CalmBeach Greece
Beaches in Lasithi
All 72 beaches in Lasithi, in one list. 24 of them are not exposed to the meltemi, which gives them the better odds on a windy day. Open any of them for live wind and waves.
The beaches
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Agia Fotia
Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
The cove at the mouth of the Thripti stream — Agia Fotia sits on the south coast of Lasithi, about twelve kilometres east of Ierapetra, near Ferma. The small settlement is said to take its name…
- Agios Panteleimonas Sandy - Easy road access
- Atherina Pebbles - Difficult access (path)
- Alatsolimni Sandy - Passable dirt road
- Almyros Sandy - Easy road access
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Ammos Agiou Nikolaou
Sandy - Easy road access
The town's sandy beach by the marina — Ammos is the central town beach of Agios Nikolaos in Lasithi, Crete, right beside the city's marina and about five hundred metres south of Lake…
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Ammos Xerokampou
Sandy - Easy road access
A shore on the dry plain of ancient Ambelos — Ammos Xerokampou stretches along the southeastern tip of Crete, at the remote settlement of Xerokampos in the municipality of Sitia…
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Ammoudi
Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
The town beach by the historic chapel — Ammoudi lies just one kilometre north of the centre of Agios Nikolaos, on Mirabello Bay in Lasithi. Its name, a diminutive of the Greek word for sand…
- Anaskelou Pebbles - Easy road access
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Argilos
Sandy - Easy road access
The beach of natural clay — Argilos is one of the small sandy coves of Xerokambos, at the southeastern tip of Crete in the Lasithi prefecture. It owes its name to the clayey…
- Aspes Pebbles - Passable dirt road
- Avlaki Pebbles - Easy road access
- Vagi Sand & pebbles - Easy path
- Vagkes Sand & pebbles - Boat access only
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Vai
Sandy - Easy road access
The largest palm forest in Europe — At the northeast tip of Crete, the beach is framed by Europe’s largest natural palm forest — about 5,000 Cretan date palms (Phoenix theophrasti)…
- Vlychada Xerokampou Sand & pebbles - Difficult dirt road
- Volia Pebbles - Easy road access
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Voulisma
Sandy - Easy road access
The golden sand of Mirabello Bay — It holds a Blue Flag, with shallow water near the shore that makes it ideal for families; organised and busy in summer.
- Vourlia Sandy - Easy road access
- Vryonisi Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Gerontolakkos Sandy - Easy road access
- Dianiskari Pebbles - Passable dirt road
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Diaskari
Sandy - Easy road access
The Dioscuri shore on the Libyan Sea — Diaskari lies on the south coast of Lasithi in Crete, about four kilometres east of Makrigialos…
- Tholos Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Itanos Sandy - Easy road access
- Kakkos Sandy - Easy road access
- Kalami Pebbles - Easy road access
- Karavostasi Sandy - Easy road access
- Karoumes Sand & pebbles - Difficult access (path)
- Kataprosopo Sand & pebbles - Boat access only
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Kitroplatia
Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
The town beach of Agios Nikolaos — The town’s central beach, next to Lake Voulismeni, with light golden sand and gentle water, ringed by tavernas and restaurants — convenient rather…
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Kolokytha
Sandy - Passable dirt road
The cove with the basilica on the Spinalonga peninsula — Kolokytha lies on the eastern side of the Spinalonga peninsula, opposite the islet of the same name, near Elounda in Lasithi. The cove…
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Kouremenos
Sandy - Easy road access
The windsurf mecca of eastern Crete — The premier windsurf/kitesurf beach of eastern Crete (near Palekastro). The Meltemi, boosted by thermal effects…
- Krinakia Sandy - Passable dirt road
- Lagkada Sandy - Easy road access
- Livari Pebbles - Passable dirt road
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Mazida Ammos
Sandy - Easy road access
Xerokampos's long sandy beach — Mazida Ammos is the longest beach of Xerokampos, at the southeastern tip of Crete, about five hundred metres from the small settlement in the…
- Maridati Sand & pebbles - Passable dirt road
- Moni Kapsa Pebbles - Easy road access
- Balos Elountas Pebbles - Moderate access
- Belegrina Sandy - Boat access only
- Botzalaki Pebbles - Easy road access
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Boufos
Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
The cove named after a cave's sound — Boufos is the best-known beach of Sisi, on the north coast of Lasithi in Crete, just a few metres east of the picturesque fishing village…
- Paralia Vlychadia Pebbles - Easy road access
- Paralia Richti Sand & pebbles - Passable dirt road
- Paralia tis Grias to Pidima Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Pelekiti Pebbles - Passable dirt road
- Plaka Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Plaka Elountas Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Potamos Xerokampou Pebbles - Easy road access
- Skinias Sand & pebbles - Difficult dirt road
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Schisma
Sandy - Easy road access
