Paralia Agia Pelagia — Attraction in Municipality of Malevizi

Ok, if you're reading this, I assume you're visiting Heraklion and wondering where are those famous Cretan beaches that everyone is speaking about.

Don't get me wrong, Heraklion is a great place – the vibe, the music, the countless taverns with (somewhat) authentic Greek food, the impressive ruins... but, sadly, no beaches.

The first option should be Ammoudara Beach, which is very close to the city – you can actually walk there... and that's the only good thing I can say about this beach. With big waves, dirty water, and gritty sand, let's skip this one for now.

Next are the beaches on the east side of the city, near the airport – Karteros, Xenia, Amnissos, Tobruk, and so on. In reality, it's a single beach, artificially divided into smaller sections, so I'll use the name Karteros (the name locals use) for the entire area.

Speaking of Karteros, I have to say it didn't impress me. It's just a regular sandy beach, nothing special about it. However, the waves are not too strong, the sand is fine, and the beaches are not very crowded.

Another good point is that you can reach it by bus, and the ticket is not expensive, but you have to be patient because the local transport is quite chaotic.

Now, if you're looking for a really great experience, prepare for a longer drive and visit the rocky peninsula to the west of the city.

Locals often recommend Agia Pelagia Beach (which is the very place that we visited), but there are many more beaches in the area – Mononaftis, Psaromoura, Parasfoungario, Lygaria, Mades – to name a few. If you decide to visit one of these beaches, check the road conditions, as some are not easily accessible.

Agia Pelagia is a great place for a summer day – the water is not very deep at the shore, the waves are almost non-existent, the sand is fine, and if you're into snorkeling, there's a rocky area just a few hundred meters away.

If you're fit, you can try reaching the small Paralia Fylakes on the left side of the bay and practice your water jumps.

While the prices for sunbeds are not very budget-friendly, renting two sunbeds and an umbrella for a day won't break the bank. There are also plenty of taverns, but maybe you should do a little research online before deciding where to eat.

There's also something like an underwater cave in the area and there's at least one company that organizes scuba diving excursions, but for this, you'll need to visit the place two or three days in a row to attend some courses before the actual dive.

What's really unpleasant about this beach is the crowding, made worse by the fact that the sunbeds, which are very close to each other, often reach right up to the water. It's not an exaggeration – you can lie on a sunbed with your feet in the water.

Finally, a piece of advice to consider seriously: if you're a good driver, renting a car and driving from Heraklion might be a good idea, but be careful because the last section of the road is very steep, narrow, and winding.

If you're not very confident behind the wheel, maybe it's a good idea for you to rely on public transportation – there's a bus linking Heraklion with some of these small resorts. However, if you choose this option, be sure not to miss the last bus, or you'll have to spend the night there (or order a taxi, which might cost you...

My best friend and I approve of this beach for sureeee. First of all there are cute little touristy stores for girls like us who have a long list of gift to buy for our families and friends ;) there are also mini markets if you want to get some snacks to eat on the beach and restaurants by the water. Be prepared to have your GPS freak out over the little roads and the one ways to get to the beach, but once u get near the water find a parking and walk the rest of the way to the beach, I promise you the water and the views are definetly worth it! Once you are on the beach I recommend that you got to the left and get some lounging chairs and a beach umbrella, we saw in the Google reviews that for two chairs and the umbrella it was 10€ but we were there from 11 to 18h and nobody came to ask us to pay for them, lucky us;) We also went to the secluded part of the beach but be prepared to leave all of you stuff behind on the beach or in your car because you can’t reach reach the little beach by the foot path, you will need to walk the path and go down on some rocks (be mindful of the little ursins) and swim the rest of the way, it is not too long of a swim but the water is deep so if you want to bring stuff with you please bring a waterproof bag. Apart from us there was a family on the little hidden beach (they were tanning without any clothes on, would not recommend for prudes just in case you encounter a pair of a** cheeks;)) so it was very calm! The beach is mostly little pebbles, and then sand. There are also big rocks in the water. After our beautiful day on the beach we ate a pork gyro and a greek salad with some Coca Cola at Sofia’s Corner for 15€ and let me tell you the food made our stomach’s very happy. 5/5 for the experience, would definetly recommend that you spend a day at...

We had an accomodation in Dioskouroi Apts in Agia Pelagia, so the choice of this beach was natural. It was just minutes walk from the apartments. Its most problematic aspect is mentioned many times in the reviews - and it is its width, which is very small. In some parts it is wide enough to accomodate maybe three rows of sunbeds and one or two rows of blankets. However, close to the Castello Infinity Suites it gets so narrow that only one row of the sunbeds is possible. It might get quite windy, so taking a sunbed with robust wooden sun umbrellas is recommended, but you have to get there early (at 8.00 am at latest to have at least some choice). On the other hand, there are two very strong aspects - the sea is just beautiful and crystal clear. While the beach is sandy, just in the sea it is pebbly making the water always clear, even when stronger waves are formed. The sea here is simply top-notch. Another interesting feature is the chain of restaurants and shops just behind the beach. In this case, it is easy to get your lunch just meters away from your place at the beach. Moreover, you can buy anything you want from the shop. You can also enjoy the view of magnificent Fylakes beach which can be accessed only from the water. Only one really negative aspect was cleanliness of the beach itself - or better to say the lack of it. In contrast to the sea, the beach is full of small parts of garbage (especially cigarette butts). Despite this, I highly...