Best 25+ Greece Beaches

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There are somewhere between a thousand and 6,000 Greek islands dotted around the Aegean and Ionian Seas. Although we are not quite sure why no one has managed to count these we do know this provides us with a mind-boggling number of beaches to choose from. It would take a lifetime to visit all these beaches on your own; so whilst that sounds a pretty good way to spend your life we've down some of the donkey work for you.

However, the good news is, to quote the old cliche, there really is something for everyone. If you want remote coves with weird and wonderful rock formations that are only accessible by boat, we have some of those. On the other hand if you are looking for a safe family beach that doesn't get overly crowded in the summer we've got some of those too.

Crystal clear, azure waters are pretty much a given for most of Greece's beaches so the beaches here all have something special to offer. For many it is their stunning natural beauty alone, for some it is incredible features that set them apart as the best beaches Greece has to offer.

The Best Greek Beaches...

  • 1. Egremni Beach // Lefkada

    Egremni Beach
    © Milan Baloun / 123RF
    Great for:
    • Swimming

    There is little doubt that Egremni beach is one of the finest on the island of Lefkada, which by default makes it one of the best in Greece. It is a beautiful spot with the long white sand beach backed by high limestone cliffs. However, it is the water colour that sets Egremni apart, a fantastic milky blue yet crystal clear. The 325 steps down to the beach don't seem… read more »

  • 2. Elafonisi Beach // Chania

    Elafonisi Beach
    © Halina JasiÅ„ska

    The beach here is a strip of sand that just connects the tiny island of Elafonisi off the far western coast of Crete. This area has a wild, unspoilt feel to it and development has been restricted leaving the pristine beaches a beautiful spot to unwind. Whilst the sand at Elafonisi appears white at first glance you may notice a pink hue. This is due to it containing traces… read more »

  • 3. Agathi Beach // Rhodes

    Agathi Beach
    © Ian Woolcock
    Great for:
    • Swimming

    Agathi Beach sits within a square-edged bay on the eastern coast of Rhodes. The popularity of its light golden sands is demonstrated by the multiple rows of sun loungers for hire lining the water's edge. They run from one end of the beach's 200 metre length to the other almost without break.

    The beach is popular with families, teens, and couples, which comes not just from its soft sands, but also… read more »

  • 4. Anthony Quinn Bay // Rhodes

    Anthony Quinn Bay
    Michael Mayer
    Great for:
    • Snorkeling

    Anthony Quinn Bay beach lies at the end of the narrow fjord-like bay of the same name. It comprises pockets of golden sand tucked between natural biscuit-coloured rock formations. These provide protection from even the strongest waves. Pines and other native flora offer some natural shade, alongside umbrellas and sun loungers which are available to rent.

    Well known for the clarity and turquoise colour of its waters, Anthony Quinn Bay is… read more »

  • 5. Psarou Beach // Mykonos

    Psarou Beach
    © hansche
    Great for:
    • Swimming

    Golden sands and family-friendly shallows of clear blue waters have made Psarou Beach a Mykonos favourite for decades. Just ten minutes' drive time south from Mykonos International Airport, its large protected bay often plays host to the yachts of the rich and famous anchoring immediately offshore.

    Although Psarou Beach is a good size at 150 metres in length, this means it still gets crowded during the peak summer season. There can… read more »

  • 6. St Paul's Bay // Rhodes

    St Paul's Bay
    © Oliver Taylor
    Great for:
    • Snorkeling
    • Swimming

    Despite its diminutive size, Saint Paul's Bay is one of the most popular beaches on the Greek island of Rhodes. Located on the edge of the historic village of Lindos, St Paul's Bay is almost entirely enclosed by rocks on all sides with just the smallest of gaps for boats to come in and out of. This spectacular setting is further enhanced by a small, typical Greek Orthodox chapel down… read more »

  • 7. Saint George Beach // Naxos

    Saint George Beach
    © saiko3p
    Great for:
    • Swimming
    • Kitesurfing

    Agios Georgios, better known to pretty much everyone as Saint George Beach, is perhaps the most visited beach anywhere on Naxos. Taking its name from an attractive little chapel at its northern end, it lies just south of Naxos town, only 300 metres from Plateia Protodikiou, the town's main square.

