During our three week holiday to Crete in 2021 (read some of our other blog posts from this trip here), inspired by stunning photos on social media, we decided to take a day trip to Gramvousa and Balos.
There are two ways of getting there- either getting the boat from Kissamos port (which is what we did), or driving down a dirt track which starts not too far from a nearby town, Kaliviani.
This blog post talks about both options and gives some suggestions and things to bear in mind when thinking about visiting Gramvousa and Balos…
Views over Balos lagoon
Driving to Balos
The road is apparently only partly paved, is around 10km and should take around half an hour, although that depends on how busy it is, and the type of car you have. During our trip to Crete we had a rental which specifically mentioned we should not drive on unpaved roads (and assume most other rentals would say the same!) so we decided to opt for the easier and safter option of getting a boat from Kissamos instead. If you were to drive, you should also bear in mind that there are some booths on route charging a fee (of 1 euro for the first ticket booth for a toll fee to drive along the “road”, then around 3 euros for parking), so you would need to have some cash.
Once you get to the car park at the top of the peninsula, you are greeted with an incredible view- and is most likely where almost all the famous social media photos of Balos beach are taken. From the car park, there is a well marked path down to the water- which takes around half an hour or so. As well as walking down to Balos beach itself, there are hiking walks to the tip of the peninsula, a few more viewpoints looking over the sea and towards Gramvousa, and even an archaelogical site nearby. So if you are interested in seeing more than just Balos beach, this would most certainly mean you would need to drive!
Boat to Gramvousa and Balos
Getting the boat to Balos
We decided to get the boat from Kissamos Port instead of driving. We bought tickets on the day at the Balos Travel shop in Kissamos – this was for the boat from the port directly to Gramvousa and Balos, but there are other options which include boat trips from Falasarna, and also transfer/coach options.
The boat trip for us from Kissamos Port was around 35 euros per person- you can see up to date options and prices here. The port itself has a lot of parking spaces- but would suggest you arrive a bit in advance of the boat to ensure you have a spot and don’t miss the boat. You can also buy your tickets at the port itself, but this may be busier, and you can buy tickets online.
There were a few departures in the morning- we left the port at around 10am, and returned at around 5pm, so it is a full day out- be prepared to bring lunch with you or cash to buy something at the beach.
Gramvousa Balos Cruises ticket office at Kissamos Port
Gramvousa fortress
Gramvousa island
Once we boarded, the boat first took us to Gramvousa island. This took about an hour or so and was a very pleasant ride along the Cretan shoreline. Gramvousa is a stunning island, most known for its fortress which sits high up on the island, offering stunning views towards Balos. The fortress itself was built during the Venetian rule of Crete to protect itself from the Turkish invasion- and this was one of a few areas that managed to hold out against the attack of the Turks for some time. Once you reach the fortress, you can also see the remains of the Church of the Annunciation of Theotokos, which is beautiful to explore. To read more about the history of the island, click here.
The boat stays on Gramvousa for around 90 minutes, giving you enough time to hike up the hill to the castle and walk around, or just spend some time at the beach. Whilst the water itself is beautiful, it is well worth the hike up the hill to the castle to take in the incredible views and the surrounding scenery- just be sure to have some water with you if it is a hot day. There is a well marked path, and we found that quite a few people do the walk up so you can just follow the crowds.
After stopping at Gramouvsa, the boat takes you to Balos beach- this is a quite short journey across the bay and is very scenic. Be prepared to take lots of photos!
Hike up to Gramvousa fortress
Church of the Annunciation of Theotokos on Gramvousa
Balos Beach
Balos beach has incredible white sand, few pebbles and is exactly what you’d expect from a beach. There were quite a few sunbeds but overall it was rather busy given the constant arrivals of boats, so you may want to take a beach towel. The beach has a lagoon which is impressive and pleasant to swim in, and on the other side of the lagoon there are some natural pools. There are some walks you can do around the bay area but we just relaxed at the lagoon.
If you come in the peak season, there are a few options for buying food and drinks here, however if you come off-season, would probably advise to bring own refreshments and snacks. There is also a toilet here, but not much else in terms of amenities.
Views over the Balos Lagoon
Views from the Gramvousa Fortress
So…Is Balos worth visiting?
Whilst the beach has white-sand and the area is beautiful, we found Balos beach to be a bit underwhelming, and will explain why. This may have been due to a number of reasons: earlier in the trip we visited Elafonisi beach which we much preferred and found to be absolutely stunning. As we got the boat to Balos instead of driving, we were always in a crowd of people: people descending and ascending in hordes from the boat was not exactly enjoyable. Also, if arriving by boat, you don’t get the same views you would from the viewpoints at the car park- which is something to factor in.
If you have a choice of visiting Balos or Elafonisi, we would recommend Elafonisi (blog post on Elafonisi coming soon), unless you can drive to Balos. Elafonisi is easier to get to, feels bigger and not as crowded on the beach. Overall, we would perhaps go back to Balos, but will most definitely drive on our next trip there and just rent an off-road vehicle!
Views towards Balos from Gramvousa
To read about the rest of our trip to Crete, and what we got up to and would recommend in Chania and Western Crete and our other blog posts on Crete, click here.
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