Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
This spot has been added by
2 spots added - 35 photos shared
Last updated on December 2, 2022
Karavostasi Beach is a scenic spot on the northern coast of Crete. Surrounded by rocky capes, it features small creeks, rocky ridges and shallow pebble areas to snorkel. These varied environments allow for observing a diversity of fish and invertebrate species, including sargo, schools of mullets, juvenile groupers and cornetfish.
Karavostasi Beach is located in the village of Bali, on Crete island’s northern shore. It is located a 1-hour drive west of Heraklion, and a 1:30 hours drive east of Chania. The little bay is just north of the village, next to Evita Beach Hotel and Karavostasi Restaurant.
You can park near the beach and along the road, and then walk down to the beach. In summer, the beach can be crowded, try to come early in the morning.
The water entrance is sandy and convenient for children or beginners.
You can snorkel throughout the bay and the surrounding rocky areas. The north edge of the bay, along the rocky cape, is the most spectacular and the most abundant in fish. If you follow the shore to the right (south), you can also easily reach Little Cave Beach, which features shallow rocky beds.
The rocky cliffs and capes enclosing the beach are very attractive. They feature a diverse underwater relief, including spectacular ridges and walls (↕15-20ft/5-7m).
Common sights in the rocky areas include sargo, saddled seabream, small dusky groupers, schools of mullets, as well as the bluespotted cornetfish, a Lessespian migrant which is now common in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea. In places, patches of Posidonia, attracting wrasse and salema, can be found,
The beach is located in a small bay and sheltered from the waves. Purple jellyfish can be present in the bay at certain times of the year, including in the shallows near the beach.
Evita Beach Hotel, as well as two restaurants, are located on the beach. You’ll find more options in the village, easily accessible on foot.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
