Chrissi Island, Ierapetra

Outward journey with the ship island was acceptable. Once there walk first the island on the other side (trekking Sandals advisable in this case better than flip flops because the road is quite rough and planks are sometimes no longer intact), until you get on the so-called "Golden Beach" is. 5 * for the gorgeous colors of the water and also the pleasant water temperature. The sea was unfortunately right unruhig...am Beach it was very windy and the waves was to the bathe more surrounded. Of course, the island in the middle of summer is heavily crowded (it was end of July). One complicating factor was that our stay both had closed the tavern and there was no way to rent umbrellas and sunbeds. The ship (own provider that offers the island trips to the Balos lagoon in the North) has for this trip offered and strong overpriced, partially inedibles food unfortunately no parasols against fee. Overall I would 3.5 * type, because the beach unfortunately the dirtiest heruntergekommenste down, I've seen in 2 weeks of Crete and was I have various comparisons (beaches in the region of Chania; Matala; Beaches East of Ierapetra; Beaches close to Agios of Nikolaos; Elounda/Plaka, close to beaches Chersonissos/Malia). Gushed from the bins set up of garbage... the garbage bags were totally crowded (and been to 12: 00 noon). Since the entry into the water is rather rocky, slippers are already recommended. On the beach, even shards of glass, countless Zigarettenstummel...leere found water bottles and other packaging waste. This as the "Golden Beach" is already a special kind of humor to declare. For comparison, also the Balos lagoon in the North of Crete is a nature reserve, for which it paid a kind of environmental tax. The beach was there but clean although also this place is very crowded. Alone to enjoy the water, you can make this trip... Point deduction for the dirty Beach and the lack of infrastructure.

At Ierapetra, impossible to miss the agencies that sell a day for Chrissi Island cruises! We took a step in Mirtos (at 15 minutes from Ierapetra) for this trip that we regret any. We bought our tickets the day before (€ 20 per person) and chose to embark on the first ship that leaves port at 10:10. Apparently it is the most recent of 5 boats which make the crossing and it takes only 45 minutes instead of 1 h 15 (his name is the Odysseas). On the practical side, parking is free all day parking at the port of Ierapetra, but we preferred to park in a side street to a few hundreds of meters from the port, where our car was in the shade of a large tree. We therefore shipped shortly before 10: 00 with our picnic and two large bottles of water in a cooler bag, without forgetting sunscreen, our jerseys and our beach towel. Note that you must pay a fee of€ 1 per person at boarding, to the town of Ierapetra (it is little considering that parking is free!) 45 minutes after the anchor, we landed on Chrissi Island, which must be crossed (approx. 400 m walk on a grating) to reach the wonderful Golden Beach. The advantage of the first ship, is that the beach is deserted when we get there, which is not the case for the following and at the rate of one every 20 minutes, the beach fills up fast. After an idyllic bathing in transparent water, we preferred to circumnavigate the island along the coast on the right. We stumbled on a quiet Cove where a yacht was moored, but where we were the only swimmers! We had no umbrella, but were armed with a straw hat and of a sarong to protect our shoulders, back and arms from the baking Sun. We finished our walk up to the place of embarkation where our boat was leaving at 15:20. The time spent on the island (4 h 30) is more than long enough to enjoy this paradise. It must be said that we have benefited from particularly favourable conditions (no waves that day there are so on the beach, during the boat trip). Note that the Golden beach was more equipped of sunbeds/huts during our visit (apparently the former operators have been pinned by the Government to have "forgotten" to declare all their recipes...), but tourists who have been there 2 days later told us that the tavern was to reopen, as well as rental of sunbeds. It was possible to buy cold drinks and enjoy the shade of a grass hut!

Tickets to this island sell wherever possible, only on the fact that you can guess what the place of mass pilgrimage for lovers of beach relaxation. Clearly this place is not for those who avoids mass tourism. Fans soak up the sunshine desert island brought here by ships on the island 2;)) Beach and 2 taverns, all. Costs: 20 euro * (ferry round trip) +1 euros (collection) +15 euros (sun loungers and parasols) +20 * (lunch), total 56 euros for an island just swarming tourists lunch fast food type, total heat and the strongest wind. Even if all this look from the other side: hour boat trip, azure sea, relatively inexpensive food, walk in Cedar Grove, wind variable too. If you ask whether it is necessary to go back there, I'll answer you there:) * ticket costs 25 euro, we just found the place where we have discounted * lunch is a sandwich, Greek Salad, tea, Nestea and beer