Visiting Balos Beach Lagoon: Crete’s Must-Visit Attraction

A visit to Balos Beach ended up being one of my favourite things I did in Crete. The scenery is even more beautiful than photos can depict. Goats roam along the mountainside and beach as crystal clear water gently laps at a pink sand shore, this is easily one of the most idyllic landscapes you will find in Europe. If you’re planning a visit to Crete, this is one thing that belongs on your itinerary. I’ve got everything you need to plan the perfect visit to Balos Bay and tons of photos in case you need more convincing.

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Visiting Balos Beach Lagoon in Western Crete

I visited Balos as part of my road trip to Crete and visit to Athens and it ended up being a highlight of Greece for me. You can find all the technical information on how to best visit Balos Beach at the bottom of this post, but first let me tell you my experience and why you should visit Balos Beach

Waking Up Early for Balos Lagoon

It’s not very often I can say I’ve woken up at 4:30 AM and had a perfect day. In fact, I’m going to go on the record as saying it’s the only time it’s happened.

Rising before the sun is generally not my thing. But on this particular day, I was too excited to sleep. I had been looking forward to visiting Balos Beach before I even planned my trip to Crete. The views looked amazing and  I couldn’t wait to get there.

Driving Gramvousa Peninsula 

I chose to drive instead of taking the boat. Mostly because I already had a rental car and liked the freedom of being able to arrive and leave when I wanted to. It turned out to be the perfect decision for me.

While researching Crete, I had seen many accounts of the drive to Balos Beach being terrible. Many advised against driving, saying that it’s very possible to damage the underside of your car. After looking at some videos of the road I decided to risk it anyways.

On the dirt road up to the parking lot of Balos the sun just started to peak over the mountains. The only car on the road, the experience felt magical. Driving slowly, I put the window down and gazed over the water and sunrise.

I started to notice something, hundreds if not thousands of small insects flying up the mountain. It was bees. Making their morning commute to the wildflowers to bring back nectar and pollen to their hives. I couldn’t believe it. Up with the bees.

Of course, this is Greece so there were also small herds of goats dotting the mountainside as well.

Entrance to Balos Beach Parking Lot

The road itself wasn’t bad at all. It is narrow at some points and there are no guard rails so you do have to be mindful of how you drive. It took about 20-30 minutes to drive up because I did stop to take photos. Towards the top there is a gate. Now normally at this gate they collect a small fee for parking at Balos Beach so make sure you have change.

When I arrived at the gate it was locked. I wasn’t anticipating it so I got out to look if it was just an open and drive on and close behind you situation or a wait situation. While I investigated, a very disoriented man came out of the small building that is there. I’m pretty sure he was a goat herder and this poor man was so confused he came out in only his underpants and a shirt. He went to grab pants and then opened up the gate so I could drive through. My apologies to this Greek man for arriving so early.

Being the first person there, the parking lot was empty.

Hiking to Balos Beach

The sun had almost completely risen above the mountains but there were still long shadows creating really beautiful lighting over the landscape. Out of the car and on the short walk to the lookout points over Balos Beach the soil took on a red Martian-toned landscape with the glowing light of the sunrise. Am I romanticizing it a little bit? Possibly, but it truly felt like a special experience.

With time, more goats were awakening and charged past, eager to get to new grazing grounds. I arrived at the first lookout point over Balos Beach and was blown away. You know how sometimes you’ve seen plenty of photos and know what to expect but still end up impressed. This was that. It was way better than I was expecting.

The walk down didn’t take too long, about 30 minutes, but I realized I would not want to do this late in the day as there is no place to hide from the sun.

The beach itself has change rooms, a food stand, and some paid bathrooms as well. There are also lots of paid sun loungers if you are staying awhile.

Exploring the Pink Sand Beaches of Balos Lagoon

I wandered along the beach, looking for the fabled pink sand of Balos Beach. There isn’t much here, you do have better luck at Elafonisi Beach or nearby Falasarna Beach but there are still little pockets of pink sand along the waterline. The pink sand gets it colour from the crushed red shells of microorganisms found in the waters here. As tempting as it is, it’s important not to remove this sand from the beach as the pink sand is decreasing with increased tourism.

