Matala Beach, Matala

We did rent a car to be in this beach, and pay €3 for the parking, and you can park just in front of the beach.

Awesome area on the south side of Crete. It’s famous for its hippie built caves from the 1970’s which are marvels in their own right. There is a small 4Euro fee person to visit the caves but it’s worth it. Just make sure you have good shoes to climb as there are no real stairs to climb the upper levels of the caves. The beach itself is okish with quite a stony seabed and not so clear waters but the waters were warm and it was a very refreshing dip. There are numerous shops, cafes and restaurants nearby selling literally everything so that is also a nice walk around. One issue that we faced is that Matala is quite far from any nearby major cities. So you have to rent a car and drive around 80kms from Heraklion. The roads are well maintained though quite winding through the hills in the central region. Definitely worth a visit if you are in Crete.

The beach itself is very nice but not better than many others on the isle. The whole set incl. the hippie caves (entrance costs a few EUR) and the nice restaurants as well as some shops (a bit touristic) makes the set.

This beach is great! Lots to do if you need a break from laying out/swimming. We loved exploring the hippy caves, relaxing on the beach, eating, and shopping.

Just lovely! Well worth at least a day trip with an overnight to enjoy the sunset, have dinner and relax sipping a drink at the taverns and bars of the quaint village.