Heraklion beaches
All along the northern and the southern coasts of the region, visitors will discover amazing Heraklion beaches to relax. Around the tourist resorts, Heraklion beaches are organized with plenty of hotels, traditional taverns, and watersports centers. However, many secluded bays are also found for total privacy and isolation, mostly on the southern coasts of Crete Greece, which is less tourist-developed. You will find below a list with the best beaches in Heraklion Crete.
Except for the beaches, there are also many places for sightseeing. Discover the best things to see in Heraklion.
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Guide to 32 beaches
Discover our guide to 32 beautiful Heraklion beaches. They are all presented with a detailed description, photos and their location on a map of Heraklion. For the most popular spots, we also provide information about sightseeing in the area, a selection of hotels and reviews.
Matala beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 67 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Matala is the most famous resort on the southern side of Heraklion. The organized beach next to some strange rock formations offers a nice environment for relaxation.
Agia Pelagia beach
Diving Club, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-OrganizedLocation: 24 km northwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Agia Pelagia is a lovely fishing village that turns into a tourist resort in summer. Its calm ambiance and beautiful beach make it ideal for families.
Malia beach
Party, Sandy, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 36 km east of Heraklion
Description: Malia is the most popular beach resort of Heraklion and the most famous nightlife spot in Crete. It gets very popular and usually attracts people who go there for clubbing.
Our selection of Best Hotels
Agiofaraggo beach
Pebbled, Secluded, Non-Organized, Nudism-FriendlyLocation: 80 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: A wonderful beach at the end of a gorge, Agiofaraggo is a popular spot for skinny dipping.
Tymbaki beach
Partly-Organized, Family Friendly, PebbledLocation: 70 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Tymbaki is a beach with a calm ambiance on the southwestern side of Heraklion Crete, close to the famous resort of Matala.
Tobrouk beach
Partly-Organized, SandyLocation: 10 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Tobrouk is located on the northern side of Crete and very close to popular tourist resorts. Its large beach and the watersports facilities make this beach crowded in summer.
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Lygaria beach
Diving Club, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-OrganizedLocation: 23 km northwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Lygaria is another beautiful beach close to the tourist resort of Agia Pelagia. It is a secluded cove, ideal for switching off.
Amoudara beach
Diving Club, Windsurfing, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 5 km west of Heraklion Town
Description: Ammoudara is a very long, sandy beach with clean water. The organized coast and the close distance from Heraklion Town makes it very popular.
Amnissos beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 9 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Amnissos is a long, sandy beach near Heraklion Town. The coast is organized with sunbeds, umbrellas, watersports centers and beach bars.
Stalida beach
Party, Sandy, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 33 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Stalida is a popular beach with many hotels around it. It is located between Hersonissos and Malia, east of Heraklion Town.
Hersonissos beach
Diving Club, Party, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 28 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: The beaches around Hersonissos are among the most popular in Crete. The main beach is well organized and has many watersports centers.
Kalamaki beach
Partly-Organized, Sandy, Family FriendlyLocation: 67 km south west of Heraklion Town
Description: Kalamaki is a fully organized beach close to the popular resorts of Matala. It has clean water and a long, sandy coast.
Kokkini Hani beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 13 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Hani Kokkini is a busy, lively beach resort with many tourist facilities and watersports centers along the coast.
Tsoutsouros beach
Family Friendly, Pebbled, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 60 km south east of Heraklion Crete
Description: Tsoutsouros is a lovely and calm resort on the southern side of Crete. This is a great place for relaxing, family vacations.
Fodele beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 27 km west of Heraklion Town
Description: A lovely village with some tourist development, Fodele has a long sandy beach and taverns along the shore.
Agia Pelagia Psaromoura beach
Pebbled, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 24 km northwest of Heraklion Town
Description: This small beach close to Agia Pelagia is a lovely resort northwest of Heraklion Town. It is not organized, so it is ideal for relaxation.
Agia Pelagia Mononaftis beach
Pebbled, Well-OrganizedLocation: 24 km northwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Mononaftis is a narrow beach close to the tourist resort of Agia Pelagia. Surrounded by some rocks, this small cove is organized with sunbeds and umbrellas.
Dermatos beach
Sandy, Non-OrganizedLocation: 90 km south of Heraklion Town
Description: A secluded beach on the southern side of Crete, Dermatos is not organized and constitutes an option for total privacy.
Analipsi beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 20 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Analipsi is a lovely beach resort with many tourist facilities and watersports centers.
Gouves beach
Diving Club, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 16 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Kato Gouves is a popular tourist resort between Heraklion and Hersonissos. It is developed and offers hotels, watersports centers and organized beaches.
Karteros beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 8 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: This is a pleasant beach resort close to Heraklion Town, on the northern side of Crete. It usually gets very popular in summer.
Matala beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 67 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Matala is the most famous resort on the southern side of Heraklion. The organized beach next to some strange rock formations offers a nice environment for relaxation.
Agia Pelagia beach
Diving Club, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-OrganizedLocation: 24 km northwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Agia Pelagia is a lovely fishing village that turns into a tourist resort in summer. Its calm ambiance and beautiful beach make it ideal for families.
Malia beach
Party, Sandy, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 36 km east of Heraklion
Description: Malia is the most popular beach resort of Heraklion and the most famous nightlife spot in Crete. It gets very popular and usually attracts people who go there for clubbing.
Our selection of Best Hotels
Agiofaraggo beach
Pebbled, Secluded, Non-Organized, Nudism-FriendlyLocation: 80 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: A wonderful beach at the end of a gorge, Agiofaraggo is a popular spot for skinny dipping.
