Matala, the ex isolated “hippie-paradise”, became one of the top tourist destinations of southern Crete filled with crowds of tourists from all over the world. They are everywhere; they climb to the remote caves, they play with the big waves ignoring the red flag warning, they flood the narrow streets of the village, they seek to breathe, for one day or two, the air of freedom. Is there any space left for those who want the whole package without the crowds factor? Yes there is!
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First stop: the Red Beach. It’s the next bay south of Matala but the atmosphere here is completely different, calm and quite, as the lack of road access discourage the bulk of tourists. To reach it you have to walk for about 20 minutes, first going up the hill overlooking Matala and then going down to the other side. The path starts from the center of the village and it is well signposted for most of its length. The hike is not particularly challenging (although if you miss it be prepared for some parkour-style walk). Extra bonus: from the top of the hill you have a beautiful view over the bay of Matala.
Continuing along the trail, you’ll see a fence. From this point it begins the downhill. The beach with its fine dark red sand is magnificent. It is divided in two sections; the first has a beach bar with umbrellas though the second welcome nudists and tents.
Second stop: Komos beach. It stands on the opposite side, both literally and metaphorically. Komos is an endless sandy beach less than 4 kilometers north of Matala easily accessible by car from three roads, two paved and one partially paved.
The main entrance [35.01262,24.76035] is next to the archaeological site which is not open yet to visitors. There is some kind of tourist development with umbrellas and a beach bar but nothing threatening as long as the area is protected because of its archaeological and ecological interest (the loggerhead turtles caretta caretta ley here their eggs). Motorhomers are not really welcomed.
Fortunately things are more relaxed in the second entrance [35.01895,24.76160].The parking space is quite limited, but if you are lucky (or if you arrive late afternoon) you can stop here without any problems for few days. There is a small community of free campers, mostly nudists, and a canteen not far away from the beach. A toilet near the parking area is convenient for emptying the cassete and taking water with canisters in case of need.
Third stop: The monastery of Martsalo [34.94139,24.77027]. You may read that it is one of the last hidden paradise of Crete and it’s true. It’s also true that it’s not for everyone and certenly not for normal camper vans. The dirt road to get there is absolutely to be avoided unless your vehicle is four wheel drive! If it’s not and you can find another way to get there (by foot, bike or rental car), it is a nice excursion.
You leave your vehicle in a clearing next to a new church; from here you follow the path that leads to the monastery in about ten minutes. The church which is carved into the rock reminds minoan tombs or Christian catacombs. The area was frequented by hermits since the early Christian times (and so it does even today, but don’t expect to see them). After the church, a gorge with plam trees starts leading into a secluded beach. Obviously it would be very nice but it was too hot to walk another half hour under the sun. Next time…
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