Gramvousa Pirate Island & Balos Lagoon! Tour from Heraklion
Description
Explore the pirate castle of Gramvousa and the ancient shipyard of Tersanas, swim in the refreshingly cool, waters of Balos & Gramvousa beach (2 swim stops!) and walk in the romantic lagoon of Balos, a shallow and warm water lagoon and one of Crete’s loveliest spots.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our first stop is Gramvousa, also called the “pirates’ island.” This area is home to over 100 bird species and 400 plant species, making it one of the most important natural habitats in the Eastern Mediterranean. You can visit the famous Venetian fortress of Gramvousa, built in 1579, which stands high on a rock. If you climb to the top, you will be rewarded with an amazing view. After exploring the area, you can swim in the crystal-clear waters of the beautiful beach or enjoy lunch on the boat.
In the early afternoon, we continue to Balos Lagoon, one of the most stunning places in Greece. Its breathtaking beauty is often compared to the exotic beaches of the Caribbean. You will have around 3 hours to relax and enjoy this paradise—an experience you will never forget!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
From designated pick-up points in Heraklion region: Ammoudara, Analipsi, Anissaras, Chersonissos, Gournes, Gouves, Heraklion City Center, Karteros, Kokkini Hani, Malia, Stalis. Please provide name and address of your hotel or accommodation. Upon booking you will receive the exact time and place of the pick-up service.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(8)
Magnificent, steep enough path to access the castle to see the wreck of the pirate ship, island completely deserted crystal blue gradient waters it was superb
The Balos lagoon is worth it. After 30 min drive on a track just slushable. You have to walk for 25 minutes in pebbles with a certain elevation difference. People with lower limb locomotor problems may suffer.
Must see!!! It's breathtaking!!! We arrived by boat but went up the hill to see the view! This is wonderful!!! Visit on September 23, 2019 not many people! The water in the lagoon smells like sulphur... and is really cold compared to the sea!
Dear visitor, We would like to thank you for writing this amazing review! We are always excited when we see travellers that make wonderful images inside their mind with the scenery around them that later will be delightfull memories and also maybe some beautiful pictures for the wall! :) Best wishes , The team of Travel ID
The site is beautiful! You can reach it by boat or car. With the car option you access from above so you have a superb view!! There is a bit of track by car about 8 km) the entrance by car costs 1 euro per person. You walk about 2km (downhill from the mountain + some flat) after with parked your car. Plan basketball water and small sandwich (even if there are 1 or 2 sellers they will not really have much choice) What to do when you're in Crete!
Dear traveller, We are really thankful for your critic! It includes usefull information and catches the meaning of many of our oneday trips which is enjoy the view , the beach and even the scenery that surrounds the whole way to get there! With a combination of a good company of friends or family nothing could go wrong! Best regards, The team of Travel ID
The visit is worth it. Both Balos and Gramvousa have beautiful crystal clear water , on Gramvousa you can go up the mountain and get to see the beautiful view. But the visit was very bad organized. We travelled on a full bus beacause people that were visiting elafonissi were in same bus. Since it is a long trip, we should be less people in the bus , so we can be more comfortable. The guide was a little bit lost , she wasn't very well organized.
Dear Diiana, thank you for your review and Feedback. We are always trying to offer a good quality product at a competitive price, so we are forced to fill up the buses, otherwise the excursion would be much more expensive.About the Guide we could use some more information's what she should do better. Thank you! Kind Regards The Travel ID Team
The sights are very natural and pretty.but how to appreciate the beauty when you land almost 3000 people on a small beach.the big tourist boats spoil everything. We were part of one of those boats which also deposited us on slippery stones, inappropriate for people with reduced mobility. The tour operator heliades would have had the good idea to tell us these inconveniences.Our hotel being located at 3am because going the day will unfortunately not remain as a great memory. Pay 65 euros per person for 6 hours of coach and 03 hours of navigation on a boat of 1200 people. It's a factory and it's not the idea that we get crested. Too bad the sites are beautiful.it is necessary that the tour operators communicate on the reality of things so we know what to expect.
Dear Sir, we are very sorry that you experienced a bad day and excursion, but please write your review to Heliades Tour operator, since you didn't booked this excursion through us. Thank you ! Best Regards The Travel ID Team
Balos beach and Gramvousa Island was beautiful, the organizer was excellent, overall it was a super day.
We are so glad you had a nice time! Thank you so much for this review which helps us to know your point of view and fix any detail that will make us and our product even better. Best wishes, The team of Travel ID
Went with Grandma and toddler, it was nice to have the everything organized and the guide gave good information
We are so glad you and your family had a nice time! Thank you so much for this review which helps us to know your point of view and fix any inconvenience or detail that will make us and our product even better. Best wishes, The team of Travel ID
