Most of the best beaches in Greece are found on the fabled Greek Islands. They’re known for their long golden sands and crystal-clear, tranquil water. You can also visit uniquely black beaches, created out of volcanic sand from ancient eruptions.
Best beaches in Greece for all kinds of vacations
If you’re planning a holiday in Greece to relax and soak up the sun, here are the most laid-back spots. If you’re traveling with your family, there are plenty of safe, children-friendly beaches in Greece. If you want to party, we have you covered too. Here’s a short guide to the best of them, including those closest to Athens, if you’re staying on the mainland.
The best beaches in Greece: Islands
You can virtually stick a pin on a map and find a gorgeous Greek Island with beautiful beaches. Take a closer look and you’ll discover the features of each. Some are more suited to adventurous watersports enthusiasts and hikers, while others are ideal for families on holiday.
There are quiet, secluded beaches and busy tourist beach resorts filled with holiday spirit and late-night revelry. We’ll look at each island separately below, so let’s have a quick look at the best beaches in the Greek Islands for various types of holidaymakers.
If you’re traveling with mates on a party holiday, the hot party scenes are around Pounda Beach, in Paros. This beach near the harbor is also a stand-out destination for kitesurfing. Another very popular spot is Paradise Beach, on the island of Mykonos. For windsurfing and similar aquatic sports, head to Golden Beach on Paros, Vassiliki in Lefkada or Mikri Vigla on Naxos Island.
On holiday with your family? The beaches you’re after are Agios Nikitas in Lefkada and Agios Georgios Beach in Naxos. Naturists will also find plenty of secluded coves. To take advantage of warm weather and comfortable sea temperatures, visit the Greek Islands between May and October.
Best beaches in Crete
The island of Crete has a large number of great beaches. Balos Beach is a favorite, with white sandy strips interspersed in a naturally formed sea lagoon. The price to pay is that it’s not accessible by car, but a hired 4×4 will easily get you there. You can also take a boat ride from one of the nearby towns.
Vai Beach stands out from all the others by being the only beach in Europe fringed with natural tropical palm trees. It’s a popular and well-organized beach, where you can hire sunbeds and get refreshments. The water is very tranquil and warm, making for safe and pleasant swimming.
Another jewel of a beach on Crete is Elafonissi Beach. It has unusual pinkish-white sand, and cedar trees grow all the way to the waterfront. You can hire sunbeds and umbrellas. Also on the western side of the island is Falassarna Beach.
It’s the main family-friendly beach on Crete, with plenty of organized activities. It’s also a very good windsurfing spot. While you’re there, you can do some more sightseeing at the Ancient Falassarna archaeological site, just above the beach itself.
Best beaches in Corfu
The most popular beach of all in Corfu is Paleokastritsa Beach. It’s a rather small beach, but it has wonderful views, set in green hills that cascade almost to the water’s edge. From here, you can see for miles out over the Ionian Sea. It’s most popular in July and August when it can get quite crowded, so visit during other months if you can to get the most out of this lovely sandy beach.
Another beautiful beach with similar geological features is Agios Gordios Beach. It has some fascinating rock formations just offshore. For a very quiet beach, where naturists often gather, go to Myrtiotissa Beach. It’s about a 10-mile drive from Corfu Town, where you’ll be rewarded with some of the most unspoiled strips of beach on the island.
For snorkeling and scuba diving, choose Bataria Kassiopi Beach, near the village of the same name. It’s to the north of Corfu Town. Arillas Beach is the most popular on the south side of the island, sheltered from the wind by small twin peninsulas on either side. For another secluded space, head to Barbati Beach.
If you’re into photography as well as sunning yourself on the beach, go to Sidari Canal d’Amour. This is one of the most photographed beaches on the island, thanks to the unusual and alluring geographical layout of its picture-perfect coves. Travel to the north of Corfu Town to reach it.
