Kalamaki resort - characteristics, amenities and beach

The resort of Kalamaki is one of the modern and artificially created tourist resorts, because in 1970 there was only a bare coastline in this part of the Mesara Bay. After the tourist industry significantly affected the Greek island of Crete and its coastal towns, a new village called Kalamaki started to grow up here. The local buildings and infrastructure are meant to be functional and tourist-friendly, but on the other hand, they lack the spirit of true Greek villages. For traditional Greek architecture you can go to the neighbouring village of Kamilari, for example.

But if you're looking for a primarily seaside resort with good tourist facilities and beautiful beaches, then you've come to the right place. Visitors to the resort can stay in nice hotels and smaller apartments, go to restaurants and tavernas for tasty Greek and international cuisine, or just enjoy a glass of Cretan wine at the bar after sunset. If the local bars aren't enough, head to the nearby resorts of Matala or Tympaki for nightlife. Kalamaki also has a number of shops selling a variety of goods.

The resort includes the beautiful sandy beach of Kalamaki, which will let you indulge in the warm sunshine and sweet nothingness. However, Mesara Bay is very open towards the sea, so you can experience some serious waves in the strong winds. Kalamaki Beach is only a small part of the bay and there are other nice beaches along its several kilometres of coastline, such as the popular Matala and Kommos beaches.

Surroundings of Kalamaki

The holiday resort of Kalamaki is located on the more touristy south coast of Crete. There are smaller inland villages around the resort, such as the traditional Greek village of Kamilari or the village of Pitsidia, where one of the island's official campsites operates. However, the coast of Mesara Bay is busy during the peak tourist season, and the neighbouring beaches of Kommos and Matala in particular can be a nice excursion for tourists from other resorts.

The beautiful sandy beach of Kommos is one of the longest beaches on the island of Crete with almost 2 km. Nearby is the archaeological site of Kommos and this part of the beach around the site is reserved for nudists (it is therefore also called "Nudist Beach"), while the southern part of the beach below the site is organized and equipped with beach service. Kommos Beach is also unique in that large Caretta-caretta turtles lay their eggs in the sand on the beach. The eggs are then hatched into small turtles, which crawl out of the sand and head into the sea as quickly as possible.

South across the rock massif lies another beautiful and interesting beach. Matala beach is a smaller and pleasant pebble and sand beach and it is the rock mass separating these two beaches that attracts the attention of local visitors. It is decorated with a number of large or small caves that have been dug directly into the rock. Matala, Kommos and Red Beach are protected under the Natura 2000 programme, which was established by the European Union to protect and preserve the rarest species of animals and plants in the long term.

But history lovers will not be deprived of a pleasant experience either. The town of Matala used to serve as a port for the Minoan city of Phaestos and the remains of this ancient city, together with the remains of the Phaestos Palace, can be found just a few kilometres north-east inland. Subsequently, during the Roman rule, Matala was a port of call for the then capital of Gortys, whose ruins have also been preserved to this day. Look for the archaeological zone of Gortys to the east towards the interior, near the village of Agioi Deka. Finally, you can also explore the archaeological excavations of Agia Triada, which is close to the two mentioned above.

For whom the centre is suitable

The resort of Kalamaki is suitable for tourists who want to relax on their seaside holiday in a nice seaside resort with good tourist facilities and pleasant surrounding beaches. Kalamaki is located in a more touristy area where regular bus services cannot be relied upon. Therefore, if you want to travel and go on some excursions, we recommend renting a car. And then you can be at one of the important local archaeological sites or exploring the most beautiful beaches of the south coast of Crete in no time.

If you prefer to travel by public transport, look instead at the livelier tourist resorts of the north coast of Crete or at least the towns that are located along the main road that crosses the island.

Kalamaki (Matala) vs. Kalamaki (Chania)

On some travel sites you can come across the resort of "Kalamaki" located in the northwestern part of Crete, near the town of Chania. In fact, there is a seaside town called Kato Galatas and one of its adjacent beaches is called "Kalamaki Beach". Hence the whole resort is sometimes also called Kalamaki.

And so while "our" Kalamaki (Kalamaki - Matala) is located in a quiet part of the Cretan south coast, far from the big tourist resorts, the other Kalamaki (Kalamaki - Chania) is a lively tourist resort on the northwest coast of the island, near the administrative town of Chania.

More touristic destinations of Crete

Close resorts: Agia Galini, Matala

Most favourite resorts of Crete: Adelianos Kampos, Agia Marina, Agios Nikolaos, Heraklion (Iraklion), Hersonissos, Chania, Ierapetra, Kalamaki (Matala), Malia, Platanias (Chania), Rethymno, Stalis

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