The Bali Beach is situated in a small town bearing the same name which is found halfway between the towns of Heraklion and Rethymno. It is a very tranquil and quiet spot. Is is visible that this town is very popular with the Russians, it even has a private part of the beach dedicated only for these tourists.
If you want to be as close to the beach as possible, the easiest way is to park your car right on the street close to many of the small hotels in town. You don’t have to be afraid you will return to a hot burning car, the road is surrounded by many trees which provide a great hideaway. However, in the main season it is best for you to come to the beach in the morning, as there may be other tourists wanting to park in your space.
You can lie on the beach either on comfortable sun lounges for a few euros (around 3€ per sunbed and 2€ per parasol) or you can spend the day right on the beach lying on the sand. Warning! The sand can get very hot so you better put on some shoes when you go to the sea.
The entry into the water is pleasant, sandy, the level of the water rises steadily, so you don’t need to worry about your children playing on the shore. The water is usually calm, as the beach is located on the north coast, thus, facing the mainland Greece which makes it the perfect place to relax on your sunbed. The sand is very soft, an excellent buliding material for sand castles, so don’t forget your blades and buckets!
Snorkeling is not very interesting as the bottom of the sea is covered with sand, you may find some small fish but that is about it.
You can change into your swimming costumes right on the beach in the wooden cabins. You can also use the shower, just about in the middle of the beach. The toilets are, of course, not visible to you, but if you really need to go, there are many taverns available. It is not a problem if you don’t buy anything in there, the Greeks are very hospitable.
35.407739 N, 24.784522 E
Finding your way to Bali is not at all difficult. You just need to watch the signs on the main road leading from Heraklion to Rethymno, the turnoff to the beach is about halfway on this road so don’t miss it!
Right after you get off the motorway, stay on the main road and in a couple of metres you will reach Bali. Once you start noticing more and more signs with the word “beach” on them -παραλία in Greek, you need to stars finding your parking space. You can take turn into any of the streets leading down to the beach.
If you don’t happen to find a parking space near the first beach, there is another, smaller and more romantic beach at the other end of Bali. We have never visited this beach but if you do, please let us know in the comments.
Bali Beach is not an official campsite, which means you won’t get a good night’s sleep. Nevertheless, you are free to stay there overnight but don’t forget to watch the prohibition boards. The nightlife is quite loud on the main Bali beach, so I wouldn’t recommend spending your night in that area. The better option is the already mentioned beach on the other end of Bali. But, of course, if you do chose to stay on the first beach, let us know how it was and by doing this, you may help other campers in their decision making.
