The most famous and most photographed beaches on the island of Crete, known for their exotic water and majestic natural environment, are the heavenly lagoons of Balos at Gramvousa peninsula and Elafonissi, which lie in the southwestern edge of the island. Between them, lies the virgin beaches of ancient Falassarna. For those looking for seclusion, there is the hidden paradise of Kedrodasos and White Lake near Elafonissi and the African seascapes of Agiannis and Lavrakas on Gavdos island.
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#BeachAttributesOur ratingGavdos island
![Kalamaki beach](/media/k2/items/cache/063ee9aeb9f60efa02823e51450f82ce_M.jpg)
The seaside resort of Kalamaki is located 6km west of Chania and is the seaside part of Galatas village. Galatas is located in a fertile plain with citrus and olive groves.
![Chora Sfakion Beaches](/media/k2/items/cache/36fdb1a35cd2f54f95cf2119fb5bc7ed_M.jpg)
Chora Sfakíon or Sfakia is a small town on the south coast of Chania. It is the capital of the remote and mountainous region of Sfakia, and is a small town of just 278 inhabitants (2001 census). It lies on the south coast near the end of the Imbros Gorge, 74km south of Chania.
![Tersanas Beach](/media/k2/items/cache/d6e7bc44feb1613d041d5385e5745b10_M.jpg)
The beach of Tersanas is shaped inside a natural harbor, which faces south. It is a sandy beach with white fine sand and shallow crystal clear water. It is quite small and looks usually crowded, especially on weekends.
![Koum Kapi Beach](/media/k2/items/cache/aaa036e4cb16038f90e128d8e39c714f_M.jpg)
Kum Kapi is located east of the picturesque port of Chania, in front of the historic district of Bedouins, who used to live here in huts made of rushes. They were African economic immigrants, who firstly arrived on the island as slaves during the Turkish occupation.
![Kalathas Beach](/media/k2/items/cache/048731097de322302aff7e52151c991d_M.jpg)
The beach in front of the village is beautiful, with fine sand and shallow crystal clear water. Opposite Kalathas, there is a small island which you can easily reach by swimming. Next to the beach there are several palm trees that give an exotic tone to the landscape.
![Loutraki Beach](/media/k2/items/cache/b8292acafd72142128a3481ac4b0abff_M.jpg)
The seaside resort of Loutraki is located 16km east of Chania, near the military base of Souda. Loutraki and Marathi are the two main touristic destinations in the region.
![Sfinari Beach](/media/k2/items/cache/245effadf41c6129f4fe7accc564ef86_M.jpg)
Sfinari beach is located 60km west of Chania and 30km south of Kissamos, in front of the homonym village. The village is built at the exit of a lush deep valley and is surrounded by beautiful towering mountains.
![Tavronitis beach](/media/k2/items/cache/42121f00ffc451d0c288e11c1f28cbd4_M.jpg)
The long beach in front of the village is a nice pebbly beach, which is actually a small part of the vast beach that runs from Kolimbari and extends up to Chania. This is ideal for swimming, especially on windless days.