Recently I got the chance to go to a breathtaking pink sands and crystal clear waters beach called Balos in Crete, Greece… But such beauty comes with a cost. And the cost for this particular beach being a toll, a somewhat scary drive on unsteady and unpaved roads, a hike and some stairs and all of this under the scorching Mediterranean sun. Even having gone in late September, this beach had everyone from near and far visiting it. But no matter how beautiful the beach is, some may say all the trouble to get there is not worth it. Well, it is, I can tell you that for sure. But to make your experience more enjoyable, here are some tips that I gathered from my experience:
1. Leave Early: the thing about beautiful beaches is that everyone wants to see them, even if just once. To get the most out of your possibly one and only visit, arrive early as to avoid traffic, and to get a close enough parking spot to the walking path down to the beach. Arriving early will also help assure that you can get a sun bed (if you choose to pay for one for about €6-€10 for two and an umbrella).
2. Bring Food: due to the location of this beach, there is no restaurants to eat at, just a little snack shack with over priced food. Since this beach is worth a full day trip, be smart and bring lots of snack like fruits, trail mix, sandwiches, etc.
3. Shoes: even though the hike down only takes about 15-20 minutes, it is a very rocky 15-20 minutes. So please, learn from my mistake and bring a proper pair of running shoes for your walk down and up the mountain.
4. Sunbeds: I mentioned earlier to get their early so you can get sun beds. If you are staying the whole day and need some sort of shade, it is definitely recommended to arrive early. On the other hand though, if your living on the more care free side, grab a nice spot on the sand by the water and soak in all the vitamin D around you.
Everyone’s experience at this beach or one like it will always be something different but if these tips help you or you have other tips to add about these experiences, add them to the comments below.
“With such beauty, comes a challenge”
