Matala on the Island of Crete, Greece has captivated visitors with its imposing cliffs, curved Matala caves, and the lively Matala village. The former fishing village now serves tourists by providing them with several state-of-the-art facilities, restaurants, and accommodations.
In addition, Matala in Crete has an extraordinary beach that invites you on an adventure of a lifetime.
Matala, Crete — Beach, Caves, and History
Matala’s natural and historical heritage attracted the attention of the international program called Natura 2000 which works to protect Matala beach and its surroundings.
Archaeologists have discovered several shipwrecks and archaeological sites in the surrounding area. The Odyssey by Homer mentioned the Cape (assumed to be Cape Nysos) in Matala, which was the location of the Menelaus shipwrecks.
Matala village has the remnants of an ancient temple whereas near Matala beach, they unearthed a marble urn. If you travel to the other side of the village and cross the Kastri hill you will find the ancient ruins of a fort and a beacon.
History of Matala on the Island of Crete
Matala, a village situated 75 km from Heraklion in Crete, is part of the Pitsidia community. The beautiful village is close to several of the hottest tourist destinations with its beaches, caves, and historical sites.
Matala in the Past
According to myth, Zeus, the God of the Thunder and Sky, transformed into a white bull to seduce Princess Europa. He ended up abducting her. He took her to Matala beach, then turned into an eagle, and took her to Gortys.
The artificial caves in Matala, which you can discover in the cliff of Matala Bay, were formed in the Neolithic Age. Although not proven, it has been proposed that people used the caves as tombs. However, the vast majority believe that the real purpose of the spacious caves was to provide living accommodations.
During the Minoan era, Matala became the harbour of Phaistos. In 220 BC, Gortynians occupied the village, and later, during the Roman era, it became the harbour of Gortys. Legend says that Brutus, the Roman General, lived in the cave in Matala called Brutospeliana.
Evidence of people living in the caves at one time during ancient times is found under the sea in the Bay of Messara. When the 1960s rolled around, hippies started living in the caves but soon they were forced to vacate them.
Matala at Present
Modern-day Matala is a thriving tourist destination with the locals relying heavily on tourism. You’ll find numerous restaurants, bars, gift shops, tours, and hotels.
The village of Matala, continues to give off the same wondrous vibes it did in the early 1960s and late 1970s.
Visit in June to attend the three-day Matala Beach Festival. The Mediterranean climate with its hot and dry summers attracts travellers in droves.
How to Get to Matala in Crete
Are you flying to Matala in Crete? If yes, you should know, the Heraklion International Airport offers a rental car service. Look for Heraklion Airport (HER), Heraklion Town – it’s the main airport in Crete, Greece. Choose your pick-up location, dates, compare cars, services and save your search.
Once you’re behind the wheel, take the main road from Heraklion to reach Matala. The main road, going along the north coast, joins another major road that connects across the islet to the shore of the Libyan sea. That road will take you directly to Matala. The 66 km drive should take around an hour.
There aren’t many taxis at the Airport though. If you want to travel to Matala by taxi, you should pre-book in advance to make sure there is someone waiting to pick you up.
Are you taking a ferry to Matala? If yes, you can contact a car rental company beforehand to alert them of your arrival on the set date. They will send the car to wait for you at Heraklion bay.
Are you taking public transportation to Matala? Several buses leave the Heraklion KTEL station at various times during the day for Matala Crete. For online booking as a starting point choose ‘Iraklio’ and for destination choose ‘Matalla’. Timetable shows, currently there are four buses to Matala, leaving at 7.30am, 9am, 12.45pm, and 14.00pm Mon to Fri.
For Saturdays there are two buses, leaving at 7.30am and 11.30am. On Sundays there is one bus to Matala, leaving at 11.30am. It will take you 105 min to reach Matala by bus.
Driving to Matala from another City in Crete
Are you planning to make your way around Matala by car?
