Balos Beach
No licensed photograph yet for Elafonissi Beach
Overview
A small islet joined to Crete's southwest coast by a shallow sand strip, with pink sand from shell fragments. It sits in a Natura 2000 area and is very crowded in summer. Water depth in the channel changes with waves, and fenced dune zones are off limits.
Facilities and access
| Access notes | Winding road from Chania via Topolia and Elos; bus service listed. Part of the Natura 2000 network: dunes are fenced and visitors are asked not to take sand, shells or plants. |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Road from Chania; bus; paved road listed. |
| Showers | Yes |
| Food and drink | Yes |
| Sunbeds and umbrellas | Yes |
| Lifeguard | Yes. Services are described as seasonal; lifeguard hours not stated. |
Not yet documented: Public access, Entry fee, Parking, Toilets, Changing rooms, Dogs, Accessibility. A detail listed here is unknown, not absent.
Activities and planning
Surface: Sand
Type: Coastal
Activities mentioned: Sunset viewing, Swimming
Seasonal context for Greece is organised by coast. See the Greece season notes and pick the region closest to this beach; one town’s table is not a forecast for another.
Map
Coordinates 35.2692, 23.5325, taken from Wikidata.
Nearby beaches
Seitan Limania
Sources and updates
Last compiled 2026-11-14. Found an error? Suggest a correction.
- Visit Greece - Elafonisi and Balos (official)
- Elafonissi Beach - Cretan Beaches (directory)
- Wikidata Q1324824 (reference)
Fact-level evidence
- surface: Pink sand from crushed shell; shallow water source (2026-11-14)
- protection: Natura 2000; avoid moving sand or collecting shells source (2026-11-14)
- distance: About 76 km from Chania source (2026-11-14)
- facilities: Umbrellas/beds, showers, lifeguard, food nearby (seasonal) source (2026-11-14)
- coordinates: 35.2692, 23.5325 source (2026-11-14)
Sources we could not reach
- Parking fee not documented