Balos Lagoon Cruises: The 15 Best Boats to the Sandbar

1.Boat Cruise to Balos Lagoon & Gramvousa

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 6,755 reviews · 7 hours · from $47Our pick

Sail from Kissamos Port to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon on a large, comfortable ferry. Swim in clear water, hike to a Venetian castle, see a shipwreck and cave, and buy food aboard. The route may reverse, and Balos landing conditions can vary.

“Fantastic, very well organised and the team on board worked hard to keep everything clean and tidy which given the size of the vessel and the number of passengers is a big task. We had a great trip. The food was delicious and it was great value. Balos and Gramvousa are incredibly beautiful. There are pros and cons to being on whats essentially a cruise ship vs a smaller boat. In this case I think they did it very well and I would recommend it. The only thing I would change is the music haha but hey some people like euro pop so fair enough.”

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2.Gramvousa Island & Balos,Boat Tkt Extra

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 992 reviews · 10 - 12 hours · from $23

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Chania, Kalyves, Almyrida, or nearby resorts to Kissamos, then cruise to Gramvousa and Balos. Swim, hike to the Venetian fortress, and enjoy guide-led logistics. Boat tickets cost extra on most Chania departures, so check the final price carefully.

“Sooooo beautiful place! I would only want to stay there a bit more (than 1h on Balos and 3h on Gramvousa) but apart from that it was an unforgettable experience :)”

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3.Balos Gramvousa Cruise with Transfer and Boat Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 925 reviews · from $47

Spend a full day sailing from Kissamos to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon, with hotel-area pickup from Chania. You get time to swim, hike to a Venetian castle, and enjoy the boat’s bar and open deck. Staff names praised by visitors include Elvira, George, and Hope.

“Everything worked according to the plan, the bus came at the indicated hours, an the ferry as well. is just that the food on the board is below average, so I recommend to get something packed from outside.”

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4.Gramvousa Island & Balos, Boat Ticket Extra

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 594 reviews · 10 - 12 hours · from $20Best value

Travel from Rethymno to Kissamos by air-conditioned bus, then cruise to Gramvousa and Balos. You get time for swimming and photos at both stops, plus an optional climb to the Venetian fortress. English, German, and French guides are available on selected days, with pickup from many nearby resorts.

“The trip was overally very nice. Logistically-wise everything was very good organised, both the bus and the boat were on time all the time. The only minor issue was the boat. It was very loaded with people and sometimes you would need to stand for the entire ride. Also, the bar on boat was super crowded and you had to wait 20-25 min to get a bottle of water. Both Gramvousa and Balos were very beautiful.”

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5.Balos Gramvousa Day Trip with Boat Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 590 reviews · 12 hours · from $64

Spend a full day sailing from Kissamos to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island, with air-conditioned transport from Chania-area pickup points. Swim in shallow turquoise water, see the Dimitrios P shipwreck, and climb to Gramvousa’s Venetian fortress. Guides such as Vicky, Irene, and Eva are often praised for clear help.

“Everything was well-organized. Even though it was plenty of other people on boat our guide Vicky was always visible and even gave her number. She was supernice🧡🤗 Everything was explained perfectly. Balos was gorgeous, with crystal clear water and pink sand. Gramvousa nice to see, but it didn’t wanted to hike, that’s why enjoyed the beach, the only issue, there were lots of slippery stones, i guess it’s better to bring special water shoes for this I remember i was scared to return back from sea, but one kind woman noticed me and helped me 💛”

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6.Cruise to Balos Lagoon and Chania Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 526 reviews · 14.5 - 16 hours · from $88

Join Cretan Odyssey for a full-day trip from Heraklion to Balos Lagoon and Chania. Guides speak English, German, French, Italian, and Polish. Expect a long coach ride, a five-hour cruise, swimming at Balos, and two hours in Chania’s old town.

“All transport comfortable and on time. Guide informative and helpful throughout day. Enough time to explore Chania and visit Balas beach, very worthwhile trip, beautiful areas. Bring a jumper for boat etc. Excursion was everything as described and well planned out. Would recommend!”

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7.Balos & Falassarna Beach – Jeep Tour with Loungers and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 345 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $199Top rated

Travel from Chania in a comfortable air-conditioned 4WD with up to six people, taking the rough road toward Balos for a superb hilltop view rather than the beach itself. Then spend about three hours at Falassarna with reserved first-row loungers, drinks, wine or beer, and a Cretan lunch. Guides include Yiannis, Nikos, Nickolas, Dion, and Nasos.

“If you’d like a memorable time without a horde of tourists, this is it! Nicholas is dynamite tour guide. You’ll feel like you’re spending the day with good friends while seeing spectacular sea and landscapes. Then you’ll have an incredibly delicious lunch. Not an exaggeration. Worth every penny! Just do it!”

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8.Balos and Gramvousa Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 214 reviews · 13 - 15 hours · from $56

You’ll ride an air-conditioned coach from eastern Crete to Kissamos, then sail to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon. Expect a long 13 to 15-hour day, two major swimming stops, steep rocky paths, an optional onboard lunch, and extra boat and municipality fees.