    Easily reached on foot, Saint George Beach sits firmly within the town's boundaries, so visitors are always in close proximity to… read more »

  • 8. Myrtos Beach // Kefalonia

    Myrtos Beach
    © Karl Egger

    Set on the north-west of the island of Kefalonia is the spectacular Myrtos Beach. The landscape here is one of lush, verdant hills rising steeply from the azure waters of the Aegean Sea. 

    The mile long Myrtos beach sits in a natural amphitheatre at the foot of two mountains with a steep, winding road leading down to it. Often cited as the best beach in Greece there is no disputing the… read more »

  • 9. Petani Beach // Kefalonia

    Petani Beach
    Станислав Киреев
    Great for:
    • Swimming

    Probably the Paliki Peninsula's number one beach, Petani lies on a broad bay on Kefalonia's west coast. Enclosed by an amphitheatre of scrub-covered hills, Petani Beach has a length of around 600 metres. Not only that, but most of it comprises soft sand, although pebbles can be found here and there, particularly around the waterline.

    Its waters are largely clear of submerged rocks, making Petani Beach very suitable for swimming. At… read more »

  • 10. Fteri Beach // Kefalonia

    Fteri Beach
    © Igor Tichonow
    Great for:
    • Swimming

    Fteri Beach can be found on Kefalonia's northern coastline, a bay away from the famous Blue Lagoon. Even so, Fteri Beach tends to be much more tranquil than it really should be, since it can only be reached by boat or on foot along a marked hiking trail lasting at least 45 minutes each way. Water taxis depart from Zola Harbour close to Agia Kyriaki beach and take around… read more »

  • 11. Red Sand Beach // Rhodes

    Red Sand Beach
    Falco Ermert

    This is one of just a handful of beaches on Rhodes accessible only by boat or kayak, since its backed by cliffs rising up to four metres high, making it one of the island's most exclusive. But that's not the only reason to make a beeline for Rhodes' Red Sand Beach.

    Also known as Kokkini Ammos, Red Sand Beach has fine sand and an unmatched location, although a lack of facilities… read more »

  • Navagio Beach

    The island of Zakynthos is home to one of Greece's finest and most easily recognisable beaches. It is not just the beach of Navagio itself that is unique but the fact that it is home to a shipwreck.

    The ship in question was the Panagiotis and it is believed that it was a smugglers ship that ran aground in stormy weather whilst trying to elude the Greek customs. Now the wreck… read more »

  • 13. Lalaria beach // Skiathos

    Lalaria beach

    The beach of Lalaria is situated on the remote north coast of Skiathos. It is named after the round, white pebbles that make up the beach and give the waters here their aquamarine hue. There is little shelter from the sun here to which the sheer, sun-bleached limestone cliffs are testimony.

    What makes Lalaria one of the most photographed beaches in Greece though is the huge rock arch of… read more »

  • 14. Vai Beach // Crete

    Vai Beach
    © Karapas
    Great for:
    • Swimming
    • Kitesurfing

    Vai beach sits at the foot of the Vai palm forest, the largest of its sort in Europe. There are various stories of how the palm trees came to be here ranging from Arab pirates spitting date stones ashore to Phoenician traders planting them. The truth is though, they were always here and as a protected site will hopefully remain. Such a backdrop gives Vai beach a distinctly tropical feel… read more »

  • 15. Preveli Beach // Crete

    Preveli Beach
    © jarekgrafik

    Preveli Beach is possibly the most famous of Crete's beaches. Situated at the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge, this is where the Grand River flows into the Mediterranean. It has a tropical landscape with a number of Theophrastus palm trees which line the river for around 500 meters before it empties into the sea.

    The beach itself is a small crescent flanked by cliffs with the lush green of the… read more »