Balos Lagoon
Shallow Turquoise Lagoon And Sandbar Below The Gramvousa Peninsula, A Natura 2000 Protected Area, Usually Visited With The Venetian Fortress Island Of Imeri Gramvousa · Kissamos, Crete
Balos is the shallow turquoise lagoon at the tip of the Gramvousa peninsula in north-west Crete, a sweep of white and pink-tinged sand between the rocky headland of Cape Tigani and the open sea, and one of the most photographed places in Greece. The water in the lagoon is often knee-deep and warm, which makes it a favourite for families, and the view from the path above - the curving sandbar, the islet of Tigani and the bands of blue and green - is the famous picture. It lies in a Natura 2000 protected area with no village, no road to the sand and very few facilities. Most visitors come by boat from Kissamos, stopping first or last at the islet of Imeri Gramvousa with its Venetian fortress, once a pirate and rebel base. Others drive a rough dirt road and walk down. The honest caveats: in July and August it can be very crowded, hot and shadeless, the walk back up is hard, and the 2026 rules on boat numbers and sea arrivals are changing, so confirm the current arrangement before you go.
Tip of the Gramvousa peninsula, north-west Crete; boats from Kissamos (Kavonisi) port, or an 8 km dirt road from Kaliviani and a 25-minute walk down, Kissamos, Crete, Greece
Open-air and free to enter, but access is seasonal. Boats from Kissamos (Kavonisi) port run roughly May to October, usually leaving mid-morning and returning late afternoon; they do not sail in strong wind. In 2026 the authorities moved to cap sea arrivals (reported at about 2,000 a day in two or three shifts) and cut ferry numbers, with shuttle buses from Kaliviani proposed - confirm the current system. By car, an 8 km dirt road from Kaliviani leads to a car park with a small road charge, then a steep walk of about 25 minutes down. Book summer boats a day or more ahead; public holidays are busiest.