Balos Lagoon Crete

Who does not know the mythical Balos Lagoon? Few people do not know about the coast we are talking about, surely you will have seen it reproduced in a thousand postcards or in travel magazines, it is almost impossible to have never noticed it.

The Balos Lagoon is located right on the extreme ledge of the northwest coast of Crete about 45 kilometers from Chania and about 20 from Kissamos between Gramvousa Island and Cape Tigani.

Considered one of the best beaches in Crete together with Elafonissi beach, it is formed by the silting of the Capo Tigani island which with two sandstrips about 400 meters long each gave life to the lagoon. It offers an almost surreal landscape made of sweet dunes with an almost lunar appearance with a white sand coast like talcum powder consisting of shells and pulverized corals and a sea of iridescent blue turquoise colors, an effect that we are sure will leave you speechless and incredulous. how much Mother Nature has managed to create.

Caribbean waters and wild nature this is what the Balos Lagoon looks like, an almost exotic flavor where the sand sometimes takes on a pink hue and the sea is always calm and warm with very shallow waters, thus resulting in a joy for the little ones who they can have fun in total safety. Adults instead have to move away a few tens of meters where it becomes deeper and a little colder and the background suitable for snorkelers.

The lagoon is part of the Natura 2000 project and therefore a protected area. There are many species of birds that have found their ideal environment such as the cormorant, the sea hawk or the Eleonora falcon which also come to nest in the caves in this area, in addition to the monk seal and the endangered caretta caretta turtles. whose sightings are becoming more and more rare.

The area is completely uninhabited and only in summer there is a tourist facility where you can rent the few sunbeds and umbrellas not before ten in the morning where there is always a first come first rule and a kiosk where you can get something to drink or nibble on something (quick snacks, nothing cooked). For the more 'wild, a large portion of free beach.

While wandering on the lagoon you will find a lovely chapel on the top of Capo Tigani, while on the Gramvousa Island the Venetian castle is nothing more than the tide of tourists during the summer season, because everyone wants to see it during their holidays in Greece in Crete. Tip: go there early in the morning like 9.00 so you can enjoy this paradise without crowds.

There are two ways to reach Balos Lagoon either by sea or by land.

By sea excursions depart every day from Kissamos and take you to the lagoon with an hour of navigation.

For more information we advise you to consult the website: http://www.cretandailycruises.com/ where you will have the opportunity to view prices, itineraries and methods for purchasing tickets.

If you are not staying directly in Kissamos or in the immediate vicinity, do not worry, all the agencies on the coast have an excursion to Balos.

By land you must have your own vehicle first of all. Head towards Kalivani where at a certain point you will find yourself at a sort of toll booth where you have to pay a toll that amounts to € 1 per person. The road begins to become dirt with every now and then some goats that obstructing until you reach the end above a hill where you will have to continue on foot for about twenty minutes downhill and in this regard we suggest you wear suitable shoes, shelter from the sun and avoid the hottest hours. For the lazy, there is also above all on the way back that maybe you are even a little more tired, a service with donkeys at a cost of € 5 per person but we hope with all our heart that you will opt for this solution only in case of extreme necessity.

A milestone among the things to visit in Crete, which will give you beautiful emotions and a view that is difficult to forget.