Balos Lagoon and Falassarna Beach - October 27, 2023

We left our hotel in Chania about 8:30 AM in a 4 wheel drive Range Rover. We stopped to pick up a family (mom, dad and 11 year old son) from Brazil who have been living in London for the past 18 years. 

Our driver and guide, also named George, was older (44 years) than yesterday's driver, and spoke excellent American English with no accent.  When we asked how he learned his English, he said he also plays guitar at local spots all around Chania mostly singing hit tunes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s; and that is how he perfected his English.

We headed west along the same road as yesterday but then deviated and turned north toward the rugged Balos peninsula. The road quickly turned into a steep gravel dirt road for the next 10km. We passed many untended wandering and resting goats as well as a few sheep; they come at the call of their specific shepherd who checks on them once or twice a week. 

At the end of the road is a parking lot where we got out and walked about 10 minutes to the Balos Beach and Lagoon lookout point…see pictures below.

Chris with the Balos Lagoon in the background

Balos Beach and Lagoon

The 30 min hike down to the beach is quite steep and as we returned to the car, we saw many people headed down there. George told us that in August there are as many as 5000 cars that drive and park up here on a given day, all trying to reach the famous pink sand Balos beach…hard to imagine that many people stumbling and crowded around up here.

After leaving the peninsula…back over the bumpy gravel road, we headed west again to Falassarna Beach to relax under umbrellas and swim if we chose.  We enjoyed 3 hours at the beach under thatched roof umbrellas.  There was wifi down on the beach and I happily spent time blogging on my iPad.  Chris went for a swim and then after an hour told me he was bored.  I am lucky...as long as I have a book or device, I am never bored.  He decided to go for a long walk down to the end of the flat sandy beach and back again. 

Falassarna Beach looking toward Balos peninsula

After our time on the beach, we headed up to the restaurant where George had arranged a feast for us...7 different dishes including a Cretan Salad (different than a Greek Salad).  It contains Rusk bread which is soaked in olive oil, another local sheep cheese different from feta, and the usual tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, peppers, etc.  Greek and Cretan salads never have lettuce in them.

We also had moussaka (not nearly as good as Dimitris's), a lamb dish, some gyros and French fries, a vegetarian spaghetti dish, and another vegetarian dish with zucchini.  And then we had dessert...ice cream, an orange cake and something with chocolate.

After eating for almost an hour, we returned to the jeep and an hour's long drive took us back to the hotel.

As this is our last night before flying home tomorrow.  We finished our bottle of wine in our room.  In Crete you are not allowed to bring any alcohol to a restaurant...something to do with taxes...can't even pay a corkage fee.

This was a beautiful and relaxing day to end our trip.