Tymbaki beach
Partly-Organized, Family Friendly, PebbledLocation: 70 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Tymbaki is a beach with a calm ambiance on the southwestern side of Heraklion Crete, close to the famous resort of Matala.
Tobrouk beach
Partly-Organized, SandyLocation: 10 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Tobrouk is located on the northern side of Crete and very close to popular tourist resorts. Its large beach and the watersports facilities make this beach crowded in summer.
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Lygaria beach
Diving Club, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-OrganizedLocation: 23 km northwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Lygaria is another beautiful beach close to the tourist resort of Agia Pelagia. It is a secluded cove, ideal for switching off.
Amoudara beach
Diving Club, Windsurfing, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 5 km west of Heraklion Town
Description: Ammoudara is a very long, sandy beach with clean water. The organized coast and the close distance from Heraklion Town makes it very popular.
Amnissos beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 9 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Amnissos is a long, sandy beach near Heraklion Town. The coast is organized with sunbeds, umbrellas, watersports centers and beach bars.
Stalida beach
Party, Sandy, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 33 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Stalida is a popular beach with many hotels around it. It is located between Hersonissos and Malia, east of Heraklion Town.
Hersonissos beach
Diving Club, Party, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 28 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: The beaches around Hersonissos are among the most popular in Crete. The main beach is well organized and has many watersports centers.
Kalamaki beach
Partly-Organized, Sandy, Family FriendlyLocation: 67 km south west of Heraklion Town
Description: Kalamaki is a fully organized beach close to the popular resorts of Matala. It has clean water and a long, sandy coast.
Kokkini Hani beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 13 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Hani Kokkini is a busy, lively beach resort with many tourist facilities and watersports centers along the coast.
Tsoutsouros beach
Family Friendly, Pebbled, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 60 km south east of Heraklion Crete
Description: Tsoutsouros is a lovely and calm resort on the southern side of Crete. This is a great place for relaxing, family vacations.
Fodele beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 27 km west of Heraklion Town
Description: A lovely village with some tourist development, Fodele has a long sandy beach and taverns along the shore.
Agia Pelagia Psaromoura beach
Pebbled, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 24 km northwest of Heraklion Town
Description: This small beach close to Agia Pelagia is a lovely resort northwest of Heraklion Town. It is not organized, so it is ideal for relaxation.
Agia Pelagia Mononaftis beach
Pebbled, Well-OrganizedLocation: 24 km northwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Mononaftis is a narrow beach close to the tourist resort of Agia Pelagia. Surrounded by some rocks, this small cove is organized with sunbeds and umbrellas.
Dermatos beach
Sandy, Non-OrganizedLocation: 90 km south of Heraklion Town
Description: A secluded beach on the southern side of Crete, Dermatos is not organized and constitutes an option for total privacy.
Analipsi beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 20 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Analipsi is a lovely beach resort with many tourist facilities and watersports centers.
Gouves beach
Diving Club, Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 16 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: Kato Gouves is a popular tourist resort between Heraklion and Hersonissos. It is developed and offers hotels, watersports centers and organized beaches.
Karteros beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Well-Organized, WatersportsLocation: 8 km east of Heraklion Town
Description: This is a pleasant beach resort close to Heraklion Town, on the northern side of Crete. It usually gets very popular in summer.
Keratokambos beach
Partly-Organized, Sandy, SecludedLocation: 70 km south of Heraklion Town
Description: A secluded resort on the southern side of Crete, Keratokambos is a great choice for quiet vacations.
Kokkinos Pyrgos beach
Sandy, Family Friendly, Non-OrganizedLocation: 67 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Close to the popular resort of Tymbaki stretches Kokkinos Pyrgos, a long sandy beach with a few tourist facilities.
Komos beach
Partly-Organized, SandyLocation: 67 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Komos is a long, secluded beach around 2 km from the busy resort of Matala. Part of the beach lies right in front of the archaeological site of Komos, while the northern part is a popular spot for nudism.
Paleokastro beach
Pebbled, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 15 km northwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Paleokastro is a small, secluded beach on the way from Heraklion Town to Agia Pelagia. Surrounded by huge rocks, this beach is protected by strong winds.
Psari Forada beach
Sandy, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 88 km southeast of Heraklion Town
Description: Psari Forada is a calm beach on the southern side of Crete. Not much developed or crowded, Psari Forada is a lovely family resort.
Sidonia beach
Sandy, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 90 km south of Heraklion Town
Description: A quiet beach on the southern side of Crete, Sidonia is located right next to the family resort of Psari Forada.
Tertsa beach
Pebbled, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 88 km southeast of Heraklion Town
Description: Tertsa is a quiet beach between Psari Forada and Myrtos. The beach is not organized but has some tourist facilities above it.
Treis Ekklisies beach
Family Friendly, Pebbled, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 65 km south of Heraklion Town
Description: Located on the southern side of Crete, Treis Ekklisies is a secluded resort accessible through a track road.
Vathi beach
Sandy, Secluded, Non-OrganizedLocation: 80 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: Vathi is a secluded and unorganized beach a few kilometers from Matala. It can be reached through a track road from Sivas.
Linoperamata beach
Sandy, Non-OrganizedLocation: 7 km west of Heraklion Town
Description: This is a long, sandy shore next to the popular resort of Ammoudara.
Messara Gulf beach
Location: 7 km southwest of Heraklion Town
Description: The Gulf of Messara is located on the southwestern side of Heraklion Crete and comprises lovely beaches, such as Matala, Kalamaki and Komos.