The extensive beach of Falasarna and its side beaches have already been voted among the most beautiful beaches in Crete and are still considered a real insider tip. The Caribbean-like bay is also said to be the best place on Crete to watch the sunset.
The bay of Falasarna in the west of the island has already been voted the most beautiful beach in Crete, the third most beautiful beach in Greece and among the 10 most beautiful beaches in Europe. The fine sand is Caribbean light, almost white, and makes the sea shimmer in a variety of blue and turquoise tones.
The sunset here is said to be the most beautiful in all of Cre te. It also has a permanent place on our list of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Crete.
Tip: A day of swimming in Falasarna Bay can be ideally combined with other wonderful beaches in the area, such as Elafonissi or Balos Lagoon.
The region around Falasarna Bay is designated as a nature reserve. Therefore, instead of bed castles, small guesthouses and holiday flats nestle in the light sand dunes. Even in high summer, the west wind often makes it cooler and rainier here than in the rest of Crete.
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Journey to Falasarna
The beautiful sandy beach of Falasarna is located west of Cape Gramvousa about 60 kilometres from Chania. The next larger town, Kissamos, is just under 20 kilometres away.
Buses run from Kissamos and Chania to Falasarna, otherwise the beach is easy to reach by rental car. At Falasarna, five sections of beach follow each other, of which the two in the middle are the most popular for a swimming holiday in Crete.
Tip: On Assumption Day on 15.8, a big beach party is organised to celebrate Crete's patron saint.
Bathing in Falasarna Bay
The main beach, about 1km long and 150m wide, is called "Pachia Ammos", "fine sand", and lives up to its name. The soft sand shimmers pink from the coral dust and is reminiscent of the dream beach of Elafonissi, not far away.
Tavernas with free parking, showers, umbrella rental, beach volleyball courts and water sports facilities make the beach ideal for a day of swimming in Crete. Due to its spaciousness, Falasarna Bay rarely seems crowded. Most Cretan holidaymakers and Cretans come at weekends, especially on Sundays.
Tip: If a strong wind blows from the west, the swell in Falasarna Bay is often too high for swimming. But then the colourful sails of the windsurfers dance across the sea.
Beaches in the south of Pachia Ammos
At Livadi, south of the main beach, lies the most beautiful snorkelling beach of Falasarna. The shore is sandy and merges into rocks in the sea, forming perfect hiding places for all kinds of sea creatures.
There is also wildlife to observe above water, as there is a protected wetland here whose pools and ponds are home to numerous birds, especially in winter. Even further south is the small harbour of Limeniskos in a pretty pebble bay.
To the south of the main beach of Falasarna, vegetable fields and greenhouses can also still be seen. The cultivation of tomatoes and olives was the biggest source of income for the locals of Falasarna before tourism.
Beaches in the north of Pachia Ammos
North of Pachia Ammos is another beach about 800 metres long, divided into several sections by rocks and sand dunes. Just as paradisiacal as the main beach of Falasarna, it is quieter here, but there is also no infrastructure.
Still further north is a small south-facing bay with a rocky and pebbly beach. At the edge of this bay are the ruins of the ancient harbour town of Phalasarna.
Ruins of Phalarsana
At the north end of the beach are the Greco-Roman ruins of ancient Phalasarna. Also called Korykos, it was the flourishing port of Polyrrhenia, about 6km from Kissamos, in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC.
Just like Polyrrhenia, Phalasarna also minted its own coins. The city walls, parts of the acropolis, some tombs and remains of houses can still be seen today. The clearly visible "stone throne" was supposedly dedicated to the sea god Poseidon.
