Last days in Crete - Balos and the way home

After Chania, Elafonisi, Rethymno and Knossos, I had my last days in Crete. I purposely didn't fill them with dozens of new points and decided to leave the most beautiful one for last - Balos Lagoon, and then just spend the last evening on the island without haste.

Balos is the final point of the route

In the morning, I set off towards Kissamos. The road gradually became more mountainous, fewer houses appeared around, and the usual urban landscapes were finally replaced by nature. The path itself was already perceived as part of the journey, because every turn opened up new views of the coast.

Balos can be reached by car via a dirt road, after which it remains to walk or take a boat from the port of Kissamos. I chose the first option because I wanted to see the lagoon from above. It was for this kind of trip that it was worth all the effort. 

When Balos Lagoon finally appeared ahead, I just stopped for a few minutes. From a height, it looked completely unreal: light sand, shallow water in different shades of blue and green, small islands and mountains on the horizon. The official tourist portal of Greece calls Balos one of the most recognizable natural landscapes of Crete, and now I understand perfectly why.

I went down to the water and spent several hours there. No plans, excursions, or attempts to get somewhere else -I just swam, sat on the shore, and looked out at the sea. After several days of constant travel, this was exactly the kind of rest I needed.

Last night in Crete

After returning to the city, I decided not to look for any special place and went back to a small Greek tavern. I ordered a few simple dishes that I had grown to love this week, took fresh bread and sat at the table for a long time, remembering the route.

In seven days, I managed to see completely different Crete: old Chania, Elafonisi beach, Rethymno, Heraklion, ancient Knossos and Balos lagoon. At some point, it became clear that it was impossible to really see the island in one short trip. Each new area was distinguished by its nature, architecture and atmosphere, and between the famous attractions there were a huge number of places where I would like to return.

Seven days was not enough

The next morning, I packed up and went to the airport. Usually, at the end of a trip, you want to go home the most, but here it was a little different. I have already started building the following route in my head - mountain villages, the southern coast, new beaches and places that I did not have time to see this time.

Crete turned out to be exactly the kind of island you want to return to. Not because I didn't have time to watch everything in seven days, but on the contrary, because I managed to understand how diverse it is. And if I ever find myself here again, I definitely won't try to see everything at once.