Makrigialos is located 58km southeast of Agios Nikolaos and 23km east of Ierapetra. It is a large village, located near the exit of the lush canyon of Pefki. Being initially a humble harbor with no roads in the ‘50s, Makrigialos has faced a strong growth and has become the largest tourist destination in the region. It actually consists of two settlements, Makrigialos and Analipsi, which are now united. In the village you can find large and small hotels, taverns, restaurants, bar and cafes, super markets, bakeries, ATMs, doctor and pharmacy.

The main growth driver of Makrigialos is the beautiful beaches of the village and the surrounding area, the calm shallow sea and the magnificent mountainous scenery that rises north of the village.

The main beach of the village lies in front of Analipsi and is 1km long. It is known as Makrigialos, but you might hear locals call it, Hani or simply Long Beach. It is a well organized narrow beach with fine gold sand, surrounded by numerous cafes and restaurants. Here you will find free umbrellas, water sports and showers and big tamarisk trees. The water is very shallow and calm, while the temperature is high up in the winter. Thus, the beach of Analipsi is very suitable for children and for not very good swimmers.

West of the village, behind the port, there is the unknown beach of Kalamokanias, with its wonderful coarse sand. North of the port, in Katovigli, there is a small sandy beach, which is actually the extension of Makrigialos beach. The beach  is well organized with free umbrellas and several facilities around. Trademark of the area are the ruins of the Roman villa of the 2nd century AD, with baths and mosaics, which is the unique in eastern Crete. Instead, on the other side of the village there are the two bays of Lagoufa, next to two large hotels.

It is worth staying in Makrigialos and use it as a base for exploring the beauty of the wider area. Apart from the beautiful beaches stretching from Ferma to Goudouras, it is worth visiting the surrounding villages, walking in the canyon of Pefki or in the lush Orino Gorge.

In Makrigialos town you can visit the local churches, the Roman Villa in Katovigli and the Minoan villa at Plakakia (1500-1450BC), which has the architecture of Minoan palaces. The nightlife is not intense here, but there are a few bars offering drinks on the beach. You can also till the harbor of Makrigialos and see the picturesque boats and the fishermen.

Photos

Makrigialos

Katovigli

If you cannot see the photos, click here to see Makrigialos and Katovigli beaches

Katovigli
Makrigialos

< Prev		Next >