Part Five: Matala
34. Matala Beach
Matala village
A bay with clear water and hot sand, flanked by a cliff with Neolithic caves; an international hippie hotspot in the 1960s; “Carey” by Joni Mitchell; a picture-perfect village that has suffered a lot from mass tourism; a lot of German-speaking visitors; one of the most famous places in Crete
9/10
35. Kokkini Ammos Beach
1.5 km south of Matala, across the Matala Cape
A dramatic landscape dominated by a slanting limestone cliff of Matala type; fine dark yellow sand with a hue of red; a hard access across the Matala Cape; the most laid-back atmosphere of all the Cretan beaches; many naturists; a mojito bar with a rare PACE flag in Crete; my favourite beach of all
10/10
36. Kommos Beach
4 km north of Matala
The first beach north of Matala in a series of beaches along the coast of Messara; a sand beach with rough water and slippery stones; the nesting beach of loggerhead sea turtles; ruins of a Minoan port town; dunes and groves north of it as a hotspot of gay cruising
8/10
grande flânerie 