Boat adventure to Balos and Gramvousa

The boat trip to Balos and Gramvousa is one of Crete’s best and most popular excursions. It is a one-day adventure which includes visiting the stunning beaches of Balos and Gramvousa, and climbing to the Gramvousa fortress, if you like.

In fact, it is a perfect mix of natural beauty, history and riding on the waves of the blue sea of Crete.
Check out all the information here to help you organize or book your unforgettable trip.

 

 

How to get to Balos and Gramvousa

The famous Balos lagoon is located in the north-western part of Crete, surrounded by the Sea of Crete (the southern part of the Aegean Sea). It is approximately 56 km from Chania and 17 km from Kissamos, nestled between the Cape Gramvousa, and the small Cape Tigani.
There are two ways to get to the beautiful Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa islet from Kissamos Port, by car and boat.

By car to Balos beach

So, if you go by car, you must first come to Kaliviani town. Then you have to drive about 8 km on a dirt road to the parking lot, approximately 30-45 minutes or more, depending on the traffic. Drive slowly and very carefully because the road is bad and narrow.

Also, when you rent a car, most insurance policies do not cover damage incurred on unpaved roads. Rent-a-car agencies will certainly mention it, and it refers to Balos, as well. It is always better to come earlier in the morning to avoid the crowd, especially during the high season.

Note: the parking costs 3 EUR, an eco-tax of the protected area of Balos is 1 EUR per person, and the toilet costs 1 EUR per person.

Then, from the parking lot, you have to walk down a rocky path about 1 km. It takes approximately 30-40 minutes. Wear comfortable shoes because you have to come back to the top 🙂

 

From this hiking path and viewpoint, there is a stunning view of Balos Lagoon, as you can see in many photos of Crete on the internet.

 

So, if you don’t like driving and hiking on a hot day, maybe it is better to choose a boat trip  👇

 

Balos by boat tours  

Boat trips start from the Kissamos port, located 3 km from the small Kissamos town (or Kastelli).
If you come individually by car or by bus from Chania or Rethymno, bear in mind that you have to be at Kissamos port 40 minutes before departure. You can purchase tickets online or buy them directly from boat agencies at the port.

 

What to know about boat tours

♦ Cruises have daily departures, from April until October, and usually July and August are the busiest months.
◊ The duration of the cruise to Balos and Gramvousa lasts approximately 7 hours or 5 hours only to Balos.

 

♦ Balos & Gramvousa cruise: a price ticket is 38 EUR for adults and 19 EUR for children from 3 to 12 years.
The cruise is free for the children under 2 age.
◊ Balos cruise: a price ticket is 33 EUR for adults and 16 EUR for children from 3 to 12 years.
♦  Eco tax for the protected area is 1 EUR per person.
◊ There are individual cruises and boats to Balos, as well, but they cost more.
♦ Bear in mind that there are no roads or paths on the locations, so it can be difficult for people with mobility problems.

 

Photo shooting on the boat

Even though we rented a car during our vacation, we went on this excursion by the Serbian agency Mediteraneo, with which we came to Crete Island. In this way, you don’t have to think about transferring to the port and back.

So, our Gramvousa vessel (79 m long and 15 m wide) has a capacity of 1,189 passengers. And I can say that it was full of tourists from various countries!

It was a very pleasant ride. The boat is equipped with two open decks, an air-conditioned hall, and two self-service bars with food.

When we got to the boat, a lady took a photo of the passengers as a souvenir of the cruise. It is up to you whether you will take the set (a photo, magnet and two pendants with your photo) which costs 25 EUR, or some of them individually, or no.
During the trip, the local Photometal studio will prepare these interesting custom souvenirs for you 🙂

 

Balos lagoon and beach

Our boat sailed at 10.40h and the trip to the Balos Lagoon lasted about one hour. 

 

During the ride, we enjoyed a beautiful view of the blue-turquoise sea and the marvellous coast of the Gramvousa Peninsula. 

 

 

When we got off the ship, we walked a few minutes to the beach.

