Find your kid-perfect beach on Crete this summer

The biggest of all Greek islands, Crete is also the furthest south, has the longest summers, and its Mediterranean coastline stretches for an astonishing 1,046 kilometres. Naturally, there’s no shortage of spectacular beaches, Crete’s famous for them. But where do you even begin to find one that’s just right for you?

Here are seven of the best for all types of kid-shaped adventures: whether that’s a buggy walk round Europe’s largest palm grove, turtle-spotting on a magical lagoon, or nonstop watersports from sun up until sundown.

1/7  Good for adventurous kids: Elafonissi Lagoon, south west Crete

Another of Crete’s enchanting west coast lagoon beaches, Elafonissi is the one where kids can spot wild goats, spy on Loggerhead turtles, and hop around pink sand islands marooned all over crystal clear, shallow waters.

Head to the eastern end for practical beachy stuff like showers, cafés and sunbed hire. Wander west, find one of the quieter little coves and let young explorers go adventuring. Or do both, the good thing about Elafonissi is how accessible it makes the magic, so you can arrive in the morning and spend all day here, very easily.

2/7  Good for teenagers: Balos Beach, north west Crete

Recommending, easily the most famous beach on Crete, for families might seem counter-intuitive. But Balos breaks all rules.  For a start it’s breathtakingly beautiful, and if you’re staying anywhere on the north west coast with teens, depriving them of an Instagram moment here is almost mean. Then there’s the lagoon itself: shallow and a dozen different shades of blue, edged with the palest pink shell sand, and framed to the north by dramatic Gramvousa Island. 

Visit at the right time of year and there’s a chance of spotting Loggerhead Turtles here, and the area’s known for colonies of Monk Seal. Worth remembering, Balos is also quite heavily protected, so no beach bars or water sports. Although the snorkelling’s fantastic, and if you forget a picnic, Kissamos is only 20 minutes drive away.

3/7  Good for kids of all ages: Falassarna Beach, west Crete

Falassarna’s combination of stunning looks and family atmosphere, give it a permanent slot on the island’s best beach list. This is another Blue Flag holder on the west coast: where the sea’s almost always described – accurately – as turquoise. It’s actually five beaches in one, so white sands stretch forever and never seem crowded.

A good choice of watersports and some of Crete’s best snorkelling keeps older kids happy here. There’s plenty of space for toddlers to play safely, and teen explorers can even go see the Ancient Roman city of Falassarna: just minutes from the sea. Several family-friendly restaurants are beachfront too, and lively Kissamos is only 20 minutes drive east.

4/7  Good for younger kids: Voulisma Beach, north central Crete

If Voulisma didn’t already have a Blue Flag, you’d probably be prepared to start a petition to secure it one: if you could bear to tear yourself away from the sugary white sands and sea-glass green waters.

Caribbean looks like these aren’t rare on the north east coast of Crete, but they’re almost unheard of on a beach that doesn’t involve boats or some dedicated hiking. But, not only is Voulisma close to several good local restaurants and cafés, it’s just 20 minutes from Agios Nikolaos, one of the north east’s most popular family resorts.

You’ll find everything from baby changing facilities and showers to sunbed hire here too, so you could easily stay for the day. Plus, the sea’s calm and shallow enough for paddling, and lifeguards are on duty all summer.

5/7  Good for babies: Vai Beach, north east Crete

Sheltered by Europe’s largest, natural grove of date palms, Vai’s creamy sands look like they’re combed every morning, by hand. Bounty filmed a the iconic 1970s ‘taste of paradise’ ads here: a brief brush with fame which attracted crowds for a few years.   

These days, it’s still a destination beach, just a bit too easterly for passing visitors and, apart from sea kayaking and palm grove exploring, there’s not much to do. But if you want pretty waterfront restaurants, flawless sands, and nap-perfect sunbeds, it’s close to heavenly for a family day with baby.

6/7  Good for active kids: Plakias Beach, south west Crete

Plakias is one of the most popular family resorts on the peaceful south coast, and a lot of that comes down to its fantastic beach. Big, sandy and Blue Flag, with calm, shallow waters, and sea turtle nests at the right time of year, Plakias would be amazing even if it didn’t come trimmed by the towering Paligremnos Cliffs: famous for reflecting the full moon’s light so intensely they attract squid to shore.

Kids might be more taken with watersports, and cycling on the traffic-free beach road, several full-size volleyball courts and interesting nature trails in the nearby forest. Although watching experienced technical climbers attempt the cliffs is pretty exciting too.

7/7  Good for sporty kids: Stalida Beach, north east Crete

For watersports, waterparks and non-stop activity, you can’t go wrong on any of the big, sandy beaches east or west of Heraklion. They’re all busier than Crete’s famously lovely coves and lagoons, but some are less crowded than others.

Stalis Beach (known locally as Stalida) is about 10 minutes west of massively popular Malia Beach. Both share the same warm, calm waters and great swathes of sand; fantastic watersports and beach sports, and Crete’s best waterparks are all within easy reach. But Malia tends to draw most of the crowds away from its less famous neighbour, so kids have more room to play on Stalis, the entire beach isn’t a sea of sunbeds, and you don’t have to be in constant surveillance mode.

Where are the fun beaches for under fives this summer? Have a look at 10 best beaches in Europe for babies and toddlers.