walking down and we were in a hurry on the walk back up so we did it in the same time. We do absolutely recommend to not walk back up in the hottest hours of the day but if you take it easy you’re gonna be fine. There is also small stands along the way that sell fresh water and drinks. We saw kids doing the walk by themselves and they were just fine. It’s not really a hike as there is steps made of stone. We do recommend bring a hat though because the sun can hit really hard. The beach was beautiful but we do recommend visiting as soon as possible as it lost much of its beauty when the boats full of people arrived. It does have shops with food, water and umbrellas to rent for the day. They aren’t extremely expensive but we decided to bring ours anyway. There was also bathrooms that cost 1€ per person and they do not accept credit cards. Be aware of the goats! they are not shy and they will eat your food if they see it. Don’t leave your stuff or clothes/towels unattended because they will use them as a bathroom 😶 I think this is all! I believe that busing Balos is a must if you’re in Crete and that you will have the best day of your life if you rent a quad. A once in a lifetime experience. Stay safe and have fun...

+++ENGLISH VERSION+++ To reach the Balos Lagoon, you need to drive the last 7 km on a dirt road. The road is doable, but you’ll be going at a snail’s pace – expect about 30 minutes to cover that final stretch.

Halfway through, there's a stop where you pay €1 per person as an entrance fee. At the end of the road, there’s a small parking area that costs €5. I strongly recommend arriving before 9 AM to guarantee a spot.

The walk to the beach is also along a dirt path. Going down is easy, around 20 minutes, with breathtaking views the whole way. Coming back up is much tougher – heat, fatigue, steep and uneven steps make it a challenge (it takes about 40 minutes). There’s a bar halfway up where you can rest and refill if you’ve run out of water.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: This path is ONLY suitable if you're wearing shoes. They don’t need to be hiking boots, but closed shoes are a must. If you're wearing flip-flops or slides, you're being reckless – you're putting yourself and others at risk.

Umbrella and two sunbeds rental: €20 – standard price. Once you spot a free umbrella, grab it immediately, don’t wait for the staff. They’ll come later to collect payment – no upfront fee.

The beach is extremely windy (seriously, very windy), so check the wind forecast before you go.

We got our umbrella on the left side right after descending. The ones directly on the lagoon – which you reach by either walking through the water or taking a long walk around the beach – are less windy, but they get completely packed when the tourist boats arrive.

There’s a decent bar, but honestly, bring your own food and drinks. Prices are high and the quality is... let’s say questionable. (€6.50 for a slice of pizza you really don’t want to eat).

Toilets: €1.

Wild goats roam around and will rummage through your bags looking for food. If you’ve got kids, bring some carrots or veggies – feeding them is a fun experience!

Come early. This beach is stunning – a once-in-a-lifetime kind of place. However, it’s impossible to access with strollers and not ideal for families with very small children.

Still, I highly recommend it: the beach is breathtaking, the water crystal clear, and the view of the lagoon from the water, with the cliff towering above, is simply...