CalmBeach Greece
Sunset
Sunset beaches in Heraklion
6 west-facing beaches in Heraklion: that look out toward the sunset. Check live wind & waves for each beach on CalmBeach before you go.
- 6beaches
- 3organized
- 3with photos
Want to watch the sun go down over the sea in Heraklion? These 6 west-facing beaches look out toward the sunset. Time your visit for late afternoon — and check wind and waves in CalmBeach before you go.
The beaches
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Matala
The carved caves and the hippies — A sandy bay framed by sandstone walls pierced by dozens of caves. They were carved as tombs in Roman and early-Christian times, but many have rooms…
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Kokkini AmmosThe red sands behind Matala — Kokkini Ammos, the Red Beach, lies on Crete's south coast about 800 metres south of Matala, hidden behind the hill of Kastri. It owes its name to its…
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Kommos
The Minoan harbour below Phaistos — A long (~2 km) golden beach with dunes, tamarisks and carob trees, on the south coast. At its edge lies a Minoan settlement that served as the…
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Photo credits
- Kokkini Ammos: User:Anna.Tsolidou, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vathy: B.psycha, CC BY-SA 4.0
Good to know
Which beaches in Heraklion face the sunset?
The beaches listed here face west or southwest, so the sun sets over the water in front of you. Arrive before sunset to find a spot and enjoy the light.
Anything to know for an evening visit?
Wind can pick up or drop in the evening, and remote beaches have no lights. Check live wind and waves in the app and bring a torch for the walk back.
When is the sea calmest here?
Across 6 of the beaches on this page, the open water in front of them is typically 0.57 m in June, 0.58 m in July and 0.55 m in August when the meltemi is at its strongest, and 0.55 m in September. August 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 6 of the beaches on this page the sea is typically 19.3 °C in May, 22.4 °C in June, 24.6 °C in July, 25.8 °C in August and 25.5 °C in September — ideal at the height of summer, mild in June. In October it is still 24.0 °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.
Wind and waves change every day. See live conditions for any of these beaches before you drive out.
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