Falassarna beach

The exotic beach of Falassarna is located 59km west of Chania and 17km west of Kissamos. It’s located in the western part of Cape Gramvousa. At the northern end of the beach are the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Falassarna.

Falassarna bay is one of the most famous beaches in Greece, which has been awarded as the best beach of Crete and one of the 10 best beaches in Europe in the past. Falasarna spans a huge area and consists actually of five consecutive beaches, with the two most central being the most favorite.

The sand in Falassarna is white, making the water color tropical. Indeed, if you're lucky and be here on a day that is not blowing from the west, rare in west Crete, you will be enchanted by the beach and its turquoise waters.

The main beach of Falassarna is called Pacheia Ammos (i..e Coarse Sand). It is an exotic beach with a length of 1km and a width of 150m. This beach hosts the most visitors of the area, but because of its length it never seems crowded. The beach offers umbrellas and a few snack bars and cafes where you can get food and water. There are also services for water sports and a beach volley court. There is another long beach north of the main beach having a length of 800m, identical to the main beach. This beach is divided in half by a sand dune and a few rocks. The beach is more quiet than Pacheia Ammos and offers no facilities. Further north, near the archaeological site, there is a small cove looking south. It is pebbly and the seabed is rocky. It is a good choice when the winds blow from west or you seek isolation. South of Pacheia Ammos there is another long beach that has sandy shore and rocky seabed. It is a very good choice for fans of the snorkelling. Even southern, near the small harbor of Limeniskos settlement there is a small pebbly beach, which is a good choice if you do not want to stay remote.

The area around Falassarna is magnificent and is a Natura protected region. If you have time and looking for something romantic, you can wait for the sunset, which is considered the best in Crete. How could this not be the best, when being in such an amazing landscape and there is no obstacle between the beach the horizon? When it gets dark, you might be lucky to visit one of the several beach partys organized in Falassarna during summer. Specifically, the beach hosts the greatest beach party in Crete on the first Saturday of August, with thousands of visitors. If the first Saturday in August coincides with 1 / 8, then the party is moved to 8 / 8.

One negative thing about Falasarna is that it looks west and is usually wavy. However, this is desired by windsurfers. There are also reports that the surrounding greenhouses pollute the sea with fertilizers and trash, which, if being true, is a real shame. If you do not have a mean to get in Falassarna, you can catch the bus from Chania or Kissamos.

Ancient Falasarna

Ancient Falassarna or Korykos was the main port of the Polyrinia and flourished in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. The ruins of Polyrinia are located 6km south of Kissamos. It is named after the local nymph Falassarni. Falasarna had its own coin, with a woman on one side and the letters ΦΑ to the other.

In the ruined city, north of the beach, you can still see the city walls, ruins of the acropolis, remains of houses, ancient tombs and a stone throne, which is believed that was dedicated to the God of the Sea, Poseidon. Today, the ancient port are located on the shore, probably to the elevation of 6-9 m caused by the strong earthquake of 365 AD. Also, a part of the city seems to be immersed in the sea.

Photos

If you cannot see the photos, click here.

See all the beaches of Falassarna on the same map.

Wind forecast

Greece - Phalasarna (GFS 18.05. 06 UTC)   Powered by WINDGURU  Fr 18. Fr 18. Fr 18. Fr 18. Fr 18. Sa 19. Sa 19. Sa 19. Sa 19. Sa 19. Sa 19. Su 20. Su 20. Su 20. Su 20. Su 20. Su 20. Mo 21. Mo 21. Mo 21. 09h 12h 15h 18h 21h 06h 09h 12h 15h 18h 21h 06h 09h 12h 15h 18h 21h 06h 09h 12h Wind speed (knots) 15 17 12 8 5 1 3 5 7 6 6 6 3 7 5 4 3 9 9 10 Wind direction Temperature (°C) 17 18 18 18 16 15 18 20 20 20 18 17 19 21 21 21 19 19 21 24 Cloud cover (%) high / mid / low - - -     13 8   22 38     57 8   17     75     83     7     32     80 42   86 20   95 5   Rain (mm/3h) - 1.2 3.5 0.5                                 Windguru rating                                    Lat: 35.49, Lon: 23.58 Timezone: EEST (UTC+3) 06:21 - 20:22  [Archive]