South Crete - Matala, Red Beach and caves

Heraklion, Greece

10 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Visit Matala, on the southern coast of Crete, even if you don’t have a rental car, on this full-day tour. After pickup from designated locations around Crete, travel by air-conditioned bus through the Messara Plain to the former Roman burial site turned hippie enclave, where you will have free time to relax on the beach, swim in the ocean, explore the caves, stroll the shops, or grab a meal.

Visit Matala on a full-day tour to Crete’s southern coast
Ideal for independent travelers, with free time to explore
Travel around in comfort in an air-conditioned vehicle
Pickup and drop-off from many locations in northern Crete

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle
Live tour guide
Experienced drivers
Liability insurance
All Fees and Taxes

Entrance fee to the caves of Matala

€5.00 per person

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pick-up and drop-off from the main road, partly from the exit of hotels from Malia, Stalis, Hersonissos, Analipsi, Anissaras, Gouves, Gournes, Kokkini Chani, Heraklion, Ammoudara – Heraklion. After booking the tour operator will contact you at least 24 hours in advance the excursion takes place with a detailed description of your pick-up point and time.

Arranged start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

Select your preferred tour option to see hours.

Itinerary

Matala

4 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Matala Beach

6 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 49 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

3.9

based on 14 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great tour with free time

Natalia_P, Aug 2024

Thank you for the amazing tour! Very positive experience with plenty of free time in Matala. Everything was fast, on time and very well organized. Bravo to our nice multilingual guides and professional driver.

Matala - the hippie land

CristinaMaria_R, Jul 2024

Due to an error, we were left behind by the bus, but we were brought by car to Matala to compensate for it. We appreciate and thank our guide for her kindness, so we could enjoy the time spent in Matala ( a nice place with a beautiful beach).

Our tour guide, Viola was...

Carol_P, May 2024

Our tour guide, Viola was wonderful. She shared her knowledge of the area and made us feel special. The trip was certainly a highlight of our visit to Crete. The weather was perfect. We enjoyed the beach and the town.

Nice beach day

Kristiyana_C, Jun 2023

Loved exploring the caves! The shops were nice and had reasonably priced items. The food spots were so good and the beach was very pretty. It was a perfect amount of time to do everything we wanted there.

A nice day trip to Matala

Martin_K, Oct 2025

The trip to Matala was very nice. It went from the north of Crete to the south. The ride goes through the mountains where you could enjoy really beautiful views. Matala is known for its caves where hippies lived in the 60s. Before entering the village, there is an olive tree with faces carved into its trunk. Matala itself consists of taverns, souvenir shops and textile-supplying shops. There is also a beach there, which is very gravelly and studded with stones in the water. The water gets deep very quickly and when you go in and out you sing deep into the gravel. It doesn't take much time to see the place. For us it was very nice and we can recommend this trip.

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Toller Ausflug uns schöner Ort

Jana_A, May 2025

Der Ausflug ist wirklich toll, Matala ist ein wunderschöner kleiner Ort mit sehr sehr viel Charme und netten Menschen. Alles ist im Hippie-Flair und es gibt viele kleine schöne Läden und Restaurants / Cafés. Mit dem Transfer hat alles geklappt und wir wurden pünktlich abgeholt. Negativ: was ich absolut nicht verstanden habe ist, dass wir 4 Personen als Reiseleiter hatten. Wir waren ein Kleinbus von ca. 15 Personen (maximal) und wir mussten für die 4 Reiseleiter durch komplett Heraklion fahren um sie abzuholen für was: ein kurzes Hallo, 3 Sätze über Griechenland auf englisch und französisch und ansonsten haben die nichts gemacht außer uns zu sagen, wann wir wieder am Bus sein sollen. Ich stelle mir sogar die Frage, ob man hier überhaupt eine Reiseleitung braucht oder ob nicht ein Fahrer mit gutem Englisch ausreicht. Das hat der Reise an sich nichts abgetan aber war für uns fragwürdig und wir waren maximal genervt dass wir wegen denen bestimmt pro Strecke 20-30 Minuten Umweg hatten.

Ils ne respectent pas l’heure de prise en charge

Isabelle_D, Sep 2023

Ils ont changé l’heure de prise en charge mais ont devancé leur arrivée. Ils n’ont même pas attendu l’heure qu’ils nous ont donné pour partir. J’ai dû demander un remboursement. Nous sommes très déçus. Par chance, Viator ont réagi tout de suite et ont procédé au remboursement. Merci Viator.