Falasarna is located on the West coast of Crete and, similarly to Elafonisi is popular with day trippers because of its stunning beaches and clear turquoise blue sea.
It consists of several sandy beaches of various length, all facing the West (which makes it a wonderful place to watch the sunset from). The sea is generally very clean and with lovely colours because of the sandy bottom.
If you are interested in archaeology you can also visit the remains of a fortified Hellenistic harbour. Because of a sudden uplift of the West of Crete 1500 years ago the harbour is now located inland.
Because there is a good area of flat fertile land running along the coast, a lot of greenhouses have been erected in the last 20 years or so and Falasarna, especially seen from above as you drive down the hill, is not as beautiful as it once was. But when you are on the beach you won’t notice them anymore.
The main attractions of Falasarna are the superb sandy beaches, the crystal clear sea and the antique harbour.
Falasarna actually consists of several beaches (see the satellite picture below) of variable size. All have a fine sand and none feel crowded even on busy days because they are so wide and long.
When you drive down to Falasarna (perhaps after stopping on the way to admire the views from above – there are a couple of cafés with terraces offering very good views) you will see several signs pointing to the beach. You can follow any of them. You will have space to park near the beach. Once on the beach you can choose whether you want to use the sun beds and umbrellas provided (during the tourist season) or stay without. There is plenty of space without umbrellas so that you won’t be relegated to some corner of the beach.
During the tourist season there are a few beach restaurants and cafés on or close to the beaches as well as a couple of small shops along the road where you could shop for basics.
Many visitors also come to Falasarna to visit the ruins of the ancient Hellenistic harbour located a little further to the North. To access them you need to drive all the way to the end of the asphalted road and continue on a dirt track (you will see a sign pointing you in the right direction) for about 5 minutes. If you prefer to walk it takes about 15 to 20 minutes each way. See more about the harbour further down on this page.