Best beaches in Rhodes
Rhodes is one of the largest and most historic of the Greek Islands. Here you can visit beaches overlooked by medieval castles and other historical ruins. The prime of them is Agathi Beach, near Farklos Castle. It’s a small cove of a beach, in an unspoiled natural region of the island. Haraki Beach is also close by, just to the north of the village of Lindos, and is easily reachable in a hire car.
Another beach near the town of Rhodes itself is Kallithea Beach, once a highly popular destination for its hot springs that were believed to be medicinal. They no longer function, but you can swim in wonderfully clear shallow water a long way off the beach, enjoying the view of the old buildings with colorful Arabic mosaics.
Perhaps the island’s most iconic beach is Anthony Quinn Bay, so named because the seminal WW2 movie, The Guns of Navarone, was shot here. It’s a lovely little natural beach, comprising a combination of sand, pebbles, and rocks. For even more privacy, Ladiko Beach is little more than a secluded cave. It’s a great swimming spot, though.
Best beaches in Santorini
Santorini is where you’ll find the dramatic black sand beaches in the Greek Isles. Volcano eruptions created them thousands of years ago, and it’s a unique experience walking on the volcanic sand ranging from charred brown to solid charcoal. You can look back on the steep cliffs from the beach, with their variegated colors. It’s a wonderful sight to drink in.
They’re sheltered beaches, too, offering safe swimming. This makes them some of the best sandy beaches in the Greek Islands. You can stay near the main beach on the island, in Kamari, where you’ll find brown sandy stretches at the base of rocky cliffs. The water is the fabled transparent blue and is tranquil. It’s a resort beach, so there’s lots of food, drink, and entertainment available.
The town also has plenty of desirable family beaches. Red Beach takes its name from the towering cliffs that create its backdrop. Also known as Kokkini Beach, it’s a very popular tourist destination on the island. It’s only a short drive from Fira in your hire car, too.
If you’re looking for a quieter beach, Armeni Beach is tucked away in the village of Oia. It has expansive views across the sea, and although it’s a little rocky, it offers some of the clearest and best swimming waters on the island. Baxedes Beach is another more isolated one, known as a place where clothing is optional, so it may not really be suitable if you have children with you.
Best beaches in Mykonos
Mykonos is probably the best-known of all the Greek Islands among tourists. It’s the one we all think of as a Mediterranean island paradise. Fittingly, its most popular beach is called Paradise Beach, a stretch of golden-brown sand edged with see-through turquoise water. You can rent sunbeds, but make sure to get there early if you want one of those. This beach is as busy as it is famous.
Its sibling is Super Paradise Beach, which offers more of a party scene and has quite the reputation for it. For this reason, it’s an adults-only beach, which also has a small naturist section. The drinks flow from its many bars and the party carries on into the night.
If you’re on holiday with children, rather take them to Ornos Beach. You can take a bus directly to the beachfront or enjoy a trip on a water taxi. It’s one of the safest swimming beaches on the island. There’s a family-friendly beach club, and you can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner from one of several restaurants.
Platis Gialos is often rated as the most desirable beach on the island, a short way south of Mykonos Town. It’s well-developed for tourists, with mini-markets, watersports equipment rentals, and lots of fun on jet skis. It’s connected by water taxis to the aforementioned beaches and to others like Argari Beach and Paraga Beach. Have a look at our Guide to Mykonos for more.
Best beaches in Kefalonia
The island of Kefalonia boasts one of the most prized beaches in all of Greece: Myrtos Beach. It’s the quintessential beach you imagine in this area, with near-transparent blue water and long white sands. It has earned Blue Flag status almost every year and basically always makes the list of best beaches in the world. It’s near Pylaros, on the northwest coast of the island. Our advice is to get there early to secure a good spot or claim a sunbed. It’s about a 15-minute drive from Argostoli, surrounded by steep green cliffs.
