On the water
Kayak tours in Crete.
- Length
- Half a day
- Experience
- Not required on beginner routes
- Best time
- Morning, before the wind
- Coasts
- West bays and the south
Photo: Оксана Подмазко / Pexels
Kayak tours in Crete
2 ways to do this. Prices and reviews stay on GetYourGuide.
On this page
- Kayak
Kayak a sheltered west-coast bay
Chania3–4 hours
Coves you cannot reach from the sand.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide 
KayakKayak the south coast near Preveli
Rethymno3–4 hours
The south stays calmer when the north wind is up.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide
More experiences
6 more ways to do this. Descriptions are ours. Prices stay on GetYourGuide.
- Kayak
Kayak the coves west of Chania
Chania3–4 hours
A sit-on-top kayak from a beach near Chania paddles the coves you cannot walk into, Seitan Limania among them when the wind allows. The distance should be short. The guide chooses the bay on the morning, because the famous cove is often the choppy one. You get wet. That is the boat, not a mistake. The usual length is 3–4 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October, mornings. It suits beginners who can climb back onto a kayak and who book the first departure. Skip the afternoon slot in July, when the north wind is the story. Meeting points are beaches or quays within a short drive of Chania. The operator moves the put-in if the planned cove is rough. Go with that decision.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide 
KayakKayak from Paleochora
Paleochora3–4 hours
Paleochora’s bay is a calmer classroom than the north coast when the meltemi is blowing. A morning paddle stays near the town or runs a short way along the cliffs. You do not cross to Elafonisi by kayak. The boat does that. The kayak is for the near coast and a swim you reach from the water. The usual length is 3–4 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits beginners staying in the southwest. It is the wrong tool if you wanted the lagoon itself. Book the boat for that and keep the kayak for a quieter day. Put-ins are in Paleochora. Morning is the reliable slot. Ask how long you are actually paddling, not only the meeting-to-meeting time.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide- Kayak
Kayak the south coast near Preveli
Plakias3–4 hours
A kayak near Preveli follows the cliffs and the river mouth on the south coast, which often stays paddleable when the north wind is up. It is a short stretch, not a crossing to another town. The landing can be stony. Swim shoes matter. The palm walk is a separate path and should not be stacked onto the paddle unless the group is still fresh. The usual length is 3–4 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits beginners who accept getting wet. It is a long way to come from Heraklion for three hours on the water. Stay in Plakias or southern Rethymno and the transfer makes sense. Put-ins are near Plakias or the Preveli shore. The guide will move the beach if a swell is wrapping the cape. Take that change.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide 
KayakKayak on the Gulf of Mirabello
Agios Nikolaos3–4 hours
Kayaking from Agios Nikolaos uses a calm morning on the gulf, usually a guided paddle along the near shore rather than a crossing to Spinalonga. The gulf looks sheltered and still gets a chop when the north wind arrives. You should be able to climb back into a sit-on-top. The reward is a cove you reach from the water and a swim. It is not a way to tour the fortress. The usual length is 3–4 hours, and the months that usually work are May to September. It suits beginners who can swim and who take the first departure. Skip the afternoon in July. The wind is the story by then. Put-ins are beaches or quays near Agios Nikolaos. The guide moves the launch if the planned shore is rough. Morning is the reliable slot.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide
KayakKayak the Elounda lagoon and channel
Elounda2–4 hours
The water around Elounda gives a kayak a lagoon, a canal edge and a view of Spinalonga without pretending you will paddle onto the fortress quay. Wind in the channel is the constraint. A guided morning stays in the sheltered water. Crossing the open gulf is a different, worse idea. You should be able to swim and to get back on the boat. The village is close, which makes this an easy add on a day with no coach. The usual length is 2–4 hours, and the months that usually work are May to September. It suits beginners who take the morning slot. Skip it when the gulf is already white, and skip it as a way to tour the island. Launch is in Elounda. The guide chooses the lagoon or the channel based on the wind that hour. Closed shoes that can get wet are enough.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide- Kayak
Kayak on a calm south-coast morning
Ierapetra2–4 hours
A kayak from Ierapetra or Myrtos only makes sense on a calm morning. The south coast has fewer tucked bays than the north, and a wind from Africa turns a paddle into a problem quickly. A guided hour stays close to shore. You should be able to swim and climb back on. This is not a crossing toward Chrissi. The island is a boat with an engine for a reason. The usual length is 2–4 hours, and the months that usually work are May to September. It suits beginners on a checked forecast. Skip it if the sea is already textured. Myrtos on foot is the better plan. Launch is a beach the guide picks that morning, often Myrtos or the town shore. Morning only. Ask how far you will actually be from land.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide
What to know before you book
What the trip is
A guided paddle in a sit-on-top kayak, usually along cliffs or into a cove, with a swim stop. It is not a race and it is not a channel crossing. The guide sets a distance beginners can finish.
Where
Sheltered water west of Chania, and the south coast around Preveli when the north is rough. Ask which beach the trip starts from. The start is often not the hotel strip.
Best season
May to October, with the same wind rule as the snorkel boats. If the forecast is a strong north wind, take the south-coast departure or take a different day.
How to choose
First time: the shortest advertised route, in the morning. If you already paddle, you can ask for a longer line, still with a guide who knows the headlands. Bring a hat and shoes you can get wet.
FAQ
Questions.
- Not for the beginner departures. You should be able to climb in and out of a kayak and swim a short distance.
- Swimwear, a fastening hat, sunscreen, and a dry change of clothes for the drive back. Operators usually provide the kayak and a vest.
- It is quieter and slower, and you will not cover Balos. Choose the kayak for a cove. Choose the boat for Gramvousa or Spinalonga.