 

It was a wonderful feeling to walk in the shallow lagoon with your feet sinking into the powdery white-golden sand. In some parts, the sand is light pink, but not pink as it is on Elafonissi Beach. The water is crystal clear.

 

And yes, Balos is a beautiful place with many shades of blue and green water 🙂
You have to pass the sand bank through the water to come to the other side of the lagoon. In this part, you can find a small number of sunbeds with umbrellas.

 

Also, there is a toilet (1 EUR per person), and a small canteen, but it is always better to carry water with you.

 

Well, photos speak more than words, because it is impossible to describe the natural beauty of sea, sand and sky 🙂

 

The lagoon is marvellous for walking, swimming and just wandering around. And don’t be surprised if you see goats on the beach and some tourists feeding them.

 

Well, two hours passed quickly and we had to come back to the boat and continue our trip to the next spot.

 

Gramvousa

In fact, Gramvousa is a peninsula at the northwestern end of Crete, but it also includes two uninhabited islets.
Access to Agria Gramvousa is located north of the Cape Gramvousa and access is very difficult, because of the high rocks surrounding the islet. The second one is Imeri Gramvousa, which we visited during the excursion.

By the way, Gramvousa islets and Balos Lagoon are protected areas under Natura’s 2000 program. Among rare species of flora and fauna are the Mediterranean monk seal and sea turtle Caretta Caretta.

After about 2o minutes from Balos, we arrived at Gramvousa. The boat stays approximately 90 minutes there. So, you can stay on the beach or you can climb to the fortress.

 

Climbing to the Gramvousa fortress

Well, it takes approximately 20-30 minutes to climb to the fortress. Wear comfortable shoes because the path is rocky and it becomes more narrow as you climb towards the top.

 

And bring water with you, you will need it because there is nothing in the fortress!

 

Despite a little bit of hard access, you will be amazed by the breathtaking view of the bay and the sea.

 

A few words about the Gramvousa’s history

The fortress was built by Venetians between 1579 and 1584 to defend the island from the Ottoman Turks.

It is located 137 m above sea level and it has a triangular shape on which every side is about 1 km long. Even today, the ramparts and fortified walls can be seen, as well as the ruins of the large underground cistern, barracks, church, and some foundations.

 

Together with the fortresses of Souda and Spinalonga, it defended Venetian trade routes. All of these forts were strategic bases in the Ottoman–Venetian war for Crete.

👉 You can read more about the unusual story of Spinalonga Island here.

But, the Ottomans captured the island by bribing the Venetian commander in 1692.

 

Greek rebels

During the Greek War of Independence, a group of Greeks attacked and occupied the island in the summer of 1825. It became their base and shelter over the next few years. But since that, there was no food and other supplies, they started attacking both Turkish and European ships. So, Gramvousa became known as “the pirate island”…

 

Of course, the European powers did not like that. With the approval of the government, the English and French forces occupied the fort in January 1828. The pirates were driven away and a multinational guard was stationed there. By the Protocol of London, Crete was left under the Ottoman rule, including Crete.

The fortress was deserted around 1830.

 

In the middle of the fortress, you can see the remains of the church dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.

 

 

On the northern side, there are craggy rocks and the ruins of a gunpowder storehouse which was used as a mosque.

 

By the way, Gramvousa was the first part of Crete that was liberated from Ottoman rule. Formally, Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.

 

Gramvousa beach and shipwreck

 

If you don’t like to climb the fortress, you can stay at the beach and enjoy the crystal clear water.

 

Close to the coast, you can see a shipwreck of the Dimitrios P boat. Because of the bad weather, on its way from Chalkida to North Africa, the boat was forced to change the route and on the 6th January 1968, the ship was flooded there. Fortunately, the captain and a crew were rescued, but the ship remains still today.

 

Visit Balos & Gramvousa

 

 

If you are still wondering, whether Balos and Gramvousa are worth visiting…
Well, I think they are, even though it is very crowded during the peak season.
The scenic views of the coastline, wild nature, cliffs and many shades of blue and green water make a boat trip one of your unforgettable summer memories.