Create your own excursion

One of the most distinctive features of Crete is definitely its unique beaches. Beaches that are characterized by deep blue crystal clear waters (awarded the Blue Flag eco-label), enchanting landscapes, unforgettable moments of fun and relaxation. Let's Go Crete Transfers organizes your visits to the most important and best known beaches of our island. Choose the beach you wish to visit, get your swimsuit and your sunscreen and we will take the matter in our hands. We assure you that this unique experience and fond memories will be etched in your mind forever and ever.

Balos

The lagoon of Balos, one of the loveliest places on the island, as well as in Greece. The view of the lagoon is truly breathtaking. Balos is renowned for its numerous cacti, its undergrowth, its splendid beach, its white sand, its jade-green and turquoise waters, its warm and shallow sea, its wild natural beauty that bring us in mind exotic beaches in the Caribbean. No wonder it is considered the heavenly beach of Crete.

Falassarna

Falassarna is 59 km away from Chania. Enjoy unforgettable moments of carelessness and relaxation in the most beautiful beach of Crete, which has always been included in the top-10 beaches in Europe. The crystal clear, warm, turquoise blue waters combined with the fine white sand make up a unique and incredibly majestic scenery. Finally, it is worth mentioning that Falassarna is included in the Natura 2000 Protection Program due to the variety of flora and fauna in the region, and its extraordinary natural beauty.

Elafonissi

75 km from Chania lies Elafonissi, a small isle just 200 meters from the coast. The white and pink sand made of thousands of broken seashells, the limpid, blue-green waters, the little coves and the secluded tiny beaches turn the place into a very popular destination for visitors from all over the world. The isle is one of the most fascinating and unexpected places on the island, as, beyond its unparalleled natural beauty, you have to … walk through the sea to reach it. There is no way you visit Elafonissi and ever forget about the spectacular views of this paradise on earth.

Vai Palm Beach

Vai, the most renowned beach of East Crete, is located 94km east of Agios Nikolaos. Its key feature is the large palm grove of approximately 50 acres with 5,000 the Cretan Date Palms (Phoenix Theophrasti). It is the only palm tree forest in Greece and in Europe. According to the legend, the trees grew from discarded date stones thrown into the sea by Arab pirates. The tropical forest, located at the exit of a narrow valley and very near the long beach with the crystal clear sea waters, the fine white sand, and the small pebbles forms a real oasis in the desert-like landscape, reminding of exotic seascapes. No doubt that Vai Palm Beach is the absolute “must” for everybody who decides to spend their vacation on Crete.

Chrissi Island - Ierapetra

Are you ready for adventure? Do you want to feel for a while like a modern castaway, stranded on a desert island? Then come along to the island of Chrissi!

Our adventure starts in the beautiful city of Ierapetra, our first stop, which is located on the southern coast of the island. From here, a short boat trip takes us to the secluded island of Chrissi. During the journey, we are often accompanied by yellow-legged gulls and dolphins that enjoy the magic of the Libyan Sea, until we finally drop anchor to the “Island”, as the locals are used to calling it.

Chrissi is a secluded, isolated, almost tropical island on the most southern end of Crete. The pristine beaches, the myriads of shell fossils, limpets and corals, the shallow crystal clear waters, the cedar forest, the fine reddish sand with the mosses and lichens, the old salt marsh, the Roman carved tombs, the small church of St. Nicolas and the peacefulness of this unique ecosystem are bound to steal your heart and make you daydream.

Preveli

Preveli is about 35 km south of Rethymnon. Perhaps the most well-known of all of the beaches of Crete, the beach of Preveli, also known as Lake Preveli or Phoenix, sits at the mouth of the impressive Kourtaliotiko Gorge. It is known for its beautiful landscape that includes mountains and stunning palm tree lined beaches.

The visitor of Preveli can enjoy the unique experience of swimming in the fresh waters of the river and the salt waters of the sea.

It was the favorite destination of the hippies of the 70s -and not merely by chance- because in this heavenly environment the “flower children” found the absolute harmony between nature and man. It is absolutely certain that Preveli will charm forever any traveler lucky enough to be there. 

In addition to its natural beauty, exquisite beaches and famous archaeological sites, Crete has plenty of sightseeing options with regard to historic monasteries. Let's Go Crete Transfers can suggest and organize visits to the most famous monasteries of our island. These tours can be either exclusively in Holy Monasteries and Sacred Convents or in conjunction with tours to other significant and interesting sites of our island.

