The most beautiful beaches in Greece are not always those you see in magazines. They are the ones you reach after a short walk through olive groves, the ones where you lay your towel on warm sand with the impression of being alone in the world, the ones where a seaside taverna awaits with tomatoes still warm from the sun and a glass of chilled wine. Greece has thousands of beaches, but we have kept a handful: those that offer beauty, accessibility, and that little extra something you find only when you take the time to look. Here is our selection, region by region, for epicurean travellers.
The most beautiful beaches in Greece, our selection:
- Sarakiniko, Milos
- Prassa, Kimolos
- Plaka, Naxos
- Vathy, Sifnos
- Kolitsani, Folegandros
- Rovinia, Corfu
- Myrtiotissa, Corfu
- Porto Katsiki, Lefkada
- Voutoumi, Antipaxos
- Myrtos, Kefalonia
- Elafonissi
- Balos
- Sougia
- Preveli
- Voidokilia, Messenia
- Foneas, Mani
- Kalogria, Elis
- Simos, Elafonisos
The Cyclades: dream beaches between white and blue
The Cyclades are synonymous with light. You come for the white of the villages, the blue of the sea, and that quality of air that makes every colour more intense. But the Cyclades also possess beaches of striking beauty, often just minutes on foot from a village or port.
Sarakiniko, Milos
You no longer know whether you are on the Moon or in Greece. The white chalk rocks, sculpted by wind and sea over millennia, form an unreal landscape above turquoise water so transparent you can see the bottom at five metres. You settle on the smooth, warm rocks, slip into the water, and the outside world ceases to exist. No sand here, but a mineral softness unique in the world. Discover Milos.
Prassa, Kimolos
The discreet neighbour of Milos hides one of the finest surprises of the Cyclades. Prassa is a crescent of almost Caribbean-white sand, milky blue water from the volcanic seabed, and a handful of tamarisk trees for shade. You reach it easily from Kimolos village, and you stay far longer than planned, lulled by the silence and the gentle warmth of the sand between your toes.
Plaka, Naxos
The longest beach in the Cyclades stretches for several kilometres, bordered by low dunes and cedars offering welcome shade in the hot hours. Plaka has the generosity that characterises Naxos: space for everyone, even in season, shallow water ideal for swimming, and in the background, the silhouette of Mount Zas watching over the island. In the evening, you dine with your feet in the sand at one of the nearby tavernas.
Vathy, Sifnos
A sheltered bay, enclosed like a lake, where the water takes on shades of jade. You reach Vathy by a paved path through the countryside of Sifnos, between white chapels and dry-stone walls. The reward, after this short walk, is the beach of course, but also the waterside taverna serving revithada, that chickpea stew simmered all night in an earthenware oven. A simple, perfect dish, to be savoured with your feet in the sand.
Kolitsani, Folegandros
Folegandros is the island of cliffs and vertiginous paths, but it also has intimate coves that reward a short descent from Chora. Kolitsani, nestled at the foot of the rocks, offers crystal-clear water and absolute calm. You descend by a shaded trail, set your things on the warm pebbles, and understand why Folegandros remains the favourite island of the connoisseurs.
To discover these beaches on a walking trip, we offer Cycladic enchantment between Serifos, Sifnos and Milos self-guided, or the guided trip Sifnos, Milos and Kimolos.
The Ionian Islands: emerald coves beneath the olive trees
If the Cyclades are white and blue, the Ionian Islands are green and turquoise. Here, three million olive trees cloak the hills, cypresses stand guard along the paths, and beaches hide in coves bordered by lush vegetation. The water takes on shades of emerald found nowhere else in Greece.
Rovinia, Corfu
Here is a beach that must be earned. From the village of Liapades, a trail descends for twenty minutes through centuries-old olive groves, in light filtered by silver foliage. You hear the sea before you see it. And when the cove appears, framed by rocks and greenery, with its emerald-green water, you understand why the regulars of Corfu keep this address to themselves.
