Lasithi Beaches: The Best of Eastern Crete

The Lasithi region holds the finest beaches of eastern Crete, from the palm forest of Vai to the turquoise sand of Voulisma, the wild coves of Xerokampos and the warm south-coast beaches around Myrtos, Ferma and Makrigialos. This guide runs from the far eastern tip near Vai and Palekastro to the Elounda coast around Agios Nikolaos, then south to Ierapetra and the beaches of the Libyan Sea.

Region

East Crete

Palm beach

Vai

Blue-flag sand

Voulisma

Wild & remote

Xerokampos

Vai

Vai is the most photographed beach on Crete, on the north-east coast near the island's eastern tip. It is famous for its palm forest of the Phoenix theophrasti, a palm native to Crete that grows wild nowhere else on the island. The palms stand on the beach and up the valley behind it, and the sand and clear water have earned Vai the name of the Caribbean of the Mediterranean. A large paid car park serves the beach, though you can park free a little before it. Sunbeds, umbrellas and a taverna line the sand, and hundreds of visitors come each day in summer.

Voulisma (Istron)

Voulisma is a blue-flag sandy beach at Istron, about 12 km east of Agios Nikolaos. Its white sand turns the water a clear turquoise. The beach runs about 700 m, the largest in the area, and is organised with sunbeds and umbrellas. Tavernas stand near the sand, and it is clean and safe for swimming. Pensions, apartments and small hotels lie in the Istron valley behind the beach.

Almiros

Almiros Beach lies in a cove about 2 km south of Agios Nikolaos, beside the Almiros river. It is a large, mostly organised beach with sunbeds and umbrellas, and it suits visitors who want to stay near the town, which has little beach of its own. Beside it lie the protected Almiros wetlands, home to rare birds and a few of the Cretan palms otherwise seen only at Vai. Hotels and places to eat stand along the shore.

Kolokytha

Kolokytha is a pair of small beaches on the Spinalonga peninsula, opposite the village of Elounda. You reach them on foot across the peninsula in about half an hour, or by excursion boat from Elounda and Agios Nikolaos. Remains of ancient houses and columns stand behind the sand. The beaches look across to the small island of Kolokytha and to the fortress island of Spinalonga, so they can get busy when the boats call. For the fortress itself, see the Lasithi sights guide.

Myrtos

Myrtos is a small resort on the south coast, 14 km west of Ierapetra, with a long beach that is good for swimming. Narrow streets run down to a seafront lined with tavernas, while most of the small hotels and pensions sit in the back lanes. About 700 people live here, and the Dikti Mountains shelter the village, giving it a warm, near-subtropical climate. Two Minoan sites, Pyrgos and Fournou Korfi, lie just outside the village.

Ferma

Ferma is a quiet beach village on the south-east coast, between Ierapetra and Makrigialos. Its main beach mixes sand and pebbles, with a naturist section at one end. Within walking distance to the west lie two more beaches in sheltered bays, one beside the Kakkos Bay Hotel. Along the coast you can see two Roman fish tanks cut into the rock, with a channel that let fresh seawater flow in. The sea is clear, and tavernas serve the beaches.

Makrigialos

Makrigialos is a friendly beach resort on the south coast, 24 km from Ierapetra, whose name means “long beach”. A shallow sandy beach inside the village slopes gently into the sea and suits small children. From the taverna promenade a long sandy beach runs east into the neighbouring village of Analipsi. A Minoan villa stands signposted off the main road, and boats sail from the harbour to the small island of Koufonisi.

Lagada

Lagada is a stretch of quiet bays and beaches on the coast east of Makrigialos and Analipsi. The scenery is rugged, with cliffs and rocks in the sea and the uninhabited island of Koufonisi offshore. The largest, Lagada beach, is a wide sandy beach about 1 km long, with a naturist section signed at its western end. Across the hill lies Diaskari, also called Green Beach for the green pebbles found there, with a taverna and beach huts for rent.

Koutsouras

Koutsouras is a village and beach on the south coast, 2 km west of Makrigialos on the road to Ierapetra. About 800 people live here, and it is the administrative centre of the area. The beaches are small and pebbly, quieter and less striking than those at Makrigialos. The village has tavernas, two supermarkets, a post office and a town hall.

Xerokampos

Xerokampos is a scattered group of beaches in the far south-east corner of Crete, reached by asphalt road from Ziros or Zakros. It is less a single beach than a run of sandy coves along a wide valley, with a few houses, tavernas and small pensions. Mazida beach is long and wide with no facilities, and the Kavalli islands lie offshore. A salt lake sits behind Alatsolimni beach at the far end, and parts of the beaches are used by naturists.

Kouremenos

Kouremenos is a long sandy beach near Palekastro, on the road to Vai in the north-east. It runs about 1.5 km, the largest beach around Palekastro, which lies 2 km away. A few tavernas and a small harbour serve it, and a steady wind makes it a known windsurfing spot. It offers a quieter alternative to the crowds at Vai.

Plaka & Elounda

Elounda is a coastal village and luxury resort 11 km from Agios Nikolaos, set on the Bay of Mirabello opposite the Spinalonga peninsula. It has several beaches and a touch of glamour, and many visitors come over from Agios Nikolaos for the sea. North along the coast, the small village of Plaka faces the fortress island of Spinalonga across a narrow strait. Plaka's beaches are small and pebbly but relatively uncrowded, with good fish tavernas by the sea. For the villages themselves, see the Lasithi villages guide.