Best Beaches in Greece

The most beautiful beaches in Greece

Wondering what are the top beaches in Greece? We have rounded up the best beaches in Greece so you can make the most of your Greek vacation. Here it is included the top 10 beaches and Greek islands that will make a perfect location for a beach vacation to Greece.

Greece is a top destination for tourists from all over the world. It is particularly famous for its fantastic scenery, impressive history and for some of the best white sand beaches in the Mediterranean.

In fact, since it is surrounded by 3 seas – The Aegean, Mediterranean, and Ionian Seas – Greece is home to some of the best beaches in Europe, known for their crystal-clear & warm water.

These waters and beaches also give rise to some of the most exciting recreational activities that you can enjoy with the entire family, including swimming, sunbathing and boat riding.

Let’s take a look at the top beaches in Greece you have to visit in your next tour. Whether you are looking for small or large, busy or quiet beaches in Greece, the beautiful Greek island beaches (and pictures) below won’t disappoint.

The top beaches in Greece map

 

Below is the map for the location of the most beautiful Greek beaches. Read on for the detailed guide to these beaches.

 

 The top 10 best beaches in Greece

 

• Paleokastritsa Beach, Corfu

Paleokastritsa literally means “old fortress,” and is arguably the most prominent picturesque village of the Corfu Island.

The village surrounding this beach offers a plethora of local bars that overlook the blue bay and the pebbled Paleokastritsa Beach. This beach is surrounded by olive trees that create beautiful scenery, unleashing the view of stunning bays where excursion boats take tourists to the nearby isolated beaches.

The restaurants and bars facing this beach ensure that visitors have everything they want to have a good time as they enjoy the warm weather. All the conveniences, easy beach access and parking lot make it one of the best Greek beaches for families.

The beach and surrounding settlement reserve their traditional charm and are considered the major tourist attraction in this island. Corfu is one of the best Greek island for beaches, click here are the top 10 best beaches in Corfu.

 

• Super Paradise beach, Mykonos

The island of Mykonos in Greece is well known for its party and nightlife entertainment, making it home to some of the best Greek resorts for couples.

The Super Paradise beach is most famous for its all-day parties and beach bars. However, this beach also has fabulous waters that are perfect for swimming. The soft sand of this beach also attracts many visitors for sunbathing sessions, where you can soak in the sun as you listen to music.

The beach can be accessed by taking a bus or a boat from Mykonos town. There is also plenty of accommodation options for families visiting the place, so you don’t have to worry about nightfall.

 

• Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia

Located in Kefalonia, this beach is lauded as one of the most beautiful natural sites in Greece and the best beach in Kefalonia. In fact, it is the most photographed of all other Greek beaches. The view of this beach from the cliff above as the road winds down is truly spectacular.

Away from the view, the beach itself is a marvel. Its crystal-clear and exotic waters open up to the view of the sea. The location of this beach also lets tourists enjoy the view of the picturesque village of Assos.

The semi-circular shape of the beach surrounded by an array of cliffs covered in lush vegetation creates a spectacular setting. You can enjoy a session of sunbathing on the sunbeds to the left or enjoy the cool evening breeze on the pristine right side of the beach.

 

Best beaches in Greek islands

 

• Seitan Limania, Crete

One of the best beaches that I’ve ever visited in Greece is Seitan Limania in Crete. Located about 30 minutes away from Chania by taxi or bus, Seitan Limania is truly spectacular.

It’s one of the best sandy beaches in Greece with white sandy beach in a ravine, surrounded by beautiful cliffs on each side. You can only get there by a slightly scary 15-minute hike, but it’s totally worth it as at the bottom is one of the prettiest beaches in Crete.

Bring everything you’ll need for the day as this beach is beautifully untouched: there are no umbrellas or lounge chairs, no vendors, no restaurants or bars, and no bathrooms!

But that’s part of its charm because as a result it’s not very crowded and it’s very quiet and peaceful. The water is insanely blue with plenty of cliffs to jump off of into the beautiful clear waters below.

The beach is sheltered so there are no big waves, making it a great place to swim and float in peace. Just watch out for the goats who sometimes stumble onto the beach, as they can be quite nosy! 

 

• Canal D’amour, Corfu

The Canal d’ Amour beach is located in Sidari, Corfu and is hugely sought after both in the Corfu and the entire Ionian islands.

It is particularly popular among young people and couples who visit the beach to admire the romantic sunset.

Lunar rock formations between Sidari and Peroulades form three narrow strips of water resembling canals. The beach also allows the exploration of many more caves and isles located in the area.

Though the surrounding of this beach is not exactly child-friendly, Sidari village is a great resort for families in the high season, only really lively from May to September, for the rest of the year the village is pretty much shut down.

This part of the island is perfect for diving, snorkeling, and swimming.

 

• Red Beach, Santorini

This beach was suggested by Alex, the Swedish Nomad.

The Red Beach in Santorini is a spectacular beach with red sand and red cliffs rising behind the beach. It is located in the southwestern part of the island next to Akrotiri, and you can get there by bus, car or scooter.

Is one of the best beaches in Greece because it is unique. There are just a few of red beaches in the world, which makes this one in Santorini so special. It is also very beautiful.

My best recommendation is to go by scooter or bus because then you can choose your own arrival and departure time.

 

Best island for beaches in Greece

 

• Navagio Beach, Zakynthos

Popularly referred to as “Shipwreck beach” by the locals, this is one of the most famous Zakyntho’s beaches.

It lies on the western side of the Ionian island. It is also one of the most scenic beaches in Greece for its eye-catching view.

The view of this beach is spiced up by the shipwreck of a boat that was washed ashore. Due to the accumulation of sand around the shipwreck, the wreck appears to emerge from the sand making it one of the most exotic beaches in Europe.

