Matala Beach: Ancient Caves, Hippie History, and One of Crete's Most Unusual Shores

What Makes Matala Different

Most beaches in Crete sell themselves on the colour of their water or the drama of their cliffs. Matala Beach does both, and then adds something no other beach on the island can match: a sandstone cliff riddled with hand-carved caves that have served, across different centuries, as Roman burial chambers, early Christian sanctuaries, and the improvised bedrooms of a generation of free-spirited travellers in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The beach itself sits inside a compact, semi-circular bay on Crete's south coast, facing the Libyan Sea. It runs roughly 250 to 300 metres in length and about 40 to 45 metres wide, with a mix of coarse sand and fine pebble underfoot. The water is sheltered enough to be calm most days, clear enough to see your feet at chest depth, and warm enough from June through October to make extended swimming easy. It holds Blue Flag status, which means annual checks on water quality, safety infrastructure, and cleanliness.

But none of that explains why people who have visited remember it years later. That comes down to the cliffs. And the story layered into them. If you want context before you arrive, the Minoan Palace of Phaistos is just 11 km away, and the two sites share ancient history as Matala served as Phaistos's sea outlet.

The Caves: Thousands of Years of Use

The caves carved into the northwest cliff face are not a natural formation. They were cut by human hands, most likely beginning in the Roman era, and expanded through early Christian centuries as tomb chambers. The sandstone at Matala is soft enough to work with basic tools, which is why the cells feel both deliberate and rough-edged: rectangular doorways, niched interiors, the occasional carved shelf that once held a burial. There are dozens of them stacked across the cliff face in irregular rows, some barely more than shoulder height, others spacious enough for a person to stand upright.

By the time the 1960s arrived, the graves were long abandoned and the caves became something altogether different. Word spread among the overland travellers passing through Greece and North Africa that Matala offered free shelter, warm nights, and a beach. By the early 1970s, a small international community had established itself in the caves. Joni Mitchell is among the names most often connected to this period, and she later drew on her time here for the lyrics to 'Carey'. The Greek military junta eventually evicted the cave dwellers, but the story stuck.

Today the caves are fenced off from the beach itself and accessed via a small path near the northern end of the bay. During the summer months a modest entry fee is collected at the gate. Inside, you can walk along the cliff-face paths, peer into the chambers, and read the informal multilingual graffiti that covers some walls, a palimpsest of everyone who has passed through. The atmosphere is surprisingly quiet compared to the beach below, especially in the morning before the day-trippers arrive.

The Beach: Layout, Facilities, and Water

The bay at Matala is compact and organized, which is both a strength and a limitation depending on what you're looking for. Rows of sunbeds and umbrellas cover most of the central stretch of sand in high season. Showers, toilets, a first aid post, and a lifeguard are all present during the summer months. Beach volleyball poles are set up toward the southern end. Water sports including jet ski hire and snorkeling equipment rental are available from operators along the shoreline.

The northern end of the beach, closest to the cave cliff, is the most atmospheric stretch. Here, the cliff provides some natural shade in the afternoon, and the sunbeds thin out. The water just off this section has a rocky bottom, so water shoes are worth having if you want to snorkel close to the cliff base. The central and southern sections are sandier underfoot and more suitable for young children.

In July and August the beach fills up completely by mid-morning. Arriving before 9am means you can choose your spot. Outside of peak summer, particularly in May, June, and September, the beach is noticeably quieter and the village feels more like a lived-in place than a resort. The water remains warm well into October.

Red Beach: The Walk Worth Taking

About 1.5 km south of Matala, accessible by a 20 to 25 minute walk over a rocky headland path, is Red Beach. The name is literal: iron-rich red sandstone cliffs shed sediment onto the shore, giving the sand a warm terracotta tone unlike anything you'll find elsewhere on Crete's coast. The walk requires reasonable footwear and some scrambling over rocks, but it's not technical. The reward is a smaller, less organized beach with no sunbed hire, far fewer people, and a strong sense of being somewhere genuinely remote despite being minutes from a village.

Red Beach also has its own small nudist tradition and draws a more independent crowd. There are no facilities, so bring water. The path back can feel steep in the afternoon heat, so timing your return for late afternoon, when the rocks are cooler, makes the round trip more comfortable.

Historical and Mythological Context

Matala sits within one of the most historically layered parts of Crete. In ancient times, the bay functioned as the sea outlet and port for both Phaistos and, later, Gortyn, two of the most significant settlements on the island across different eras. Ships carrying goods from the Minoan Palace of Phaistos likely loaded and unloaded here. The Romans, who made Gortyn the capital of their Cretan province, continued to use the harbour and began cutting the tomb caves into the cliffs.

Greek mythology also attaches itself to the bay. According to one version of the story of Zeus and Europa, it was at Matala that Zeus came ashore in the form of a white bull after carrying Europa across the sea from Phoenicia. Whether you find mythology persuasive or decorative, it is one more reason the location has drawn people across thousands of years. The nearby Gortyna archaeological site is roughly 17 km northeast and makes a logical pairing with a Matala trip for anyone interested in Roman-era Crete.

Practical Information: Getting There and Getting Around

Matala is approximately 70 km southwest of Heraklion and about 45 km south of Rethymno by road. The most comfortable way to reach it is by rental car. The drive from Heraklion takes roughly 75 to 90 minutes depending on traffic and passes through the agricultural plains of the Mesara valley. Parking is available in the village, though spaces fill up fast in August.

KTEL public buses connect Heraklion to Matala via Mires, the regional town. Check current schedules directly with KTEL Heraklion as timings change seasonally. For those planning a broader south coast loop, Matala pairs well with the Preveli Beach and Agia Galini, both reachable within 30 to 45 minutes by car along the scenic coastal road.

If you are building a broader Crete itinerary, the Crete road trip guide covers the south coast route in detail and explains how to combine Matala with the island's other major sites without backtracking unnecessarily.

Photography and Atmosphere by Time of Day

The bay faces roughly southwest, which means the morning light falls on the cliff face while the beach is still in partial shade. This is the best window for cave photography. By midday the light is high and flat, and the beach is at its fullest. Late afternoon brings the most atmospheric conditions: the sun drops behind the cliffs, the shadows lengthen across the sand, and the remaining light turns the water from pale blue to deep green. Sunsets at Matala, seen from the cliff path or from a table at one of the tavernas lining the bay, are worth staying for.

The village itself is compact enough to walk entirely in 20 minutes. There are several tavernas and cafes directly along the beach road, most serving straightforward Greek seafood and salads. Prices are slightly elevated for a village of this size, reflecting the tourist traffic. For a broader sense of how Matala fits into Crete's south coast, the best beaches in Crete guide compares it honestly with alternatives across the island.