ハニアからのGramvousaとBalosツアー（ボートチケットが含まれています！）

While pickup was a very long portion of our time at the start of the day, we had a lovely experience with the ferry, the stops at Balos and Gramvousa, and the ride back. Instructions for how to navigate our time between the ferry rides helped us make the most of our time on the beach in Balos and on the hike up to the fort on Gramvousa. Would highly recommend!

Beware this trip is not for the elderly or young children in pushchairs. getting to the ferry was very easy, the bus picked us up outside or hotel and took us straight to ferry terminal, we had a guide who was very knowledgable and took the time to ensure everyone was accounted for before we left to get back on the coach. The ferry itself was very full, we were lucky to get quite a spacious spot but most people did not have much room around them. The ferry did serve food and drinks although the queues were long and we were glad to have brought our own food with us. I would say the ferry staff were very organised though and the actual journey was very smooth to Balos Lagoon. The disembarkment was a different story.... everyone getting off at the jetty was very chaotic, quite a long wait, and this is where they need to highlight it is not suitable for anyone who struggles physically and its not suitable for pushchairs and young children. Its very rocky and slippy after the jetty and quite dangerous if you cannot support yourself. When we eventually got to the lagoon there is no denying it is very beautiful, however it is also very windy and not very sandy. More shingle and so not anywhere to get comfy. Its also very, very busy!! The shoreline into the sea is again very slippy and dangerous. We eneded up getting back on the ferry early so we could get a drink easily and settle ready for the next stop. The next stop took about 20 mins till we arrived and again it was stunning but very busy, you need to make a choice of seeing the fort or going to the beach, not enough time for both. We decided to stay at the beach and explore the shipwreck. But once again getting off is very difficult if you are not able bodied and need support. You get around 2 hours at each stop but getting on and off the boat can take up to 1/2 hour off your time amnd its rocky and slippy getting into the sea. Be careful!! All in all the day is long, busy and not the most relaxing experiance although both Balos and Gramvousa are very stunning. So if you want a more calmer peaceful and longer day at these places i suggest hiring a private boat and getting there early or a little later in the day when it is less busy! Wish we had used this option in hindsight!

+3

I would not recommend this trip. You are collected at 7.50am. You then hang around at the port until 11am when the boat leaves. The boat is so packed there aren’t enough seats for everyone and it’s an uncomfortable 1 hour journey to Balos Lagoon. You then can get off for 2 hours but there are so many people and only 1 exit on the boat and so you will queue for at least half an hour just to exit, and the same on the way back. There are 100’s of people on this boat. You’ll queue 45 minutes for cold, unappetising food at a price. It’s the same story again when you get to Gramvousa. Neither of the beaches are close to the boat. It’s a bit of a walk and it’s very uneven, not good if mobility is poor. The lagoon itself was nice but go on a smaller boat if you want to see it. We were out of the hotel for 12 hours and only actually on land for around 3. I would avoid this trip.

The scenery is lovely, but the crowd is a real turn off. Make sure you wear water shoes. It's very rocky.

A long day for approx 3 hours on a beach! 1.5 hour wait for the ferry after getting picked up at 07.45. Public huge ferry not the idilic boat trip I imagined. Balos lovely water not a great beach! No tour guide (well there was one but didn't do anything but read a statment from a sheet) and sent us on our way.

Overall it was a nice tour, but I do need to mention a few things in case other people might need this info in the future. The tour bus drops you off at Kissamos where you take a ferry to Balos (2 hours there), then Gramvousa (2 hours there). As other people have mentioned, there is absolutely no shade anywhere AT ALL once you're off the boat. The guide tells you that you can purchase a beach umbrella from the ferry terminal OR you can rent one from the ferry itself (it was 7€ in June 2026). The problem is that at Balos, the sand is wet and compacted and it's super windy, so it's super uncomfortable to sit on the ground basically and the umbrellas went flying constantly due to the wind. It's just a major nuisance logistically. Also, at Gramvousa, the info on this tour says "hike", but it's actually over 300 steps uphill to visit the fortress. It made a huge difference to me as I can hike easily, but my knees can't do the steps, so half of this tour was wasted for me. You can also just hang out at the beach at Gramvousa, but it would have been nice to see the fortress. If you're picking this package because of the fortress, keep in mind the STEPS in full sun with NO shade! One option was that, if you want, you can just stay on the ferry the whole time or only get off the ferry for a bit, then come back on etc. They serve food, beverages etc. (At an additional cost, of course).

Should have driven ourselves to the port, paid for and taken the ferry instead of spending hours on the bus, the huge ferry the tour used with the accompanying huge crowd, time wasted waiting to get off the ferry. We didn't get the time advertised to spend on the beaches. We spent more time on the ferries and the bus than anything else. It took an hour alone to get out of Chania with all the various pickups. Also, I had mentioned in a message to the tour agent that we were staying at a friend's house and the village name. They had us meet the bus in Chania, a half hour away. Guess what I was thinking when one of the many pickup locations was 5 minutes from the home we were staying in! In total, we were gone around 13 hours for about 3+ hours of actual beach time at a cost of around $170. Rookie mistake. Should have known better.

+1

Beautiful day spent at the lagoon of Balos. Simply a spectacle of Nature recommend getting there by Sea it takes 60 minutes from Kissamos.

We had an amazing experience thanks to a thoughtful guide and a very skilled driver. The water at both beaches is crystal clear and absolutely stunning. There is very little natural shade, but you can rent an umbrella directly on the boat for €7 per day. The boat itself is large and comfortable, equipped with everything you need: after-beach showers, a canteen, and plenty of space. Overall, a wonderful trip — I highly recommend it if you can avoid the high season!

Well organized, mostly comfortable, They pick you up and take you back to the hotel, they buy tickets x You, They give you instructions x boarding then the rest of the day is autonomous, without a guide but would not serve.aboard all the instructions on schedules, stops and various blah are in all languages, including Italian. Food available at cheap prices, an espresso €1.5🤷🏻‍♂️... right stops really nice places both Balos and Gramosa, in short if you are not equipped with your own vehicles as a rental car, it is better to do it but only to “be comfortable” here, it costs but at least zero stress!