Boat trip
Boat from Bali’s coves.
Photo: Mike Kw / Pexels
Quick facts
- Region
- Rethymno
- Start town
- Bali
- Typical duration
- 3–5 hours
- Type
- Boat trip
Bali is a string of coves on the north coast between Rethymno and Heraklion. A boat from here stays local: the next cove, a swim, and back. It is not a gulf cruise and it does not reach Gramvousa. The coves look sheltered and still catch the afternoon meltemi. Morning boats are the ones that match the postcard. The village road is steep, which matters when you are carrying a bag down to the wrong quay.
The quays are down at the coves, not on the main road. Confirm which cove is the departure. Morning is the calm slot.
It suits swimmers staying in Bali. Skip it if you wanted a long cruise. The geography does not support one.
Boat from Bali’s coves needs 3–5 hours from Bali. The months that usually work are May to October. Wind can still cancel a morning inside that window. Pack a hat, water and a layer for the return to Bali, and read the meeting quay the evening before rather than guessing from a postcard of the harbour. The quay for Boat from Bali’s coves is in Bali. A boat from another harbour is a different crossing, even when the postcard looks similar.
Is it worth it
Boat from Bali’s coves is worth the hours from Bali when it suits swimmers staying in Bali. A boat from here stays local: the next cove, a swim, and back. If that is the part your group will fight, leave it for another date.
What to bring
- Water and a hat, because Bali is a string of coves on the north coast
- Shoes that match the ground on Boat from Bali’s coves. The quays are down at the coves, not
- A layer for the start in Bali. May to October still has cool mornings and wind.
- The return hour written down. Boat from Bali’s coves takes 3–5 hours, and a second plan the same day is how you miss it.
Tips
- May to October is the window to trust for Boat from Bali’s coves. Outside it, ask whether the day is even running.
- Leave Bali with 3–5 hours clear. The quays are down at the coves, not on the main road.
- Search “Boat trip from Bali Crete” and check that the meeting point really is Bali.
Related tours
FamilyBali coves day
Bali3–5 hours
Bali, on the coast east of Rethymno, is a string of small coves under a headland rather than one long beach. You can swim in the village bay and walk to the next cove if the path is open. It is a compact place. The appeal is not having to drive between swims. The limit is parking and the slope of the streets in the heat. The usual length is 3–5 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits a slow beach day and couples who want somewhere smaller than Rethymno. It is not a base for Samaria, and it is an odd coach excursion if you will only see the car park. Bali is on the old national road east of Rethymno. Stay in the village or drive down from the highway. The coves are on foot from the harbour.
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View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide- Diving and snorkel
Snorkel and dive from Bali
Bali3–5 hours
The coves at Bali give snorkellers a shore entry and give dive boats a short run to rock and seagrass. Clarity depends on the north wind. A discover session and a certified dive are different products. Neither of them is a cave. Say which you are booking, and expect the afternoon slot to be the one that gets moved. The steep paths down to the water are part of a shore entry. The usual length is 3–5 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits swimmers who can manage the steps. Skip a shore snorkel for anyone unsteady on a wet stair. Meet at the cove the centre names. Driving the main road and hoping is how people miss the briefing.
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Boat tripRethymno harbour sunset cruise
Rethymno2–3 hours
An evening boat from Rethymno harbour runs along the Venetian front and the long town beach, then turns back after sunset. You are not going to a lagoon. The lighthouse and the fortezza from the water are the picture. Wind in the bay cancels the small boats, and a choppy evening is not saved by enthusiasm. The usual length is 2–3 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits people who have walked the town and want an hour on the water. Skip it if you get cold on the water after dark, or if you thought this was the Balos trip under another name. Boats leave the old harbour. Arrive in time to find the right quay. The Venetian port has more than one corner.
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FAQ
Questions.
- Plan on 3–5 hours from Bali. It suits swimmers staying in Bali.
- May to October. Outside those months the day is often closed, cancelled, or a different trip. Ask the day before you leave Bali.
- The quays are down at the coves, not on the main road. Confirm which cove is the departure. Morning is the calm slot.
- It suits swimmers staying in Bali. Skip it if you wanted a long cruise. The geography does not support one.
- Boat from Bali’s coves is worth the hours from Bali when it suits swimmers staying in Bali. A boat from here stays local: the next cove, a swim, and back. If that is the part your group will fight, leave it for another date.