162 m
Matala Beach & Caves
Sandy bay overlooked by cliffs honeycombed with ancient caves.
Sandy beaches · Phaistos
All villages & towns
Matala
About
Seaside village with cliff caves, once the port of Phaistos.
Matala is famous for the caves cut into the soft cliff above its bay, used as Roman tombs and later home to the hippies of the 1960s. Today it is a lively little village with tavernas over the water and a festival every June.
Around Phaistos
Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion
Hidden gem 736 m
Red Beach (Kokkini Ammos)
A wild beach of reddish sand behind the cliffs of Matala, reached by a short hike.
Secluded coves · Phaistos
Hidden gem 982 m
Kommos Archaeological Site
A Minoan harbour on Kommos beach.
Archaeological sites · Phaistos
Hidden gem 2.9 km
Komos Beach
Two kilometres of golden sand and dunes next to an ancient Minoan harbour.
Sandy beaches · Phaistos
3.8 km
Pitsidia
Village between Matala and Kommos beach.
All villages & towns · Phaistos
4.0 km
Kalamaki Beach
A 2.5 km sandy beach on the Messara bay with simple rooms and seaside tavernas.
Sandy beaches · Phaistos
Hidden gem 4.5 km
Vathi Beach
A secluded beach at the end of a small canyon, big rocks make it look like a lagoon.
Secluded coves · Phaistos
5.0 km
Odigitria Monastery
A fortified monastery in the Asterousia.
Churches & monasteries · Phaistos
6.0 km
Sivas
A pretty village near Matala.
All villages & towns · Phaistos
6.6 km
Afrathias Beach
The longest, quietest beach on the Messara bay, flat sand and a wetland behind it.
Secluded coves · Phaistos
On the map
34.99250, 24.75010 · See on map