- Two beaches in Chania, Crete—Elafonisi and Balos Lagoon—have secured the #2 and #3 spots in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Beaches.
- Elafonisi (#2 Worldwide): Recognized as Europe’s top beach, celebrated for its shallow turquoise channels and rare pink sand created by crushed shells, backed by over 16,000 traveler reviews. Were they all inebriated?
- Balos Lagoon (#3 Worldwide): Praised for its white sands, wild mountain backdrop, and crystal-clear lagoon waters, holding a 4.5/5 rating across 11,000+ reviews.
- The Cretan heavyweights outranked world-famous spots including Aruba’s Eagle Beach, Portugal’s Praia da Falésia, and Thailand’s Banana Beach, trailing only Mexico’s Isla Pasion.
Let’s start with the good news, because it is genuinely impressive.
Out of millions of reviews and thousands of beaches globally, Elafonissi took the 2nd-place spot worldwide, and the Balos Lagoon snagged 3rd place.
Let that sink in. The only thing standing between Crete and a complete sweep of the podium is a beach in Cozumel, Mexico. We beat out Eagle Beach in Aruba, La Jolla Cove in San Diego, and Banana Beach in Phuket. The pink sands and turquoise waters of Western Crete are officially operating at a world-class level.
Family-Friendly? Come On!!!
But here is where I have to file a slightly different complaint.
I read through TripAdvisor’s glowing descriptions. “Suitable for families.” “Great for snorkeling.” “Beautiful sunsets.” It all sounds so serene. So peaceful.
Anyone who has actually tried to visit either of these beaches in August knows that “family-friendly” is just corporate travel-speak for “prepare for a logistical battle.”
Getting to Balos means navigating a dirt road that tests the suspension of every vehicle on the island, followed by a choice between a steep hike or joining the slow-moving, highly opinionated donkey traffic jam. Getting to Elafonissi means playing a high-stakes game of musical chairs with the parking lot, where arriving at 9:30 AM is considered “late” and arriving at 11:00 AM means you’ll be parking your car in a neighboring prefecture.
TripAdvisor’s algorithm clearly rewards the aesthetic of the beach, but it completely ignores the sheer willpower required to actually secure a square meter of sand once you get there.
TripAdvisor’s descriptions for our winners are glowing, even if they are a bit detached from the August reality:
- Elafonissi – Crete, Greece: “The Greek presence is impressively in 2nd place globally. It stands out for its characteristic pink sand, turquoise waters, and shallow lagoons… It has 4.4/5 from 16,627 reviews.”
- Balos Lagoon – Crete, Greece: “The second Cretan beach in the top three! It references the crystal clear waters, white sand, and shallow waters… It has 4.5/5 from 11,260 reviews.”
Those ratings are well-deserved. The water is genuinely magic. Just don’t expect the journey to be a zen meditation.
