Balos Lagoon: The Turquoise Paradise in Crete, Greece

Paradise is a place of great happiness and beauty.
Paradise is a place that has a complete peace of mind.

Paradise is a place where you came, you saw and you loved, 

But no choice have to leave when the time is up.

Paradise is the best word that I could think of to describe the exotic beach lagoon of Balos. Love at first sight, Balos lagoon looked exactly like those beautiful places in the postcards; surrounded by clean turquoise waters, white sandy beach, stunning landscape scenery, and this breathtaking turquoise paradise is absolutely one of the most photogenic beaches in Greece, or even in the whole world.

 

Location
Balos lagoon is situated between the Gramvousa peninsula and Cape Tigani, which is about 56km north-west of Chania in Crete, the largest and most populated of all the Greek islands.

Best Times to Visit
- The shoulder season, which is April through mid-June and September through October.
- If you want to indulge yourself in a tranquil and idyllic environment of Balos, try to drive there early in the morning before the big crowd arrived from the boat excursion. 

Getting There

By Boat: The most easy and convenient way to get to Balos lagoon is to take a daily cruise from Kissamos Port. The boat will make a stop at the island of Gramvousa for 2 hours; you can choose to explore the old Venetian fortress at the hill top, the shipwreck nearby or just for a dip in the exotic beach. After which the boat will depart for the Balos lagoon. The main disadvantage of taking a boat excursion is you will be arriving at Balos lagoon with a big crowd of tourists and you will have less than 3 hours to explore and enjoy this turquoise paradise.

By Car: The next popular way of getting to Balos lagoon is to take a car ride from Kaliviani along the 9km Northern coastal road to Balos. Park your car at the Balos Beach Carpark on top of the mountain and take a 1km scenic walk along the down slope path to the Balos beach. The main advantage of going by car is that you can plan your own schedule to avoid the big crowd of tourists arriving by boat and you can take your own sweet time to explore and enjoy this turquoise paradise. The only setback is that you will not be able to visit the island of Gramvousa unless you follow the boat tour.

No matter which season you chose to visit Balos or which way you chose to get there, whether are you fighting for a space with the crowd or having the whole paradise to yourself, and whether are you spending there the whole day or just a few hours, I am very sure that you will be overwhelmed by this little piece of heaven on earth, and longing for more after you have left the place!

<< Balos Lagoon >>

Location: Click Here for Map

Year Visited: 2015 May

Related Post:
- Explore The Old Town of Heraklion


Written By: Q.J.
Photography By: Q.J. & K.K.