Myrtiotissa, Corfu
Lawrence Durrell considered it the most beautiful beach in Corfu, and he was not wrong. You descend by a narrow path between the cypresses, golden cliffs tumble into clear water, and the setting is so unspoilt you feel you have arrived before everyone else. Myrtiotissa rewards those who accept a little effort: the climb back at the end of the day, legs still salty, hair dried by the sun.
Porto Katsiki, Lefkada
White limestone cliffs plunge into a sea of deep, almost unreal blue. Porto Katsiki is one of the most photographed beaches in Greece, and yet it never disappoints. You reach it by steps cut into the rock, and each step brings you closer to a panorama you thought was reserved for postcards. The late-afternoon light is particularly beautiful here. Discover Lefkada.
Voutoumi, Antipaxos
This is the beach you reach by boat from Paxos, and the crossing is part of the pleasure. Antipaxos, a tiny island of vines and pines, holds some of the clearest waters in the entire Mediterranean. Voutoumi, with its fine sand and translucent depths, looks like a tropical lagoon lost in the Ionian Sea. You spend the day swimming, reading, and drifting, before taking the boat back in the evening light.
Myrtos, Kefalonia
The legendary crescent of Kefalonia. Seen from above, from the road overlooking the bay, Myrtos takes your breath away: white cliffs frame a beach of pale pebbles, and the water shifts from cobalt blue to turquoise in just a few metres. You drive down, lay your towel, and stay there, mesmerised by the play of colours that changes with every hour.
To experience the Ionian Islands on foot, discover Corfu, the Emerald Isle self-guided or the guided trip Corfu and Paxos.
Crete: between wild beaches and spectacular gorges
Crete is a world apart. Too vast for a single visit, it concentrates on its south coast and western tip some of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean. Here, every beach tells a geological story: lagoons shaped by wind, sand coloured by minerals, palm groves fed by gorges.
Elafonissi
The pink sand of Elafonissi is not a legend. Tinted by crushed shells, it composes with the turquoise water of the lagoon a picture you thought was reserved for the tropics. The water is shallow, warm, almost still. You cross the sandbank that links the peninsula to the coast on foot, and settle into this improbable setting with the feeling of having discovered a secret. Come early in the morning or in the off-season to have the lagoon nearly to yourself.
Balos
In the north-west of Crete, the Gramvousa peninsula shelters a lagoon of turquoise waters that must be earned by a short walk on a dirt track or by a boat ride from Kissamos. The descent towards Balos offers a grandiose panorama: below, the lagoon spreads in gradients of blue and green, backed by the arid mountains of Gramvousa and the islet of the Venetian fortress. Swimming here is a simple happiness, in warm, shallow water.
Sougia
On the south coast, where the Agia Irini Gorge meets the Libyan Sea, Sougia is the beach of the initiated. A long ribbon of pebbles, deep waters of a dark blue, and behind it, the tiny village with its fish tavernas where you dine watching the sun descend over the sea. Sougia lacks the spectacular photogeny of Balos or Elafonissi, but it has something rarer: intact authenticity, the sound of waves, and the scent of wild thyme.
Preveli
A river descends from the Kourtaliotiko Gorge, crosses a palm grove, and flows into the sea. Preveli is this improbable meeting of mountain and coast, a landscape where Theophrastus palms frame a fine-sand beach bordered by clear waters. You reach it by a trail from the monastery, and quickly understand why the monks chose this spot: beauty here has something sacred about it.
To explore Crete on foot, we offer Crete, the fantastic journey as a guided small-group trip, or Crete, grandiose and secret self-guided.
The Peloponnese: secret beaches of mainland Greece
When people think of beaches in Greece, they immediately think of the islands. That overlooks the Peloponnese, that monumental peninsula plunging into three seas, hiding beaches as beautiful as those of the Cyclades, without the ferry crossing. For travellers seeking authenticity far from the classic circuits, the Peloponnese is a revelation.
Voidokilia, Messenia
Seen from above, Voidokilia draws a perfect omega: a semicircle of golden sand framed by dunes, a lagoon on one side, the sea on the other. You reach it by a trail that circles the Gialova lagoon, a refuge for flamingos, and emerge onto this beach of almost unreal symmetry. Above, the Cave of Nestor, mentioned in the Odyssey, adds a layer of history to a place already rich with beauty. After swimming, the tavernas of Pylos are just minutes away.