The beach is also famous for its crystalline and turquoise waters, which attract swimmers and lovers of recreational activities that are enjoyed in the water. Navagio beach is also surrounded by huge vertical cliffs, creating an enchanting and unique scenery that has been photographed so many times.

Tourists can best access this beach by taking a small boat from the port of Vromi. These taxi boats are ever present and give you a chance to enjoy a 30-minute boat ride as well.

 

• Balos Lagoon, Crete

Located on the fascinating island of Crete, the Balos Lagoon is one of the most paradise-looking beaches in Greece.

This is thanks to its isolated location and its protection under Natura 2000. You can only reach it by boat, hiking or via a very bumpy 4WD track!

But once there, you will be blown away by the landscape with shallow warm lagoon waters, large sandy area, mountains and islands…

What surprised me the most, was how the colors felt so intense: the turquoise of the lagoon vs the deep blue of the sea, the sand ranging from white to pink, the orange of the rocks on the darker mountains.

It is well worth the effort getting there!

 

• Sarakiniko Beach, Milos

Sarakino beach was a suggestion from Dave’s Travel Pages.

With over 75 beaches to choose from, the Greek island of Milos is an ideal summer destination. One of the most unique beaches in Milos is Sarakiniko beach, at the north side of the island.

The landscape is pretty dramatic, almost otherworldly, with dazzling white rock formations that end up in the sea. On non-windy days, you can jump off the cliff if you are feeling adventurous. There is also a small beach where you can leave your towel, though if you want to secure some shade you will need to arrive early.

Even if you are not planning to swim, you should definitely come to Sarakiniko beach and walk around the rocks. If you happen to be in Milos on a full moon night, it’s worth paying another visit – you will feel quite literally like you are walking on the moon.

Planning to visit Milos? Check out Dave’s guide to the best beaches in Milos.

 

• St Paul’s Bay Beach, Rhodes

The picturesque bays of St Paul’s Beach in Rhodes offer the best of everything, with stunning seas, spectacular views and great facilities. This is truly one of the best beaches in Rhodes and perhaps even in the whole of Greece!

The cove itself is named after St. Paul who is said to have landed here in 51 A.D. in order to preach the word of God to Rhodian citizens.

Today, the bays attract tourists throughout the long summer season who come to bask in the warm Greek sunshine and dip in and out of the calm Mediterranean waters. There are actually two sides to St. Paul’s Bay Beach, the large beach, a man-made sandy section, and the small beach at the southern end which has a more natural stony landscape.

Both bays offer sunbeds, parasols, bathrooms and café facilities and provide travellers with impressive views of the nearby Lindos Acropolis and the vast blue ocean that leads out to the horizon.

 

Prettiest beaches in Greece

 

• Matala Beach, Crete

Apart from the fact that Matala is a colorful and unique little town in Crete, it is home to one of the dreamiest beaches in Greece.

You may wonder which part of Greece has the best beaches. Crete, being the largest of the Greek islands, has certainly the potential!

With golden sands and the most crystalline water you will ever see, it is an ideal place to spend a quiet day soaking up some sun. Right next to the Matala’s beach, you can also see massive cliffs and ancient man-made caves.

You can climb and get inside these caves to enjoy a scenic viewpoint over the beach.

Since Matala is relatively less popular than other towns in Crete, Matala’s beach doesn’t get overcrowded even during high-season, which makes it perfect for Greek beach vacations.

 

• Voidokilia, Messinia, Peloponnese

Voidokilia in Southern Peloponnese is without a doubt one of the most stunning beaches in Greece. It stands out even on the striking Messinia coast thanks to its perfectly round shape, fine golden sand and shallow turquoise sea.

Voidokilia lies in a protected area of Gialova Lagoon, natural habitat to over 250 spices of birds, fish and small animal species making it a popular spot for nature lovers.

It also means the whole area remains mostly unspoiled and pristine, spared from monstrous resorts and loud beach bars.

For the best photos of Voidokilia hike to the Old Navarino Castle perched on a rocky hill on the southern end of the beach. The views across the wetlands and Navarino Bay towards the seaside towns of Gialova and Pylos are stunning and absolutely worth the steep climb!

 

• Elafonisi Beach, Crete

There is a reason Elafonisi Beach is named on TripAdvisor’s Best Beaches in the World list year after year. Not only is the color of the water a brilliant pink hue, but the sand is a welcome contrast to the many pebble beaches found in Greece.

While I expected to be blown away by the hue of pink, I was actually most surprised by the shallowness of the water and the softness of the sand. You can walk out to where you would expect to be completely submerged at any other beach, and you will probably just be up to your knees in water.

Elafonissi is a wind surfers’ paradise, and one of the most enjoyable parts of visiting Elafonisi is watching the wind surfers in the Elafonisi lagoon. Since it is quite windy, make sure you get to Elafonisi early to rent an umbrella and lounge chair or bring weighted objects to hold your towel in place on the sand if you go later in the day.

If you don’t feel comfortable driving the windy roads to Elafonissi, take a guided tour from Chania. The full-day trip costs just around 25 euros (lunch is an additional cost) and included a stop at the Agia Sofia cave and a local taverna.

---

In summary, you can get some of the best beach holidays in Greece. These beaches are famed for their crystalline waters that are perfect for sunbathing, relaxation, swimming, snorkeling and other water sports.

Though these sandy Greek beaches we mentioned above are top tourist spots, Greece has so much to offer in history and culture too. A vacation to this charming country and islands won’t disappoint you.

So, which Greek island has the best beaches? And what is the best beach in Greece in your opinion? Let me know in comments below.

 

More things to do in Greece:

PIN FOR LATER!

The best beach resorts in Greece