If you are driving to Matala by car, from different places in Crete, here’s an estimated distance and driving time from various cities:
| Travelling Via Car | Distance | Duration |
| From Sitia to Matala | 190 km | 3 hours |
| Agios Nikolaos to Matala | 124 km | 2 hours |
| Ierapetra to Matala | 123 km | 2h 20 min |
| Heraklion to Matala | 65 km | 1 hour |
| Rethymnon to Matala | 80 km | 1h 45 min |
| Chania to Matala | 134 km | 2h 30 min |
Once you’re in Matala, you’ll come across several exciting things to do there.
Things to Do in Matala on Your Holiday in Crete
Matala is the definition of a good time! The hip and happening destination offers titillating opportunities and activities to give you a memorable holiday. Here’s a list of things to do in Matala:
Matala Beach in Crete
Matala beach is a natural harbour situated on Messara Bay. Exotic tamarisk trees border most of the beach. Follow the trees’ gaze to find yourself looking at the impressive sandstone rock cliff formations with caves descending into the waters at an unusual angle.
For adventure seekers looking for snorkelling in Crete, they can dive underwater in the bay of Messara and discover ancient ruins, or just relax on the beach. Since Matala Beach is one of the most visited beaches in Greece, they take every step to ensure it remains a tourist favourite.
Their efforts in offering safe and clean bathing areas and following stringent criteria to maintain water quality, ensure safety, and introduce environmental measures earned them an eco-label – the Blue Flag. The beach has a lifeguard, showers and toilets, and first aid facilities.
The beach also has several waterfront restaurants, taverns, and bars.
For outdoor excursions around the beach, you can explore its surroundings by renting a motorbike, car, or bicycle. You’ll also find several kid-friendly activities at Matala beach.
Although the beach is long and wide, the chances of you finding it isolated are less due to its high popularity over the years. This is especially true for the months of July and August.
Join Matala Festival in June
If you visit in June, you will come across the three-day beach festival in Matala. The festival offers stage concerts, street painting, and other events.
The festival has been organised annually, since 2011.
If you didn’t see Matala caves on your first day at the beach, be sure to find the time to visit them the next day, as they truly are mesmerising.
Matala Caves
The caves in Crete, especially in Matala, will intrigue you with their history and their famous occupants. The most prominent feature of the caves in Matala is the numerous graves from the Christian and Roman periods.
Carved thousands of years ago into the soft and white limestone walls of the bay, they make for an intriguing attraction. You can also go snorkelling in Crete to explore the underwater caves. The caves built on land have beds, rooms, windows, and stairs. Although unusual, it is a big part of Matala beach’s history.
Matala Hippies – the Village’s Time of the 60s and 70s
In the 60s and 70s, hippies roamed Matala beach in Crete and stayed in those caves. The Matala hippies include a few famous names such as singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell. Matala became a safe haven for hippies, which also included popular entertainers like Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan.
During the time, Matala village didn’t have dining options and tourist activities as it does today. For this reason, the small fishing village held the allure of unlimited freedom. However, Greek dictatorship in the 70s led the church to expel the hippie community from Matala village. With the hippies relocating to Crete’s other regions, Matala was abandoned and its caves sealed for several years.
Joni Mitchell Berhymes Matala Moon
“The night is a starry dome and they’re playin’ that scratchy rock and roll beneath the Matala Moon” are lyrics from Joni Mitchell’s Carey song.
Today, Matala seems unrecognisable from its past. Rapid development of the area has increased tourism. Travellers take immense pleasure in spending time on the beach, dining at restaurants, staying in hotels with modern facilities and fully-equipped rooms, and taking in the incredible sights.
You can visit Matala caves but can’t spend the night there. A protective fence prevents people from entering it. However, it doesn’t prevent falls, so be careful when exploring it. You’ll see people climbing the rocks next to the caves and then jumping into the sea. Wear proper footwear if you plan to follow suit. With Matala village nearby, you can discover the village on foot.
Matala Village
The quaint Matala village bustles with tourist activity. You will find several eateries established around a central square lined with flowers and trees.