Foneas, Mani
The deep Mani, that austere peninsula bristling with stone towers and fortified villages, holds a few coves of raw beauty. Foneas is the most accessible: a small beach of pebbles and sand wedged between ochre rocks, intensely blue water, and the silence of the Mani as your only company. You descend from the road to Gerolimenas by a short trail, and find yourself alone facing the sea, in one of the most intense landscapes in Greece.
Kalogria, Elis
Where the Peloponnese turns almost tropical. Kalogria is a long fine-sand beach bordered by a fragrant pine forest that descends to the sea. Behind the forest, the Strofylia lagoon shelters a protected wetland rich in birdlife. It is the kind of beach where you walk barefoot for an hour without meeting anyone, where you lie in the shade of an umbrella pine, where time genuinely slows down.
Simos, Elafonisos
Elafonisos is a tiny island, five minutes by ferry from the Peloponnese, but technically still the mainland. Simos, its signature beach, is in fact a double crescent of white sand framing a low peninsula, with Caribbean-worthy turquoise water on each side. You hesitate between the two sides, swim on one, dry on the other, and wonder how such a place has remained so little known.
To discover the Peloponnese on foot, we offer ancient beauties of the Peloponnese self-guided or treasures of the Peloponnese guided.
What is the best season for beaches in Greece?
Greece is not a summer country. Or rather, it is not only that. Travellers who discover its beaches in May, June, or September rarely come back in August.
May and June are the gentlest months. The water is 20-23 °C (warm enough for pleasant swimming, especially in Crete and the Ionians), the beaches are nearly empty, wildflowers carpet the hills, and the light has that springtime clarity that makes colours sing. This is the season when the tavernas reopen with enthusiasm, when you eat fresh broad beans and artichokes from the garden, when every day ends with a sunset you have to yourself.
September and October offer the warmest sea of the year (24-26 °C), an incomparable golden light, and beaches that regain their calm after summer. The vines turn red, the figs ripen, and the evenings are long and balmy. This is the favourite time of our advisors: Greece reaches a form of quiet perfection.
July and August are the hottest months (35 °C in the shade) and the busiest. The most famous beaches are crowded, prices rise, and ferries are full. If you travel at this time, choose lesser-known islands (Kimolos, Folegandros, the Mani) and beaches that require a small effort to reach: they always remain the most peaceful.
To help you choose, see our complete guide When to visit Greece.
How to reach these beaches?
One of the questions we hear most often: "are these beaches easy to access?" The answer is yes. All the beaches in our selection are accessible in 15 to 30 minutes of walking on well-traced paths, or directly by car or boat. No special equipment needed, no athletic trails, no vertiginous descents. Just a shaded path, often fragrant with thyme and sage, that leads you to your reward.
For travellers who prefer not to organise anything, our stays include transfers, island connections, and all the practical information to reach each beach in complete serenity. Your luggage awaits you at each charming address, and our local partners are reachable if needed. All you have to do is slip on your sandals and follow the path.
Our stays that take in the finest beaches
Each region in our selection corresponds to one or more trips we have designed for you. Here are those that will lead you to the most beautiful beaches in Greece.
- Cycladic enchantment: Serifos, Sifnos and Milos: three islands in the western Cyclades, between volcanic coves, white villages, and terroir cuisine.
- Sifnos, Milos and Kimolos guided: the same magic in a guided small group, for those who prefer to be accompanied.
- Corfu, the Emerald Isle: the greenest of the Greek islands on foot, between centuries-old olive groves and secret coves.
- Corfu and Paxos guided: two islands, one Ionian art of living, with a guide who knows every trail.
- Crete, the fantastic journey: gorges, lagoons, and Minoan palaces, with a passionate guide.
- Crete, grandiose and secret: from Chania to turquoise lagoons, at your own pace.
- Ancient beauties of the Peloponnese: ten days between ancient sites and turquoise coves, self-guided.
- Treasures of the Peloponnese: ancient heritage and Greek gentleness on a guided trip.
Solène Roux
Responsable Éditoriale
