The Lagoon of Balos is without doubt one of these places that will forever be etched in your memory once you visit it.

It’s an exotic-looking lagoon on the northwesternmost point of Crete, in the Aegean Sea, close to the islands of Kythira and Antikythira and there are 3 ways to reach it. All of them are equally exciting and special! First is driving. Driving is done on dirt road for at least 40 mins, but the view to the sea on your right hand side is breathtaking. The second way is through hiking, which offers incredible vistas and allows you to come in direct contact with the Cretan earth, which is full of aromatic thyme during the spring and summer months. Lastly, getting there by boat from Kissamos will enable you to mire at the Gramvousa peninsula before jumping into the azure waters of Balos.

I got there by car. If you also choose to get there by car, you will need to pay 1€ for each person, a fee that goes for the protection of the Natura 2000 protected environment. Additionally, you are required to pay another 3€ for an all-day parking spot at the designated parking lot. The boat from Kissamos should cost something along the lines of 25-30€.

Once you have parked your car, you will need to take the hike down to the beach for about 20 minutes. A beautiful descend that gradually reveals the full, horizontal view to the landscape of Balos and you go “wow!”.

There’s umbrellas and sunbeds down at the beach that you can rent and the water is generally quite shallow and warm. Perfect for families with little children. The whole lagoon area is pretty wide, so even if it’s crowded, you’ll still definitely find a spot to lay on.

Make sure you don’t forget to pick up your trash before leaving; be extra careful on windy days as they get blown away by the strong winds.