7 Gorgeous Greek Beaches You Can’t Miss

It’s safe to say that all the beaches we encountered on our 2-week Greek island honeymoon were to die for. Just gorgeous. Absolutely splendid. Divine.

If you don’t know by now, it’s pretty obvious that I’m a big beach lover. I can’t imagine not living on a coast, and thankfully have my entire life in New York. I’ve been to beaches on more than 10 Caribbean islands over the past few years. No trip would feel like a vacation without at least a little beach time!  My toes would hate me if sand wasn’t accessible!

But nothing can compare to the sandy goodness in the Greek Islands.  It was hard to narrow down, but here I compile our favorite beaches we relaxed and played at, all very different from one another.

Although we had to hike about 15 minutes or so (up and down a rocky hill through an impervious path along the mountain by the sea side), we were greeted with most beautiful views of the beach and cliffs.  The sand is an unusual red color, as are the surrounding cliffs, which make it really exciting.  We didn’t stay too long, as the beach was covered in small rocks/pebbles.  It’s more of a “look and admire for 15-20 minutes or so, and move on” type of beach.  If you have your own transportation (we rented an ATV), you can leave whenever you want.  Options to get there by boat are available, but in my honest opinion, the views from the top of the “hike” are too gorgeous to pass up!  And don’t listen to those on Trip Advisor – the hike really isn’t too bad.  I did it in sandals and I was more than perfectly fine.  The husband however would have preferred sneakers.  It was definitely a thrilling walk with a guaranteed reward!

Just as unique as the Red Sand beach, was Perivolos, the Black Sand beach.  The sand was super fine, and the water was beautiful, being crystal clear and azure blue in color.  However, if you intend on talking a stroll along the beach, or finding 100+ rocks to recreate my “Santorini” sign, you will need beach shoes.  I chose not to wear mine and the soles of my feet nearly burned.  The black sand gets super super hot in the sun 🙂  On the beachfront there are numerous taverns, pubs, and restaurants serving delicious local food.  The beach can get quite loud at night, as it is a place to party and hang out.  If you want a quieter experience, take a short walk to nearby Perissa.

We had gotten a recommendation to take our ATV out to Super Paradise from our hotel.  After navigating the island, and by that I mean getting lost about 7 times, we finally made it to Super Paradise.  Once we arrived, we realized the atmosphere was like one big party, with bars and drink specials in fancy cups with umbrellas.  Very touristy, but the experience was fun and drinks were tasty.  The beach takes on a club-like atmosphere a bit later in the afternoon, with loud music and dancing.  Surely sounded like a good time, but we had to move on after some drinks and a dip in the sea.  A bit expensive, but still a good time.

Now this was a sight to be seen!  Gramvousa is actually a pirate island, with remains of a Venetian castle at the top of a rocky mountain.  Most people climbed up to see it, but we decided we had enough exercise for the day and hung out around the beach and the beautiful turquoise sea.  I wish we had more energy because I heard that the panoramic views looking over to Balos lagoon were breathtaking.  I suggest taking a boat ride to Gramvousa, which also brings you to Balos Bay!

Surely, this is one of the most beautiful parts of Greece, with its unique beautiful beach and its large variety of shells. A spectacular place, a must see of Crete. Stunning, stunning, stunning. The water is so clear and you can see the pink coral sand that is also at Elafonisi. You can walk around and see rocks and fish swimming around you since the water is so clear and shallow. It is a dream place, and you can’t help posing for some lovely photographs.

Probably our most favorite beach in all of Greece!  Easily accessible, free parking nearby, very quiet mornings.  Heck, I even wrote an entire post about it! Falassarna is one of the most tranquil and clean beaches you can go within a 1 hour driving distance from Chania. It is absolutely gorgeous, and be sure to bring your snorkel gear. Plenty of fish to see!

Never saw a beach like this one before!  With super-fine pink sand and turquoise shallow water, it is definitely worth a visit!  It is a truly beautiful beach, and if it wasn’t windy the day we opted to go, it would have been a perfect time!  Pigging out on those delicious spinach pies in my bikini was such a great time (I even had two!)   A bit crowded, but definitely worth the trip!