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The Cruise of Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island

*Choose between a shared or private option

Why cruise with us?

Value for money

Either you book the shared or the private option the endless beauty of Balos & Gramvousa will surprise you without breaking your bank.

A unique experience

The breathtaking view from Gramvousa castle & the turquoise crystal waters of Balos lagoon proves that paradise exists… You just can’t miss this place!

You can't miss this place

A must-do of a visitor of Chania is the cruise of Gramvousa and Balos. The unique fortress on the top of Gramvousa island and the spectacular panoramic view from up there cannot be described with words.

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Hundreds of satisfied customers

Take this cooking tour! Great experience in every way. Great food, stories, and camaraderie. Food and alcohol included. Great experience for our adult son and his wife, my wife and me.
Mark J
Mark J
16 July 2023
Super schöner Kochabend Tolle Orga, sehr erfahrener und freundlicher Guide, ganz liebenswerte Menschen vor Ort und sehr leckeres Essen. On Top gab es Infos zu Land und Kultur. Absolut empfehlenswert!
Saskia Z
Saskia Z
16 July 2023
Maria’s fabulous 7 villages tour A thoroughly enjoyable full day tour, Maria was an exceptionally knowledgeable guide and she gave us a full authentic tour of the 7 villages, she answered all our questions with confidence and patience. We had great food with good company, we would highly recommend this tour with Attios Travel Agency.
Robert B
Robert B
15 July 2023
Great food and history tour Absolutely terrific tour from beginning to end. Our guide, Kostas, was well informed, personable, and helpful. The house we visited was situated in an unbelievably picturesque location. The cooks were delightful, and the food was delicious! Highly recommend this venture.
elenapU4896NC
elenapU4896NC
11 July 2023
Excellent Fantastic tour , very interesting and enjoyable. Yannis was an excellent guide and driver, very knowledgable about the Battle of Crete and also Crete in general. Visited all the relevant sites in this part of the island. Would thoroughly recommend
jpsadler123
jpsadler123
10 July 2023
A must for your trip in Crete You learn how to cook awesome recipies, you get to learn history and enjoy the tranquility of the countryside. A really great experience that was one of the highlights of our vacation in Crete
Florin P
Florin P
8 July 2023
It made our trip! We had the best time on this tour! We were a small group of 8 people from England, Australia and Malta and thankfully we got along so well! We were picked up in convenient locations and driven to a serene house in the hills where we cooked multiple dishes, fed goats and sheep, did wine tasting with some cheese, had a tour of the family relics and learnt the history of Crete sitting on a gorgeous balcony as it was getting darker. We then all sat together outside to enjoy our meal with some more wine and a yummy dessert. It was such good value, and a fantastic experience.
Reeen
Reeen
4 July 2023
Lovely. Wonderful. I just made the tzaziki sauce now that I am at home in US, its great! Please send recipe in email! Ok. Wonderful. Nice ride. Docent was amazing. Learned so much about Crete. Such a wonderful island. Such a healthy plant based cuisine. We fed goats, and sheep! I loved it all. So much history. We cooked an amazing plant based meal. Bravo!!!! This was the highlight of my trip.
Michelle J
Michelle J
1 July 2023
A sok választható kirándulás közül, ezt mindenképp érdemes megnézni. Érdekes, látványos dotto utazás a hegyek között. Aranyos autentikus települések, kedves emberek, narancs-, citrom és olajfák, hangos kabóca 'zene' mindenütt.
ergyd
ergyd
28 June 2023
Great way to meet and share a meal I love to cook & try the flavours of places I visit. As I'm travelling solo I thought this would be a great way to learn something about the food culture of the area and meet people at the same time. The hosts were so gracious and much thought went into giving the group a wonderful time, keeping things running smoothly. Andreas the driver was very knowledgable (on all subjects!) and attentive to the group - on full time translation duties, keeping everyone engaged. The group was a mix of adults, children, teens. Taking account of the mix of ages, food preferences etc the experience is more about preparing food rather than cooking as such. The food we prepared and ate together was fun to do and delicious to eat, all vegetarian, which reflects the predominant way of eating here, using mainly local seasonal, fruit and vegetables. There was also a touch of wine history & tasting, a brief history of Crete, rural cultural artefacts & feeding goats all included. I met some really nice people and had a wonderful time. Really appreciated all the effort and thought from the hosts and Andreas that went into making it all happen. A delightful way to spend an afternoon and evening. Thank you
Debra
Debra
28 June 2023

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Shared tour overview

Tour Highlights

  • Once in a life-time experience
  • Explore the fortress of Gramvousa pirate island
  • Experience the turquoise crystal water of Balos lagoon
  • Swim to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world
  • Bus round-trip to the port of Kasteli & regular boat day cruise
  • Full-day cruise with optional lunch at the self-service restaurant

Description

A must-do of a visitor of Chania is the cruise of Gramvousa and Balos. The unique fortress on the top of Gramvousa island and the spectacular panoramic view from up there cannot be described with words. The breathtaking environment of this jewel in northwest Chania is a place you need to put on your bucket list. Balos is one of the most popular destinations in Greece. The magnificent turquoise crystal water of the lagoon and the white & coral-pink sand is attracting people from around the globe. The place is large, and even if there are many visitors, there is always a quiet spot to enjoy paradise on earth. Don’t miss it!

Our trip starts from your hotel or a near location by bus, and the destination is the port of Kissamos. As soon as we reach the port, you go aboard the ship, ready for the cruise. The ship departs from the port at 10:20. An hour later, you reach the small island of Gramvousa. The ship stays on the island for two and a half hours. The castle of Gramvousa is to be found at the top of the island. It was built by Venetians on top of steep cliffs to fortify the island. Today it offers the visitors a mouthwatering view of the amazingly blue waters of the Cretan sea. If you wish, you can hike up the path towards the castle (20 minutes short hike). If not, you can swim on the beach.

The ship departs from Gramvousa island at 13:30. One of the most highlighted beaches of Crete, the lagoon of Balos the next destination. The journey is short and lasts only 20 minutes. You will stay in Balos for three hours. Words can’t possibly describe the wild beauty you will experience in Balos. The white and at some places pink sand, the turquoise warm and shallow waters – all these amazing elements come together to create a heavenly landscape, which you are bound to want to keep returning to!

The ship departs for Kisamos Port at 16:30. Onboard and throughout the journey, you can enjoy your meal in the self-service restaurants of the ship, where traditional Cretan dishes are being offered, or at the ship’s bar (all optional). You reach Kissamos port an hour later. Our bus will be waiting for you there, in order to take you back to your hotel.

Inclusions

Exclusions

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PICKUPS

In our small-group and group tours we are picking up our guests from selected meeting points in Chania area and accecible by our vehicles hotels. Please select your pick up point according to your hotel’s location and don’t hesitate to contact us for any further clarification

Private tour option

*If you wish to book a private customized cruise to Balos & Gramvousa, please fill the above form and a travel advisor of our team will reply immediately