Planning a trip to Balos Beach? Wondering about driving on the road to Balos Beach? Curious about the conditions and safety of Balos Beach Road? In this blog post, we’ll provide you with all the information you need to know before hitting the road to this stunning destination. So, let’s dive in and explore the wonders of Balos Beach Road!
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Balos how to get there?
Before exploring the route to reach Balos Lagoon by car, let’s consider the different alternatives available to us for reaching Balos. How to get to Balos? You can get to Balos either by car or by boat. The two most used ways to get to Balos are:
- by boat service departing from the port of Kissamos
- by car or jeep along the dirt road and continuing on foot along the path that leads to the beach
However, there are other ways to get to Balos:
- By renting a boat
- In JetSky
- Through organized tours
Balos beach road By car or jeep
You can get to Balos by car. In fact, just outside Kissamos, there is the entrance to the dirt road that takes you to the Balos car park. If you are thinking of choosing this option, I would first like to explain how to get there and the route, and I would like to give you some useful tips.
Please take a moment to watch the video below. It shows how to reach Balos Beach by car, including the off-road section of the journey. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this video will give you a visual guide to navigating the Balos Beach Road. Enjoy!
Can I take the dirt road to Balos by car?
Many cars drive the dirt road to Balos every day. The road is not very dangerous if you pay particular attention to the points where there is an overhang, as it is wide enough to pass two cars without problems.
My advice, however, is to prefer the jeep to the car. This is because it is true that cars can drive on it and as already mentioned there are many cars of all kinds that pass along this road (I also saw a Porsche but I don’t know how it went ..) but the road is bumpy and they have to travel at a very low speed.
Especially if you have a small car unsuitable for certain routes, you can rent the jeep in Kissamos even just for the day you go to Balos. This way, you will not have problems with insurance and you’re safer.
In fact, you can find rental cars in Kissamos that rent jeeps for Balos; it is normal for them that you go to Balos, and they give you full insurance. Other car rentals may discourage you and tell you to prefer the boat to the car to go to Balos.
Is the dirt road to Balos free?
You have to pay 1 euro per person. Towards the beginning of your journey on the dirt road that leads you to Balos you will find the sign where it is written in English and Greek what I report below:
“Welcome to the Gamvousa-Balos peninsula, a protected natural area. We inform you that by the decision of the Municipality of Kissomos, which has been approved by the Region of Crete, a toll of 1 euro per person is required for the purpose of safeguarding and maintaining the place as well as for the disposal of waste from the area. “
How long does it take to travel the dirt road to Balos?
Getting from the port of Kissamos to the car park for Balos takes about 30 minutes by jeep but if you have a car, you have to go slower and it can also take about 40 or 45 minutes.
On the way, you may slow down or have to stop to let goats pass, the real masters of the place!
Parking at Balos Beach
Once you have arrived at the end of the dirt road, you’ll see the car park gate for Balos beach. The parking is large and if you don’t arrive too late, let’s say in the first half of the morning, you should find the place without difficulty.
Parking is not free but the cost is not high as it is around 2 euros for the whole day.
What happens if you can’t find a place in the car park? If the parking is complete, the alternative is to leave the car along the road. In fact, on our return from the beach, when were leaving, there was a long line of parked cars. If you park the car very far away, it is certainly inconvenient, as you have to add the road to the car to the long distance you already have to go on foot.
Balos hiking path to the beach
Did I get to Balos beach once I parked the car? It would be nice but it isn’t! Unfortunately, once you parked your car, you are not yet arrived at Balos beach. The car park is located in a higher position than the beach of Balos, and to reach the beach, you must first walk a path in the middle of almost nowhere in the company of practically only goats and then go down a long flight of steps.
The descent along the steps is wonderful because, first of all, the effort is reduced to a minimum downhill, and then because this path allows you to see the most beautiful view of Balos beach. Balos beach’s unique beauty is, in fact, given by its characteristic of being placed between the lagoon and the sea and of joining the promontory you see in front of you to the mainland.
To fully enjoy and appreciate Balos beach, you must, therefore, admire this panorama. If you walk the path early in the morning, you will be able to see the almost deserted beach and admire it in all its splendor. Along the way, you will also have the opportunity to take some great photos—not too many, though. Otherwise, now that you get to the beach, you will find all the best sunbeds and umbrellas occupied!
Given the road ahead, I highly recommend you wear sneakers. The descent in this way is simpler and safer, without thinking about the ascent.
It takes about 30 minutes to get from the car park to the beach with umbrellas.
As we have seen so far, everything is fine when you go down, but the problem is to go back up! If you don’t stop and rest for too long, it will take you between 30 and 45 minutes to get back up. In fact, this path requires excellent resistance if done all in one breath.
It is almost impossible to do it all in succession in the summer during the hottest hours of the day. In fact, precisely for this reason, you will find small covered corners and, therefore, with a little shade made on purpose to rest during the ascent. I recommend you bring some water to quench your thirst along the way.
Also at the end of the path, where there is the car park, there is a canopy with benches where you can sit and rest for a while. At the end of the day, almost all of them sit under this canopy, a little tired but satisfied to have arrived.
If you have young children, you must take into consideration that you will probably have to carry them in your arms or on your shoulder for most of an already tiring journey.
Precisely a cause of this problem of the somewhat tiring ascent, many people choose to return to the Balos beach late in the evening. In the summer from Kissamos, you can see the cars returning from Balos even when it’s already dark. Returning late from Balos beach, you can avoid going up the path in the heat, which already gives you a great advantage.
Of course, the choice of time to return from Balos also depends a lot on the period in which you go, if warmer or milder, on your travel program, and on your resistance in the ascent. However, if you consider the above, you can spend a beautiful day at Balos Beach, and this will undoubtedly be a day to remember for various reasons.
Do you want to know more about Balos Beach? Go to our ultimate guide:
Ultimate Guide Crete Balos Beach & Lagoon
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