Amnissos Beach is covered with fine sand and its coastline is bathed by clear sea. Amnissos is an organized beach, well equipped for tourists - you will find sunbeds and umbrellas as well as beach showers. There are several tavernas right by the beach, serving tasty international and traditional Greek food. Visitors can also take advantage of the interesting offer of sports clubs and try some adrenaline-pumping water sports. The beach has been awarded the EU Blue Flag.

During the summer months, Amnissos Beach is a destination for tourists from further afield, and sometimes it is a headache. On the other hand, thanks to the good tourist facilities and the nice sea, you will have fun. The beach is close to the Cretan airport Nikos Kazantzakis, so you can also watch the planes landing and departing from here. You can also occasionally encounter stronger northerly winds which create bigger waves in the sea.

Archaeological work, which has been going on for a long time all over the island of Crete, has revealed signs of old Neolithic settlements in this area and the remains of the so-called "House of Lilies", which dates back to around 1 600 BC. The beautiful frescoes of lilies and other flowers that have been preserved here, and from which the villa takes its name, are on display in the Archaeological Museum in the capital Heraklion. The villa itself had two floors and ten rooms, but unfortunately you can't see much of it today because it is located behind a fence at the end of several private gardens and is not accessible.

In addition, Amnissos was an important port for the Minoan city of Knossos and was the departure point for Cretan ships participating in the Trojan War. Unfortunately, almost nothing of this ancient port has survived.

Within sight of the beach lies a small island in the sea of the god Zeus, who was an important religious symbol in Minoan times. Another important religious site was the nearby cave of the goddess Eileithyia, where, according to ancient Greek myths, Hera gave birth to Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth. Pregnant women would come here and pray to the goddess for a smooth delivery and the birth of a healthy offspring. The cave is long and rather narrow, but according to recent reports, it is not open to the public.

Amnissos beach is sometimes identified with Karteros beach. However, most maps show the two beaches as closely adjacent and flowing into each other. In the opposite direction, at the eastern end of the bay, is the tiny beach of Tobrouk.

More touristic destinations of Crete

Close beaches: Karteros Beach, Tobrouk Beach

Most favourite beaches of Crete: Amoudara Beach (Heraklion), Balos Beach, Elafonisi Beach, Falassarna Beach, Glyka Nera Beach (Sweet Water), Matala Beach, Platanias Beach, Preveli Beach, Stalis Beach, Stavros Beach, Vai Beach, Voulisma Beach, Xerokampos Beach

Resorts, beaches, sights or trips - clearly listed on the map of Crete.