Matala Beach
Awaken Your Inner Hippy in Matala, Crete
Matala Beach on Crete is a guest blog for Greece Travel Secrets from the We Love Crete website, inviting you to Awaken Your Inner Hippy in Matala, Crete.
Guest Blog by We Love Crete
Can I hitch a ride baby?
One of the most extraordinary beaches in Crete was discovered by the freedom-loving hippies in the sixties and today is the site of a music festival every year in June.
The Matala Beach Festival revives the spirit of liberty experienced by those drifter types long ago, and remembered with such fondness. The unique geography of Matala beach created a juxtaposition of rock and sand, allowing ancient people to carve caves into the soft rock. So, many years later, Amanda from Atlanta and Silvia from Sydney slept in those caves, danced under a full moon on the beach and felt the exquisite freedom from their parents, their culture and their mundane neighbourhood, even if only for a short time.
Today it is still fabulous to discover Matala Beach. The sleepy fishing village has woken up, the beach is lined with fish tavernas, restaurants and cafes. The water is still clear and love is still in the air.
Those on a budget can still camp at the beach under the tamarind trees for very reasonable rates; sorry the caves are off limits.
Photo by Mark Latter
For those wanting a little more comfort, wonderful accommodation options from pensions to hotels, guesthouses and villas are dotted all around. The string of beaches on the south coast are waiting to be explored; and some are still favoured by naturists.
Matala's Caves
Explore the caves, visit Ancient Matala by walking due south from the village and be sure to watch the sun slide into the Libyan Sea next to the little islands knows as ‘paximadia’ or bread rolls.
Our Pick of the Crete Guides
Red Beach is directly to the south of Matala, easily reached by the walking track which starts at the south end of the beach. Walk for around 1.5km along wide open, sparse, treeless limestone country to the nudist beach, which has a striking orange-red coarse sand. This is another remote and undeveloped beach, with just a few chairs and umbrellas and a make-shift cafe in summer only. Boat trips are also available in summer.
Photo by Mark Latter
Kommos-Kalamaki Beach is one long continuous beach 2km to the north of Matala, reached by road. At the southern end of the beach is the Kommos archaeological site, which was the port of Phaistos dating from around 200BC. The site is closed to visitors, so pick your way past it to visit the beach.
As the beach continues it becomes known as Kalamaki and here is a small settlement of seaside tavernas and holiday apartments. Enjoy the sand and pebble beach, wide open Bay of Messara and take care of turtle nesting sites. Giorgos Fish Taverna is right on the beach here, with fresh seafood.
An excursion to Vathi Beach, a remote and untouched beach about 5 km from Matala as the crow flies, means a boat or car trip. To drive here, go to Pitsidia, Sivas, Listaros and then to Agiofarrago along a dirt track, a total distance of 22km. Your reward is a striking narrow beach at the end of a small gorge, with clear waters, a few shady trees and great snorkelling.
We would suggest staying in the inland village of Kamilari. From here you will experience the best of both worlds, the authentic Greek working farm village and the magnificent crystal clear water and sandy beaches of Heraklion.
Matala Beach is 75 km south of Heraklion in Crete. Take a one hour flight from Athens to Heraklion Airport HER, hire a car or take the local bus to the southern coast, away from it all.
Other Crete pages
Hiking the Samaria Gorge on Crete, one of the best things to do on Crete, by Greece Travel Secrets.
This drive along the west coast of Crete and inland from there will take a whole day and starts and ends in Kastélli Kissámou, west of Chania.
The Samaria Gorge is one the longest gorges in Europe and doing the hike is one of the best and most popular things to do on Crete.
How to make Petimezi, the sweet Cretan syrup made from wine must, is explained to Greece Travel Secrets.
Greece Travel Secrets suggests where to stay in Eastern Crete with our favourite hotels in Zakros, Elounds, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos, Istron Bay, Myrtos, Neapolis.
Visiting the Arkadi Monastery near Rethymnon is one of the best things to do on Crete.
Greece Travel Secrets chooses ten of the best beaches on Crete including the beautiful beaches at Vai and Elafonisi.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in western Crete, including both luxury and inexpensive hotels in Chania, Rethymnon, and Paleochora.
We visit and tour the Manousakis Winery on Crete with a wine-tasting and a chance to buy their tsikoudia, sea salt, olive oil and other goodies.
The Snails House in Plouti near Phaistos in southern Crete serves the Cretan delicacy of snails, cooked in several different ways.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Cretan Botano herbs and spices shop near Matala in southern Crete in search of the herb man of Kouses.
Driving central Crete in three days gives you time to see the highlights including the Minoan palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, the beaches and the Diktean Cave.
This olive grove walk from Limnes to Vrises on Crete also takes you through orchards and gives close-up views of some of the island’s windmills.
Icon painting is a centuries-old tradition in Crete and the rest of Greece, and Greece Travel Secrets meets a modern-day icon painter in Elounda on Crete.
The best Crete hotels include 5-star luxury hotels, historic and romantic Venetian palaces, and several hotels in Hania and Iraklion.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Zacharioudakis Winery near Ancient Gortina in southern Crete, and does a vineyard tour arranged by our guide from Go Crete.
Rethymnon is the third-largest city in Crete and has a Venetian fortress, Archaeological Museum, Old Town area and Venetian harbour,
Western Crete has some wonderful golden sand beaches as well as mountain villages, monasteries, caves, and archaeological sites to discover.
The Diktean or Diktaean Cave, also known as the Psychro Cave, near the village of Psychro in eastern Crete, is said to be the birthplace of Zeus.
Crete (Kriti) is the largest Greek island and its main attractions include the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the Samarian Gorge, Chania and Rethymnon.
Keramos Studios in Zaros on Crete is an inexpensive two-star hotel/guesthouse with one of the best breakfasts on the island using food from the family’s farm.
Greece Travel Secrets visits Visual Arts Crete who offer accommodation and run art courses at their home and studio in the village of Kastellos near Rethymnon.
The travel tale Our Hire Car in Crete describes what it’s like when you go driving in Greece and get off the beaten track, resulting in kindnesses.
Is someone from Crete a Greek or a Cretan? They are both, of course, but most will tell you that they are Cretan first and Greek second.
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