Here are some of the most famous historical monasteries of Crete:

Agios Georgios Monastery of Selinari

The Monastery of Agios Georgios in Selinari, 1.5 km from Sissi on the way to Agios Nikolaos, was built during the 2nd Byzantine era, at the site of a hermitage where religious recluses used to live. The buildings of the monastery were built in the early 20th century. At its eastern end there is a small old temple dedicated to St. George (Agios Georgios), while on the west there are newer buildings and two newly-built temples devoted to Epiphany and Resurrection. The Monastery of Agios Georgios is one of the most important pilgrimages of the wider region, especially as he is considered to be the protector of travelers in Eastern Crete.

Monastery of Agios Panteleimonas - Fodele

Just three kilometers from Fodele, in a leafy orchard of orange and olive groves lies the Holy Monastery of Agios Panteleimonas. The history of the monastery has been lost to the times of the Venetian occupation and the exact date of its establishment is unknown. Initially, the monastery complex was constructed as a fortress to prevent attacks by pirates. Today only a part of the walls and the beautiful entrance to the monastery are still preserved. In any case, it is a place where you truly feel serene and experience a sense of absolute freedom and exaltation.

Kremasta Convent

The Convent of Kremasta, one of the most important former monasteries on the island from a historical perspective, is located at around 2.5 km away from Neapolis, on the slopes of Mount Kavallara, on the way to Lassithi Plateau. According to the dedicatory inscription on the lintel of the catholicon, it was founded in 1593. Due to its location, the convent has a citadel-type architecture, with two entrances in the south that catered to the different functions of the buildings constructed over time. One of the entrances allows access to the yard and the Temple, while the other one served agricultural activities. The present guest house where, according to tradition, a Secret School operated under the Ottoman rule, as well as the pre-industrial olive-press that has been transformed into a refectory, are the most interesting places in the convent, from an architectural viewpoint.

Paliani Convent

The Nunnery of Paliani is located at an altitude of 280m, next to the villages of Venerato and Avgeniki, 20 km southwest of Heraklion and east of Venerato Gorge. It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, convent on Crete, built on the ruins of an ancient temple, as indicated on the capitals at the courtyard of the monastery. It is dedicated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary and it has been operating since the first centuries of the Byzantine Empire, while it flourished during the Venetian era. The nunnery has the myrtle tree as its trademark. We will see a lot of votive offerings on its branches, as the everlasting tree is widely thought to be miraculous. We can even take leaves from its boughs, since they are said to be blessed and bring luck to the worshippers.

Monastery of Vidiani

Northwest of Lassithi Plateau lies the Monastery of Vidiani. It was founded around the middle of the 19th century near ​​the fief of the Vides family, descendants of Venetians, who the monastery was named after. The simple, one-storey buildings were structured in multiple levels due to the steep slant of the ground, to the west and north of the single-nave catholicon. Despite its destruction in 1867 by the Turks, the monastery of Vidiani continued its operation until 1968, when its last monk passed away. It was reconstructed and restored in 1991.

Nunnery of Kera Kardiotissa

At an altitude of 630m, 50 km from Heraklion on the way to the Lassithi Plateau, lies the convent of Kera Kardiotissa. It is one of the oldest and most historical monasteries of Crete, dedicated to the Birth of Virgin Mary. Its name appeared for the first time in a document dating back to 1333, when it was a fief of the Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople. The architectural structure of the convent is of exceptional interest: the corners of the buildings are made of hewn stones and the façades of the two narthexes are in line with the model of Byzantine architecture with blind brick arcades and brick window frames. Mural painting decorations of the 14th century are also found in the sanctuary that is dominated by the miraculous icon of Virgin Mary.

Convent of the Virgin at Savvathiana

Located at a distance of about 20 km from Heraklion and 5 kilometers northwest of Rogdia, in the province of Malevizi, at an altitude of 440 meters on Mount Vassilikos, in one of the most picturesque areas of Heraklion, the Nunnery combines the natural beauty of a mountain with lush vegetation and cultivated gardens. It is one of the most remarkable historical convents of Crete with a long history dating back at last period of the Venetian rule, and the only one in the area of ​​Almyros and Rogdia in the Prefecture of Heraklion that survived the Cretan War (1645-1669). The convent is surrounded by high cliffs and jagged crags, which give the landscape not only its unique serenity but also its awesome grandeur.