You’ll find small pubs, bars, taverns, restaurants, and souvenir shops. At every corner, you’ll run into a picture-taking opportunity with street artists, entertainers, and music filling up the street at all hours of the day.
You can return to Matala beach late at night to grab a drink at one of the bars with music playing in the background.
You can go to Matala beach to watch the sunset illuminating the sky in purple-orange colours.
Other things to do in Matala are to check out the bookstores, selling interesting books that tell tales about the island, Matala’s celebrated past, and its well-known residents.
You can even buy classic CDs and old records from the 70s, crochet bags, hippie outfits, multi-coloured sarongs, leather sandals, beachwear, and handmade ceramics from the souvenir shops.
Another great sight to see in the village is the colourful streets. Artists from all over the world travel to Matala village to paint the streets with messages and art. The first wonderful work of art that you’ll come across is at the entrance.
A black beetle drawn in Matala style will greet you on your arrival to the village. You can buy the famed beetle at a souvenir shop in the form of a sticker. Your journey to Matala doesn’t end with the village, caves, and beach but there’s still so much more to see such as the various archaeological sites and a unique beach located near it.
What Places to See Around Matala in Crete
If you want to see Matala Church, you will need to enter a cave to the old Church of Virgin Mary. Apparently, it acted as a catacomb during the persecutions of Christians. It is located just above the village.
From Matala, you can easily travel to other nearby regions to discover stunning archaeological sites. You can visit these destinations via car, tour group, or public transportation. Here are a few places to see while staying in Matala:
Minoan Palace of Phaistos
The Minoan Palace of Phaistos, situated on Heraklion’s southern coast, also goes by other spellings – Phestos, Faistos, and Festos. To better understand the history of the Minoan Palace, we need to go back in time.
Eight thousand years ago, the fertile Messara Plain offered crops to early communities and future societies. Over time, the locals decided to build a city on the hill overlooking the entire region. This was followed by the construction of the first Minoan Palace in 2,000 BC.
The first Palace of Phaistos included several gates, paved yards, skylights, and facades. In 1700 BC, a disaster destroyed the city and resulted in the locals building another palace over the ruins. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the new palace in 1450 BC.
The locals didn’t rebuild the palace and opted to leave the area altogether. As time passed, the ancient archaeological site gained religious significance among the locals. This led to the creation of a temple — dedicated to the Greek Goddess of Rea — at the southern end of the old Minoan Palace.
When the city of Gortyn attacked the city in the 2nd century BC, the Minoan Palace suffered vast damage, leaving it in ruins. Visit the site to see the old building and the old palace’s royal quarters.
While you’re there, visit the Heraklion Museum, as it displays the ancient artefacts found by archaeologists during the excavation.
Heraklion Museum in Crete
The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion was created on top of a Venetian-Franciscan friary, which an earthquake destroyed in 1865. The museum showcases Crete’s history which spans over 5,500 years, dating back from the Neolithic era (7,000 BC) and the Roman era (200 AD).
Most of the items are from the prehistoric period and the Minoan period, a name that was coined after the mythological King Minos. Discover decorative pottery, beautiful jewellery, metal items, sculptures, and seals.
The museum displays exhibitions dedicated to death, trade, settlements, and religion. One of the most fascinating items on display at the museum is the Phaistos Disc. Archaeologists discovered the Disc in the Minoan Palace of Phaistos.
The clay disc is around 15 cm in diameter. It features a spiral of imprinted symbols on both sides. However, what those symbols mean is a mystery that has yet to be solved.
If you find Minoan history interesting, you should also visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos.
Minoan Palace of Knossos
Minoan Palace of Knossos was the hub of one of the most cultured civilisations that existed in Crete thousands of years ago. The first settlement settled there around 7,000 BC. The construction of the first Minoan Palace of Knossos dates back to around 1900 BC and serves as evidence of the advanced social and economic standing of the settlers.
The extravagant palace consisted of residences, sanctuaries, storage chambers, workshops, terraces, and shelters. The region was the capital state during the reign of King Minos and included several cities and Cycladic islets.