“The area was breath taking , but the area is very dangerous on the path to the beach area is all volcanic rock and very slippery , I fell very badly had to be taken to the Chaina Hospital for stitches on my head and i fractured ankle this area should be advise of being a dangerous area !!! also the tour guide of this group did nothing to help me so I don't recommend it”

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9.Gramvousa Island Day Trip & Balos Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 206 reviews · 11 - 15 hours · from $47

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Heraklion to Kissamos, then cruise to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon. You get time to hike to the Venetian fortress, swim from the island, and relax beside clear water. Guides may include Valeria, Lydia, or Kostas, depending on the departure.

“The trip was very well organised. The guide and the driver were very kind and helpful.”

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10.Balos Gramvousa Sailing Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 153 reviews · from $615

Set sail from Kissamos with an experienced skipper, swim and snorkel at Balos, hike Gramvousa’s Venetian castle, and eat a fresh Cretan lunch cooked aboard. Private and small-group options are available, with crews such as Vasilis, Jo, George, and Alice depending on the departure.

“It was an amazing experience! Our skipper and his first mate were absolutely wonderful and made us feel very safe and welcome on their boat. The two locations we visited were like a dream, even though we had a little shorter visit to them as planned (because of weather conditions). The lunch that we were served, which was cooked on the boat, was some of the tastiest food we've had while in Crete. The sailing part was the star of the show, sitting on the edge of the boat enjoying the view, the sun, and the ocean spray made for an unforgettable day. Would recommend!Read more”

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11.Private Boat Trip Kissamos Balos (price per group – up to 10 people)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 143 reviews · 3 to 6 hours (approx.)

Sail from Kissamos to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa on a private boat for up to 10 people. Swim, snorkel, hike to the Venetian fortress, and ask your captain to adjust the route. Captains including Alex, Stelios, Lefteris, and Yannis are praised for safe, friendly service.

“Alexandrios made our experience enjoyable. He tried very hard to make the day perfect. We had a great day swimming and snorkelling.”

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12.Falasarna: Jet Ski Safari to Balos Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 136 reviews · 2 hours

Meet the Falassarna Activities team beside the port for a safety briefing, then ride 30 to 40 minutes to Balos Lagoon with a guide boat nearby. You get about an hour to swim and relax, plus a quick Gramvousa pass. Marios is among the friendly instructors praised for clear help.

“This was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. I was expecting that we’d only be allowed to sail by the shallow shore waters, but nooo… we got out in heavy waves and got to put our skills with a jetski to the test. We were told that it was a windy day, so the difficulty would be medium, and I’d say never having sat on a jetski before, I certainly thought this was a bit challenging, which was probably the coolest part. Also, when I got the feel for how to navigate the waves efficiently, I intentionally fell a bit behind just to get the jetski to…”

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13.Balos and Falassarna Tour with Loungers and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 130 reviews · 8 hours · from $194

Join a small group of up to six for an 8-hour 4WD trip from Chania to Balos viewpoint and Falassarna Beach. Guides such as Nikolas, Vassilis, and Nasos share local stories, provide snacks and drinks, reserve loungers, and serve a generous Cretan lunch with wine or beer.

“The trip was perfect in every way. Communication and instructions were clear, pick-up was exactly as described. We enjoyed our day with Nasos very very much! The views of Balos were breathtaking, our time at Falassarna was like being in heaven— did not want to leave! Nasos provided lots of interesting information about Crete and Greece he was a great driver and the conversations made the driving go by very quickly! Lunch was absolutely delicious and perfect after swimming for a few hours!”

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14.Balos & Gramvousa Luxury Catamaran Sailing Cruise from Kissamos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 116 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $235

Join DanEri Yachts for a 7.5-hour cruise from Kissamos to Balos and Gramvousa. With a maximum of 22 people, captains such as Yannis and Dimitri, a chef-prepared lunch, snorkeling, paddleboards, and early arrival before the ferries, this is a polished way to see Crete’s famous northwest coast.

“Dimitri, Yanni (sp) and Jessica delivered a first class experience. We were sorry it had to end! The boat, food, music, meeting fellow travelers, the beach and views made for a perfect day. Highly recommend adding this to your holiday.”

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15.Gramvousa and Balos Tour from Chania(Boat ticket is included!)

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 114 reviews · 10 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $81

Travel from Chania to Kissamos by air-conditioned bus, then take a large ferry to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island. Expect turquoise water, a pirate castle, a shipwreck, limited shade, rocky water access, and a mostly self-guided day. Guides such as Carolina and Ioanna provide support during the transfer.

“Nous avons payé 38€ uniquement pour un trajet en bus nous amenant de la canée au port de Kissamos. Une fois dans le car, il nous a été demandé de payer 20€ supplémentaire par personne pour le coût du bateau alors que le nom de l’expérience s’appelle « croisière ». Nous avons du attendre le bateau pendant 1h sans aucune indication des guides.”

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