The sandy beach by Elounda's harbour — Schisma is the main beach of Elounda, on Mirabello Bay in Lasithi, right beside the village harbour. It takes its name from the seaside settlement…
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Chavania
Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
The shore of the stone mortars — Chavania lies at the northern edge of Agios Nikolaos in Lasithi, Crete, on the road towards Elounda…
- Chiona Xerokampou Sandy - Easy road access
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Chiona Palaikastrou
Sandy - Easy road access
Whitish sand beside Minoan Roussolakkos — Chiona stretches two kilometres east of Palekastro, at the easternmost tip of Crete in the Lasithi prefecture…
- Psili Ammos Vai Sandy - Easy path
- Palaria Pebbles - Passable dirt road
- Palm Bay Beach Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Trachilias Beach Pebbles - Passable dirt road
- Elounta Easy road access
- Paralia Kato Zakros Sandy - Easy road access
- Paralia Petras Pebbles - Easy road access
- Myrtos Pebbles - Easy road access
- Limanaki Makry Gialou Sandy - Easy road access
- Kalamokanias Sandy - Easy road access
- Makrys Gialos Sandy - Easy road access
- Apovathra Ierapetras Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Mochlos Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Pachia Ammos Lasithiou Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Ferma (Livadi) Pebbles - Easy road access
- Agios Andreas Ierapetras Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Ammoudara Agiou Nikolaou Sandy - Easy road access
Pick by what you are looking for
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Meltemi options
The coves that face away from the prevailing wind — the shortlist for a windy day.
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Family beaches
Organised, not hard to reach, and recorded as shallow in our data.
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Snorkeling
Rockier seabed and clearer water, where there is something to look at underwater.
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Organized
Sunbeds, umbrellas and somewhere to eat or drink nearby.
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Secluded
Quieter and harder to reach — dirt track, a walk, or boat only.
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Sunset
West-facing, so the sun goes down over the water in front of you.
- Sandy
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Good to know
Which beaches in Lasithi are more sheltered from the wind?
24 of the 72 face away from the meltemi, meaning less open water in front of them for a wave to build across when it blows. It is not a guarantee — the same beach changes character when the wind turns. Check the live reading before you drive out.
Which side of Lasithi is windier?
When the meltemi blows (from N/NE), the beaches facing north are the most open to it: none of the 19 is sheltered from it. The more sheltered side faces south: all 22 of its beaches have land between them and the wind. When the wind turns, the picture turns with it, so check live wind and waves before you go.
How is this list ordered?
By which beaches have the best conditions at that hour, so the order changes through the day: a beach that leads in the morning can drop down the list in the afternoon, once the wind picks up. When there is no live weather data, they are listed by how well known each one is — not by a score of ours.
When is the sea calmest here?
Across 72 of the beaches on this page, the open water in front of them is typically 0.62 m in June, 0.73 m in July and 0.72 m in August when the meltemi is at its strongest, and 0.67 m in September. June is the calmest month of the season. We calculate these figures ourselves from European Copernicus wave-model data at 4.2 km resolution. They describe the sea offshore, not the shelter of an individual cove — a bay protected by a headland will usually be calmer than this.
How warm is the water, month by month?
Off 72 of the beaches on this page the sea is typically 19.7 °C in May, 23.0 °C in June, 25.1 °C in July, 26.1 °C in August and 25.5 °C in September — ideal at the height of summer, mild in June. In October it is still 23.6 °C — warmer than June. August is the warmest month. Satellite measurements, 1995–2024, from a sea cell about 5 km offshore; shallow bays usually run warmer than this.
When does the meltemi blow in Lasithi?
Over the last 20 summers, the hardest week in Lasithi starts around 10 July: 25 days in 100 had wind of 5 Beaufort or more. When it blew hard, it came from the north 100% of the time — the meltemi. In a week's holiday between 3 July and 23 July, strong wind on about 2 of the 7 days. Once it starts, it lasts about 2 days. Even then, the most sheltered side was the south coast, with beaches fit for a swim such as tis Grias to Pidima, Palaria and Limanaki Makry Gialou. These are typical figures from 20 summers of European reanalysis (2006–2025), not a forecast for any single day.
How busy does it get, month by month?
August is the peak: on an average night there are about 27,093 people staying here. In October it drops to 52% of that peak — about 14,813 people, while in May it sits at 56%. From official overnight-stay figures 2024-2025: it counts whoever sleeps in the area, not day trippers or cruise passengers. It is a historical average, not a forecast for this year.
Weather and sea conditions change. CalmBeach uses the app view for live beach recommendations.