Crete: beach reality check
Short answer: 22 beaches checked. In mid-July the sun leaves first at Agiofarango (17:50), Seitan Limani (18:00), Preveli Beach (18:35); the latest sun is at Elafonisi Beach, Paralia Episkopis, Stavros Beach.
| Beach | Surface | Sun in July | Climb from parking | Water | Sea in Aug | Clubs mapped |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balos Beach Kissamos | Sand | 07:55–20:15 | — | ? | 25 °C | — |
| Preveli Beach Agios Vasileios | Sand | 07:55–18:35 | — | gradual | 26 °C | — |
| Palm Beach Vai Itanos | Sand | 06:20–20:05 | — | shallow | 25 °C | — |
| Seitan Limani Chania | ? | 08:05–18:00 | — | shallow | 26 °C | — |
| Agiofarango Mires | Gravel | 08:30–17:50 | — | deep fast | 26 °C | — |
| Marathi beach Chania | ? | 07:00–19:50 | 40 m | shallow | 26 °C | — |
| Stavros Beach | Sand | 08:15–20:40 | — | ? | 26 °C | — |
| Kedrodasos Kantanos-Selinon | ? | 07:55–20:20 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Triopetra Beach Agios Vasileios | ? | 07:25–20:35 | — | gradual | 26 °C | — |
| Voulisma Agios Nikolaos | Sand | 06:40–20:20 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Plakias Agios Vasileios | Sand | 07:15–20:05 | — | gradual | 26 °C | — |
| Damnoni Beach Agios Vasileios | Sand | 07:25–19:55 | — | gradual | 26 °C | — |
| Agia Pelagia Beach Gazi | ? | 06:25–20:00 | — | deep fast | 25 °C | — |
| Schinaria Beach Agios Vasileios | Sand | 07:50–20:20 | — | deep fast | 26 °C | — |
| Ammoudi Beach Agios Vasileios | Gravel | 07:25–20:10 | — | gradual | 26 °C | — |
| Agia Fotia Ierapetra | ? | 06:45–19:20 | — | gradual | 26 °C | — |
| Gerondolakkos beach Lefki | Sand | 06:25–19:40 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Livadi beach Milopotamos | Sand | 06:25–19:55 | — | gradual | 26 °C | — |
| Argilos Lefki | ? | 06:20–19:40 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Paralia Episkopis Rethymno | Sand | 06:30–20:40 | — | shallow | 26 °C | — |
| Sarakiniko Gavdos | Sand | 06:30–20:15 | — | gradual | 26 °C | — |
| Elafonisi Beach Kissamos | Sand | 07:10–20:40 | — | shallow | 25 °C | — |
Plan it
Questions
Which beaches in Crete lose the sun first?
22 beaches checked. In mid-July the sun leaves first at Agiofarango (17:50), Seitan Limani (18:00), Preveli Beach (18:35); the latest sun is at Elafonisi Beach, Paralia Episkopis, Stavros Beach.
Which beaches in Crete are sand?
Balos Beach, Preveli Beach, Palm Beach Vai, Stavros Beach, Voulisma, Plakias, Damnoni Beach, Schinaria Beach, Gerondolakkos beach, Livadi beach, Paralia Episkopis, Sarakiniko, Elafonisi Beach.
Sun and shade come from the sun's position and the skyline around each beach, measured every 4° of compass direction from a 30 m elevation model out to 6 km. The climb back up is the height difference between the beach and the nearest mapped car park or bus stop (about 0.17 m per step). Water depth comes from the EMODnet seabed model; surface, beach clubs, toilets and showers from OpenStreetMap; sea temperature is the 1991–2020 average from NOAA OISST and waves the 2015–2024 average from ERA5. Prices are not shown: they change every season and differ between clubs. Map data checked 7 Nov 2026; next check 1 Dec 2026 (monthly). Sea averages are refreshed every January. Sun and shade are calculated for any date you pick.