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Belegrina Beach, Chrissi island, Crete
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| Belegrina Beach, Chrissi Island, Crete |
Location
Chrissi Island, Crete
(other spellings: Chrysi, Chryssi, Χρυση)
Beach Name
Μπελεγγρινα, Belegrina
My Rating Overall
5 = Superb beach. We would travel around the world to swim there
Beach
Fine Sand
Sea Bed
Fine Sand and Rocks
Water
5/5 = The sea water was some the best for swimming. We would go way out of our way to swim there again
These are just our own unscientific observation of the water feel and appearance)
My family and I enjoy the water when it is crystal clear, and cool instead of warm. We don' like to see any visible floating particles of any kind or algae settled on the beach.
Clothing
Mixed, topless, clothing optional, and textile
Access
Chrissi is an uninhabited island so you may access its beaches via boat from Ierapetra town in southern Crete. The boat ride takes one hour exactly and costs 25 Euro (summer 2011). You can buy tickets at the little kiosks at the dock. There are several boats that visit Chrissi and depart 10:30 and 12:30. You have to catch the same boat back either at 4:00 or 6:00 pm. The boats dock at the south end of the island at Vougiou Mati, near the Fragou Mnima beach. To reach Belegrina beach, walk the foot path found at the left of the taverna, and walk ten minutes north through the kedros forest. I saw just about everyone walking the sandy path on flip-flops, but athletic shoes might make the trek more comfortable.
Amenities
For an "uninhabited" island, Chrissi offers a suprising array of amenities. There is a prominent taverna right at the dock in Fragou Mnima, another taveran at the east end of Belegrina beach at the foot of Kefala hill, and two kiosks at the center of the same beach that offer cold drinks, alcohol, and ice cream
There are no hotels or rooms for rent on Chrissi, The island is a host ot several species of endemic plands and animals that are rare and protected by international treaties according to every brochure you read. But this does not deter the multitude of free-campers that pitch their tents and make-shift shelters under every other tree (using them to tie their ropes).
The main beaches of Chrissi, Belegrina included, is lined with straw umbrelas and sunbeds. If you don't want to pay the high fee for them, you should bring your own umbrela since there is ample space around the organized rows to pitch your own. If you plan to find shade under the threes that line the beach, keep in mind that most are already taken by free-campers, and the rest would never be enough for the thousand day-trippers who arrive at the same time every day. Even if you are lucky enough to find a tree, most likely you will find yourself one or two hundred meters away from the water.
Snorkeling
Don't go without your snorkeling gear!
Notes
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