The water here is unbelievably clear and beautiful shades of teal. I felt more like I was in the Rosario Islands of the Caribbean than Southern Europe. Balos Beach is one of the most beautiful sandy beaches in Europe.

Of course, a visit to the beach wouldn’t be complete without goats. They are a bit shy but they do graze alongside the beach.

By the time I was done exploring, I had spent about 2 hours at Balos Beach and tourists were just starting to arrive as I left.

Hiking Up from Balos Beach

The walk up the mountain back to the car isn’t too bad but even by 8:30 AM the heat of the sun is starting to build. If you are planning to do this later in the day I recommend lots of water, a good sun hat and maybe a sun umbrella if you are particularly sensitive.

The parking lot was starting to fill up as I drove out. The drive down the mountain was only about 15 minutes but there was a steady stream of oncoming vehicles.

Amazing Morning at Balos Beach Lagoon

This next part felt like a huge win. After being up for hours, I made it back to the hotel just in time to catch the tail end of breakfast and have a mini feast of Greek breakfast items like olive oil chocolate cake, Greek salad, and yogurt with honey. Cretan honey is a must try, I have to believe it is because the bees work so hard and commute up a mountain to get the best wildflowers.

Visiting Balos Beach was just the start of the perfect day because I still had an entire day to fill so I decided to head to Elafonisi Beach afterwards. I had planned them to be too separate days but I just was too excited to be in Crete so I ended up combining the day. If you’re more chill, you can easily spend most of the day relaxing on the beach at Balos and swimming in the waters there.

How to Get to Balos Beach

If you want to visit Balos Beach you have two main options: Drive to the parking lot above Balos Beach, or get a boat from Kissamos to Balos Beach and Gramvousa Island. Balos Beach is on the West side of Crete so the closest major city is Chania.

Driving to Balos Beach

If you prefer being in charge of your own schedule and are comfortable with narrow dirt roads, then you can drive to Balos Beach. One of the disadvantages is to beat the crowds, you do have to be up early. I would aim to be at Balos around 9-10 AM, but definitely before noon.

This is a good time to mention that I highly recommend purchasing the extra car insurance for your rental car in Crete. It’s the only place I’ve had to make use of it as my car was bumped in a parking lot at Kourtaliotiko Gorge. In Crete, I used DiscoverCars to find the best deal on a rental car and added on their extra insurance as well.

Driving up the dirt road to the Balos Beach parking lot took a bit longer than I expected, almost 30 minutes.

The directions you find on Google Maps to Balos Beach are accurate but I did find it tricky to spot the correct turnoff from the main highway to Balos Beach.

Taking a Boat Cruise to Balos Beach and Gramvousa Island

The boat cruise does have advantages over driving as it’s the only way you can also visit Gramvousa Island which has a Venetian Fortress you can hike to with views of Balos. The ferries to Balos Beach leave from Kissamos Port around 10:30 AM so you don’t have to wake up as early as if you were driving yourself. The ferry is about 1 hour each way.

If you have a rental car you can book this ferry boat tour that leaves from Kissamos. There are also sailing tours that leave from Kissamos. If you are exploring Crete without a rental car, there are tour options that include a bus from Chania, Heraklion, or Rethymno.

Where to Stay Near Balos Beach

I recommend staying outside of a major city while visiting Balos Beach and other nearby beaches. You save time on driving and accommodation options are a lot more affordable than in cities like Chania or Rethymon.

I stayed for three nights in the area and would have happily stayed longer. Look for hotels around Falasarna or Kissamos while visiting this part of Western Crete. Many hotels in this area are seasonally operated only as winter is not a popular travel season in Crete.

Casa D’Irene Deluxe Hotel– I stayed here. I highly recommend this hotel. The room I stayed in also had a kitchenette and there was free parking available. There was a small rooftop pool and the best breakfast spread I had in Crete. Super cozy, great location off of the main highway. Would happily stay here again!

Kaliviani Traditional Hotel– This is the place to stay if you want views of Falasarna Beach from your room. This is in an excellent location as it is right on the road to Falasarna Beach. Beautiful rooms and balconies to watch the sunrise from.

Nautilus Bay Hotel– Located in Kissamos, this is the place to stay if you want to be on the beach. While the beach can’t compete with Balos Beach, it’s still a great option if you want to wake up to the sounds of the sea. Beautiful rooms, a pool, and a great location.

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