Some books about Crete try to impress. Others try to sell. Echoes of Blue does something rarer: it documents, patiently and lovingly, the island’s coastline as it actually is.
Written by Alexandros E. Roniotis, Echoes of Blue is a bilingual (Greek–English) photographic guide to the beaches of Crete, built not around hype or superlatives, but around presence. It is clear from the first pages that this is a book created by someone who knows the island deeply and moves through it slowly.
The book is dedicated to Roniotis’s children, Lefteris and Nadia, whom he calls his “own waves of joy.” That dedication quietly sets the tone. This is not a commercial exercise. It is a personal archive, built with care and intention, meant to last.
A Clear Structure, a Generous Scope
The 600-page book opens with a short prologue that introduces its central idea, followed by a concise overview of Crete: its coastline, climate, and relationship between land and sea. This brief yet effective contextual grounding provides readers with just enough orientation before the visual journey begins.
Echoes of Blue is, above all, a photo book — but one supported by precise, useful information. Text is intentionally kept short and focused. Each beach is introduced with clarity rather than commentary, allowing the images to do most of the work.
Before diving into the regional chapters, Roniotis outlines what visitors can actually do on Cretan beaches. Windsurfing, kitesurfing, and stand-up paddleboarding take center stage, reflecting the island’s wind patterns and long coastline. Winter surfing is also addressed, acknowledging that Crete’s relationship with the sea does not end with summer. Hiking routes connected to coastal areas are included as well, reinforcing the idea that beaches here are rarely isolated from the landscape behind them.
Provinces, not Shortcuts
One of the book’s strengths is its decision to organize content by provinces. Roniotis explains this choice clearly, and it pays off. Instead of jumping randomly from one famous beach to another, the book respects geography and continuity.
Each province opens with a map showing the exact locations of the beaches covered in that chapter. A simple dot, clearly placed, immediately tells the reader where they are and how the coast fits into the wider terrain. It is a small detail, but an important one — especially for travelers who prefer understanding a place rather than ticking boxes.
The journey begins in the province of Agios Vassilis, weaving through landmarks such as the Kourtaliotis Gorge, Mount Kedros, Spili, palm forests, Gioumbas, and Kotsifos Gorge, before continuing into Amari and Pazos Gorge. From there, the book moves naturally toward the coast: Agia Galini, Kakos Kalo, Armenopetra, and onward.
The structure repeats across Crete, province by province, without rushing.
Beaches, Known and Unknown
The beaches are the heart of the book. Famous ones are present, but so are rugged, remote, and often overlooked locations — places like Korakas, where access alone keeps casual visitors out. These are not beaches discovered through research, but through effort.
Sfakia receives particular attention, with clear references to the surrounding gorges — Samaria, Aradena, Imbros — and to mountain refuges that remain accessible both in summer and winter. Caves suitable for spelunking and cave diving are also included, expanding the book beyond beaches without ever losing focus.
What emerges is a complete coastal portrait of Crete, one that acknowledges how sea, mountains, gorges, and human movement are interconnected.
Photography Driven by Love, not Spectacle
The author himself takes every photograph in Echoes of Blue. That matters.
The images are stunning, but not theatrical. They are patient. Light is allowed to behave naturally. Water is shown in many moods — calm, sharp, heavy, reflective. The color blue dominates, but never monotonously. Each beach feels distinct, shaped by wind, orientation, and geology.
This is photography by someone who returns to places, not someone who passes through them once. You can feel the familiarity, and more importantly, the respect.
There is no attempt to “improve” Crete. The island is shown as it is.
A Valuable Guide — And a Suggestion for Its Author
At its current price, Echoes of Blue is discounted to €29 (down from €35) and offers free shipping in Greece via BoxNow. Shipping options span Europe and beyond, making the book accessible to an international audience — albeit at increasing shipping costs.
That said, one recommendation feels almost unavoidable: this book would benefit significantly from a Kindle or digital edition, and from distribution via Amazon, not as a replacement for the physical book, but as an extension of its reach. Crete has a global audience, especially in the United States, and a digital version would allow this work to travel as easily as the stories and images it contains.
Echoes of Blue is not trying to convince anyone that Crete is beautiful. It assumes you already know—or are willing to discover it properly.
It is a careful, generous guide to Cretan beaches, created by someone who truly loves this island and has taken the time to understand it. For travelers, locals, and anyone who believes that place matters, this is a book worth owning.
