Day Cruise to Gramvousa & Balos

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Kissamos is a town on the west of Chania with a port and a fishing harbor. From Kissamos port we will be sailing towards Gramvousa and Balos. While on the boat trip, observe the geological phenomenon of the land elevation of Crete, where the island rises out of the sea in the west side of the island and at the same time sinking in the east.

   1.5 hAdmission included

2. Gramvousa is an island located 20 km northwest of Kissamos and opposite the Cape of Gramvousa. On the island, at a height of 137m over the sea level, still stands a Venetian fortress built between 1579 and 1584, during the Venetian occupation of the island of Crete. The fortress was also used by pirates and a legend claims that there is a great treasure buried on the island. An old shipwreck near the beach has marked its initials as part of the landscape. The water is turquoise color and the seabed is ideal for snorkeling.

   2.5 h

3. Between Gramvousa and the coast of Crete, the lagoon of Balos is formed. It has white sand and vivid blue and turquoise water. The sea is very shallow and warm. Due to millions of crushed shells, in many places, the sand has a lovely pinkish color. The lagoon and the wider area around it are both protected under Natura 2000 program, as rare species of flora and fauna are found there. Eleonora falcons, shags and cormorants nest in the caves of the area. Moreover, the area is a shelter for the protected monk seal and the sea turtle Caretta Caretta.

   3 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 11 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Heraklion

• Its from-price is 50% below the median of the 491 experiences we list in Heraklion.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 141 of 491.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Heraklion

Heraklion, the largest city on Crete, is a Venetian-walled port near Knossos, the Minoan palace, and the museum that holds its treasures.

Heraklion is the capital and main port of Crete, wrapped in Venetian walls and bastions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Koules fortress guards the old harbour mouth, and Lions Square has the Morosini Fountain, held up by four stone lions. Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of Zorba the Greek, is buried on the Martinengo bastion under a simple wooden cross.

Top-ranked sights in Heraklion: Palace of Knossos, Malia, Kera Kardiotissa Monastery.

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