Glyka Nera

Remote and difficult to get to but yet a favorite place of many people, Glyka Nera lies on the south coast of Crete near Chora Sfakion. Its name literally means ”sweet water” and comes from the natural fresh water springs which gush out from the beach and the sea around the shore.

There are two ways to reach Glyka Nera - on foot via coastal path or by water taxi. There is a footpath both from Chora Sfakion (approximately 1 km) and from Loutro (3 km), which is part of a longer hiking trail. Water taxis leave from Chora Sfakion in the morning and return back in the late afternoon, giving you the opportunity to spend a whole day on the beach.

Glyka Nera is very scenic, especially seen from the paths, with saturated deep blue color of the sea and transparent water allowing you to see every details of the seafloor. The cliffs of the White Mountain abruptly slope down to the beach, forming a solid wall behind it, rising up to hundreds of meters height. You`d better avoid staying close to the cliffs because the wild goats wandering around (yes, you can often see them here) may provoke rocks falling.

The beach is partly organized, with a primitive but very good taverna at the seafront. Sunbeds and parasols are available to rent in half of the beach, the other half is ”officially” occupied by nudes, if there are such at all. There is also a line of small trees which provide some shade but usually the rented parasols are enough. No sand here, the beach is covered with smaller and larger pebbles and the sea has flat rocks and stones as well, so aqua shoes are desirable. The water is deep and cold because of the underwater springs which even sometimes form small ponds between the sunbeds.

Photos

highlights: remote beach with springs and transparent water, beach in Chania Region, Crete, Greece