Another stunning piece of the coast is Antisamos Beach, with its golden sands. It’s the picture-perfect Greek Island setting, so much so that scenes from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin were filmed on location here. Another popular beach that offers water sports is Makris Gialos Beach, a few minutes drive south of the capital of Kefalonia, Argostoli.
You can also visit the fishing village of Skala, where the beach is quieter – it’s great for family holidays.
Similarly, Lourdas Beach will let you get away from it all, with its long curving seafront. Foki Fiskardo Beach is more tucked away, resembling a Norwegian fjord with bright sunshine.
Best beaches in Naxos
Naxos is one of the more laid-back of the Greek Islands, the mythological childhood home of Zeus. It’s the largest off the mainland in the sparkling Aegean Sea and is known for its historic towns, its rich agriculture and some of the very nicest sandy beaches in Greece. Saint George Beach is the main one on this island.
You’ll find it just to the southwest of the small village of Chora. It’s a little holiday world unto itself, with lots of cafes and restaurants. You can walk there from the town.
The other popular beach here is Plaka Beach, just to the south of Naxos City. It’s one of a string of them, and you can easily cycle there if you prefer.
Naxos is traditionally known as the happiest of the Greek Islands. Its west coast is the place to find luxurious powdery beaches. Agia Anna and Agios Prokopios are the family beaches here. Head to the south coast for beaches offering more adventure – go windsurfing at Mikri Vigla or head to Kastraki for an enthusiastic kitesurfing scene.
Best beaches in Zakynthos
Compared to some of the more famous islands above, Zakynthos is one of the less well-known Greek Islands. While it’s not one that springs to mind first, it actually has one of the very best beaches in Greece, if not the world: Navagio Beach.
Also known as Shipwreck Beach, it’s probably one of the most photographed beaches on the island, thanks to its sheer beauty. It’s irresistible for selfies, so be prepared to encounter lots of that when you visit. It’s extremely sheltered and only accessible by boat but not particularly quiet. To avoid the worst of the crowds, book outside of July and August.
For a more traditional beach with long stretches of sand and plenty of room for everyone, visit Gerakas Beach. It’s family-friendly with warm water. Drive just a few miles south of Zakynthos and you’ll reach Kalamaki Beach, which has tourist facilities aplenty.
Otherwise, go to Banana Beach, where you can relax on loungers under thatched umbrellas. For more sunbeds and water sports, head to Tsilivi Beach. Laganas Beach also has watersports centers and many beach bars.
FAQs on the best beaches in Greece
What is the nicest beach in Greece?
It’s tough singling out a single beach as the nicest – especially since the Greek Isles are in the running. It’s virtually impossible to say whether Agios Nikitas on Lefkada is better than Agios Georgios Beach on Naxos, for instance. They each have their own charm and their own attractions.
Let’s highlight a few though. Navagio Beach on the island of Zakynthos is often cited as one of the best beaches in the world. If one judges by Instagram, it’s also one of the most photographed, thanks to its sheer natural beauty. It’s also known as Shipwreck Beach.
A special mention must go to Myrtos Beach on Mykonos, also often called one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Its Blue Flag status speaks to its pristine white sands and its safe swimming waters.
Which part of Greece has the best beaches?
The best part of Greece to choose for its beaches is Crete. The island is worth visiting, in and of itself, for its historical landmarks, and if you add its beaches to the package, it’s very enticing. It’s also where you’ll find some of the more unusual beaches in Greece.
Which island has the best beaches in Greece?
You can’t really miss a great beach on any island. However, if you want one with the best variety of beaches and other tourist attractions, we’d recommend Mykonos. It has it all – from peaceful sunbathing spots to a thriving nightclub scene.
Where are the best sandy beaches in Greece?
The best sandy beaches in Greece are on the island of Santorini, simply due to the variety on offer. These range from long stretches of golden brown sand of Kamari to the unique black volcanic sands of Kokkini Beach, and the crimson cliffs of Red Beach.