In 1700 BC, after a devastating earthquake destroyed the palace’s most important parts, they built the second Palace of Knossos the same year. A volcanic eruption occurred around 1600 BC in the nearby Aegean island of Thera but Knossos managed to survive it.
Unfortunately, Greece’s Mycenaean invasion wrecked the palace. However, the city of Knossos continued to prosper until the end of 1370 BC.
While the palace has an intriguing history, it also has an interesting legend associated with it — the myth of Theseus.
The Myth of Theseus
When Crete’s King Minos overpowered Athens in a battle, he ordered them to send 7 girls and 7 boys as food for the Minotaur — a half man and half bull, every nine years. The Minotaur stayed in a labyrinth in the palace.
Theseus volunteered to kill the Minotaur and if successful, he told Aegeus, his father, that the white sails would signify his win whereas black sails would indicate defeat. Meanwhile, Theseus fell in love with King Minos’ daughter Ariadne.
She gave Theseus a ball thread to help him leave the Labyrinth. After he killed the monster, he sailed away with her but left her in Naxos. He was so depressed over leaving her that he forgot to switch out the black sails for white sails. When his father saw the black sails, he assumed his son was dead and dived into the sea, hence the name the Aegean Sea.
Another beach beside the Matala beach you need to visit is the Red Beach in Crete.
Red Beach Matala
Red Beach, located near Matala village, is a secluded destination offering captivating views. If you’re wondering why the beach is called “Red,” look no further than the colour of its sand, which is a beautiful reddish hue. The beach’s Greek name is Kokkini Ammos, which stands for red sand.
It will take around 30 to 45 min to hike to the beach. If you don’t want to travel to the beach on foot, you can book a small boat that departs for the beach from Matala.
If you choose to hike, you’ll come across idyllic and breathtaking views from the cliff overlooking the beach. Come to Red Beach in the evening to see its stunning sunset.
Where to Stay in Matala on the Island of Crete
You have learned about the various things to see and do in Matala, but before you can start venturing out, here’s a selection of villas and apartments in Matala.
Nostos Cave Seaview Apartment is a warm and inviting place to stay due to the charming views of the sea and the city it offers its guests. The apartment, consisting of a fully-equipped open kitchen with a dining room, is within walking distance from Red Beach Crete.
Travel a little further to reach Kommos Beach. You can also tour these nearby attractions — the Minoan Palace of Phaistos, the Museum of Cretan Ethnology, and the Agiofarago Gorge. If you’re renting a car, the apartment’s guests get free parking.
Matala Caves Seafront Apartment puts the exquisite sea before you. Your spacious apartment has a seating area and a fully furnished kitchen. You can grab scrumptious meals or go shopping for souvenirs from the surrounding restaurants, pubs, and shops.
Matala Beach in Crete is only 10 metres away from the apartment.
Villa Dream is a dream come true for any traveller wishing to live within walking distance from Matala Beach and Red Beach. You’ll also love your room, as it offers a patio with marvellous views of the sea. Bring your trainers, as there are a few hiking trails nearby.
Villa Selini Luxury Apartment allows you to easily walk to Red Beach and Matala Beach. When you’re taking in the beach views, you can take in the beautiful garden views from the balcony in your room.
The apartment also offers a sun terrace and a barbecue if you want to stay in and cook. You can book a flight from the Heraklion’s Airport to Chania in Crete or to visit other cities in Greece.
Matala is the Perfect Start and End to a Holiday in Crete
In Matala, you can choose to spend your holiday sunbathing, snorkelling, exploring the Matala caves, and discovering the ancient ruins of palaces. Your time in Matala village will leave you with incredible memories from the Island of Crete.
Crete’s most precious wonder draws travellers from all walks of life, enchanting them with its sunsets, beaches, and cultural heritage.
And, while you are on holiday to Matala, why don’t you visit Spinalonga Island, the leprosy island in Crete?
