Falasarna is one of the Cretan beaches marked with a blue flag sign, which is a program that ranks the qualities of european beaches. To gain this mark the beach needs to fulfill 4 criteria : the quality of water, available information about the surroundings, protection of the environment and ensuring the safety on the beach. Beaches that have this flag are, therefore, usually kept clean and well secured. And so it appears on Falasarna.
The best parking is right on the parking lot above the beach. Off season you don’t pay for the parking but during summer they have sun protectors ready so you may need to pay. From there you can walk to the beach in no time.
After your arrival at the beach you will get right to the sunbeds which cost around 7-12€ for a set of two sunbeds and a parasol. If you prefer laying in the sand, turn left at the start of the beach and go down a wooden path.
The entrance into the water is quite steep. Usually, there are bigger waves which is normal as the beach is on an open sea. Falasarna beach has rough sand which is not ideal for sand castles. This also means that you won’t have it everywhere in your bags and clothes which is a great advantage :)
We tried snorkeling but it is typical for Crete that you won’t find anything else than sand. However, you may notice one interesting phenomenon. A you swim further away from the shore, you may see the sand starting to get pink as you will be getting closer to the Elafonissi beach.
During the day you will probably meet a man selling donuts for 2,50€. If you are a little more active, you can walk to the beach bar a buy them for a smaller price.
All of the sanitary facilities are close to the beach bar and tavern close to the parking lot. There you can find a changing cabin and a shower. As far as the toilet goes, you must pass through the center of the beach and go directly across the beach bar and the restaurant. If you walk from the parking lot it is better to look around in advance (during the descent from the parking lot look to the right), from this side, there is a path that does not lead around all the good food.
35.493346 N, 23.579833 E
Falasarna can be reached most easily with a GPS, but be careful, you need to check the GPS way with map, because with all kinds of GPS we have many experiences from Crete that led us somewhere else as many places have similar names. If you prefer using a map, you will need to go through Kissamos and from there continue to Trachilos, Kalivani, Azogiras and finally reach Falasarna. The road is well marked but we recommend you use both the GPS and a map for the easiest travel.
Once you're in the town, first pass the big blue gates for pedestrians and then near the shop IN.KA turn left and after a few hundred meters you are on the parking lot at the beach.
Camping right on the main beach Falasarna is prohibited, but about a mile away we found one of the best places in Crete where we stayed overnight..
If you go back to the store IN.KA and continue on the main road, less than a mile to the sea there is a road that has lights on the right side of it. You will pass a tavern from which you will go down a sharp road right to the beach. If you are patient enough you can get through the whole beach and reach a mini-passage where you can settle down, have a barbecue, you can do basically whatever you want. Thanks to the shadow you will wake up no sooner than at 9 am which is a great luxury while sleeping on a beach.
For and easier search of this place, use these coordinates: 35.505603 N, 23.575388 E.
