Boat trip
Koufonisi island from Ierapetra.
Photo: Nadiia Astakhova / Pexels
Quick facts
- Region
- Lasithi
- Start town
- Ierapetra
- Typical duration
- 6–8 hours
- Type
- Boat trip
Koufonisi here is the island south-east of Crete, with sand, a ruined Roman theatre and a long empty feel. It is not the Koufonisia of the Small Cyclades. Boats leave from the Ierapetra coast, often toward Makrygialos, and the crossing is weather-dependent. The island has little shade and no town. You bring water and you catch the boat home. A cancelled morning is common enough in a meltemi week to keep the day optional.
Confirm the departure harbour the day before. Makrygialos and Ierapetra are not the same quay. The drive between them is part of the morning if you start in town.
It suits people who want a remote beach and a ruin and can accept a cancellation. Skip it if the group needs services, or if the name mix-up with the Cyclades was the reason it sounded familiar.
Koufonisi island from Ierapetra needs 6–8 hours from Ierapetra. The months that usually work are May to September. Wind can still cancel a morning inside that window. Pack a hat, water and a layer for the return to Ierapetra, and read the meeting quay the evening before rather than guessing from a postcard of the harbour. The quay for Koufonisi island from Ierapetra is in Ierapetra. A boat from another harbour is a different crossing, even when the postcard looks similar.
Is it worth it
Koufonisi island from Ierapetra is worth the hours from Ierapetra when it suits people who want a remote beach and a ruin and can accept a cancellation. It is not the Koufonisia of the Small Cyclades. If that is the part your group will fight, leave it for another date.
What to bring
- Water and a hat, because Koufonisi here is the island south-east of Crete, with sand,
- Shoes that match the ground on Koufonisi island from Ierapetra. Confirm the departure harbour the day before. Makrygialos
- A layer for the start in Ierapetra. May to September still has cool mornings and wind.
- The return hour written down. Koufonisi island from Ierapetra takes 6–8 hours, and a second plan the same day is how you miss it.
Tips
- May to September is the window to trust for Koufonisi island from Ierapetra. Outside it, ask whether the day is even running.
- Leave Ierapetra with 6–8 hours clear. Confirm the departure harbour the day before. Makrygialos and Ierapetra are not
- Search “Koufonisi island boat Ierapetra Crete” and check that the meeting point really is Ierapetra.
Related tours
Boat tripChrissi island boat from Ierapetra
Ierapetra6–8 hours
Chrissi, which many locals call Gaidouronisi, is the island south of Ierapetra. The day boat leaves the town harbour, crosses open water, and gives you a few hours on a sandy island with juniper and cedar. Shade is limited. The crossing cancels in strong south or west winds. You cannot leave when you are tired. You leave when the boat leaves. Facilities on the island are basic, and the famous beaches get crowded at the peak of summer. The usual length is 6–8 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits people who want a full beach day on an island and can handle a small-boat crossing. Skip it if anyone gets seasick easily, or if you need to be back at a fixed hour that is earlier than the boat. The boat leaves Ierapetra harbour in the morning.
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View detailsBook now on GetYourGuide- Day trip
Makrygialos and the south-east beaches
Ierapetra4–6 hours
Makrygialos is the beach resort of the south-east, with a long sandy shore and smaller coves toward Koutsouras. It is also the usual harbour side for Koufonisi boats. A shore day is the beach and the village. A boat day is the island, and you should not pretend you will do both well. The Roman villa remains are a short extra if you like ruins with your swim. Shade is better under hired umbrellas than on the open sand. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits a beach day from Ierapetra or a base for the Koufonisi boat. Skip the island and the full beach on the same date. Drive east from Ierapetra. The main beach is in the village. If a boat is involved, confirm the quay before you park.
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HistoryKapsa monastery above the south coast
Ierapetra3–4 hours
Kapsa is a monastery built into the cliff above a gorge mouth, east of Makrygialos. The approach is a narrow road and a short walk, and the building is the sight. Clothing rules apply. The beach below is a simple cove if the season and the monastery’s rhythm allow the combination. It is a quiet hour, not a theme. Do not rush it between a Koufonisi boat and a drive back to Agios Nikolaos. The usual length is 3–4 hours, and the months that usually work are Year round, the last road is narrow. It suits people already on the south-east coast. Skip it if the group will not dress for a monastery, or if the narrow road is a genuine problem for the driver. Drive east of Makrygialos and follow the monastery signs. The last stretch is slow. Morning is cooler on the cliff path.
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FAQ
Questions.
- Plan on 6–8 hours from Ierapetra. It suits people who want a remote beach and a ruin and can accept a cancellation.
- May to September. Outside those months the day is often closed, cancelled, or a different trip. Ask the day before you leave Ierapetra.
- Confirm the departure harbour the day before. Makrygialos and Ierapetra are not the same quay. The drive between them is part of the morning if you start in town.
- It suits people who want a remote beach and a ruin and can accept a cancellation. Skip it if the group needs services, or if the name mix-up with the Cyclades was the reason it sounded familiar.
- Koufonisi island from Ierapetra is worth the hours from Ierapetra when it suits people who want a remote beach and a ruin and can accept a cancellation. It is not the Koufonisia of the Small Cyclades. If that is the part your group will fight, leave it for another date.