Chrissi Island
Chrissi Island
4
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
This hidden gem off the southern coast of Crete boasts stunning beaches, drawing travelers with its clear sands and turquoise waters. After relaxing on the aptly named Golden Beach, stroll through fragrant cedar woods to reach Kataprosopo Beach, a great snorkeling spot. Watch out for sharp rocks on the seabed. To get to Chrissi island, hop on a boat from Makry Gialos or Ierapetra. You can expect peak crowds during summer; consider visiting in early May or October. You can easily rent umbrellas and lounge chairs, but bring provisions for your visit—food and drink options on the island are limited. – Tripadvisor
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Popular mentions
4.0
2,616 reviews
Excellent
1,415
Very good
581
Average
328
Poor
137
Terrible
155
Philippe G
Düsseldorf, Germany1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Couples
Nice Water! But that's the only positiv thing about the Island.
No shape at all. If you want to sit under an umbrella, some random guy shows up and asks 10€ for it.
They have a very small shop, where you can buy drinks, but no food.
The organization to get on the boat (ierapetra and crysi) was terrible. No Covid 19 restrictions. We had to sign a paper by only writing down our names. That was it.
After one hour, we wanted to leave the island. Unfortunately, we had to wait until our boat took us back.
First and last time on this island.
No shape at all. If you want to sit under an umbrella, some random guy shows up and asks 10€ for it.
They have a very small shop, where you can buy drinks, but no food.
The organization to get on the boat (ierapetra and crysi) was terrible. No Covid 19 restrictions. We had to sign a paper by only writing down our names. That was it.
After one hour, we wanted to leave the island. Unfortunately, we had to wait until our boat took us back.
First and last time on this island.
Written 27 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amousk
1 contribution
Aug 2022 • Family
We have been to Crisis Island before and it was amazing. This year we purchased a boat ticket at Iriapetra car park kiosk; when we got to boat in harbor, we were then sent back to another desk to get tickets verified.
BUT at no time did anyone tell us that the boat no longer actually goes to Crissi Island. It just floats nearby and stops on 2 occasions for people to jump off boat into deep sea for swimming. So if you are a non swimmer, or not able bodied/have mobility issues, or are scared of deep water, or expecting to spend a nice day on the beach with your family having a picnic or a drink/ food from beach bar (like previous years), you will be very disappointed. £110 later and stuck on boat for 5 hours in 30 Degrees+ heat.
I totally get the ecological concerns, but communication and marketing at time of purchase was seriously lacking, and will put lots of people off. We were expecting a trip to Crissi Island, not just a boat ride and swim in middle of sea, which we could have had closer to home, without hiring a car and driving at least 2 hours to get to other side of Crete Island. Still may be worth a trip but ONLY IF you are strong confident swimmers and happy to spend rest of time on the boat.
BUT at no time did anyone tell us that the boat no longer actually goes to Crissi Island. It just floats nearby and stops on 2 occasions for people to jump off boat into deep sea for swimming. So if you are a non swimmer, or not able bodied/have mobility issues, or are scared of deep water, or expecting to spend a nice day on the beach with your family having a picnic or a drink/ food from beach bar (like previous years), you will be very disappointed. £110 later and stuck on boat for 5 hours in 30 Degrees+ heat.
I totally get the ecological concerns, but communication and marketing at time of purchase was seriously lacking, and will put lots of people off. We were expecting a trip to Crissi Island, not just a boat ride and swim in middle of sea, which we could have had closer to home, without hiring a car and driving at least 2 hours to get to other side of Crete Island. Still may be worth a trip but ONLY IF you are strong confident swimmers and happy to spend rest of time on the boat.
Written 9 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KM
Wroclaw, Poland7 contributions
Sept 2022
We went to Chris Island from Ierapetra on a cruise 27 Euros per person. We were told that on the island are amazing spots to relax and that the boat comes directly to the beach. In fact, the boat stopped around 200-300 meters from the coastline and we had to leave all our things on deck to see the island. However it was very nice to swim on the open sea.
Written 5 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janice T
Holbeach, UK4 contributions
Aug 2020
Do listen to the negative reviews before you go on this trip! It was sold to us by Orange Travel as 'like the Maldives', 'isolated', 'idyllic' and 'uninhabited' and we paid €53 each, to include food (undercooked roast chicken and roast potatoes in 40 degree heat, plus a 'Greek salad' which had one square of cheese in it). After arriving at our pick up point early and looking out for a 'large orange bus' (you can't miss it!), we were picked up by a minibus, taken to a motorway near Agios Nikolous and transferred onto an Orange bus, driven to the port and then herded like cattle onto a boat, shouted at to wear masks, temperature taken and then no social distancing or seating when we got onto the upper deck. When we got to the island, the walk to Golden Beach was so long (for someone over 60 and in the searing heat) that we gave up and went to find shade under a tree where we had got off the boat. Several more fully loaded boats arrived and there were also people from private boats already on the beach. We did not venture more than ankle deep into the water because of the sharp rocks. We counted down the hours until we could leave! The queues for the return boats were also horrendous. We spent as much time travelling as we did on the island and don't get me started about the Tour Guide ('it's the red boat, red, red, red, like my top, red' - it was a white boat with a red stripe along the water line!). She did not even check that everyone in her group was off the boat and we stood waiting for her, only to find her standing on the pavement halfway back to the bus. We went on a fishing trip the next day with Capitain Nicholas - absolutely brilliant! The first 10 minutes of that trip outweighed the Chrissi Island one by 100%. You have been warned!
Written 24 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
margdim
Rafina, Greece119 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
We visited the island on a windy August day, after a 45' trip by boat. The scenery was majestic, but with a closer look, you will see that there are rocks all over the first meters to enter the sea. Pick a day without a strong wind to make your life easier on the return route. However the landscape will compensate you
Written 8 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hanine L
Amman, Jordan17 contributions
Aug 2021 • Friends
I visited Chrissi island in August. The tour was organized by my hotel and based on the description given, I thought it was going to be amazing. Unfortunately, it was not worth the time or money. I was staying in Sissi, a village in Northern Crete, and the bus ride was long all the way down to the south. Then, I went on a boat trip and it was packed! I also found out that my ticket didn't even include lunch (I paid 70 euros for the trip!) The boat trip was about an hour to the island. When we got to the island, we were told that the 'Golden beach' was the best. The island is basically deserted. There's nothing there, except a few trees and a bunch of tourists. There's no food or drinks or even clean toilets. The were too many waves to be able to swim at the Golden beach and there were too many rocks. The problem was that we were obliged to stay there for 4 hours until the boat returned. Fortunately, I was able to find some shade under a tree. This place is definitely not worth your time or money, and there are much better and nicer beaches in Crete. Very disappointing!
Written 17 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Srdan
Cacak, Serbia61 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
In order to get there we came by a car from Heraklion to Ierapetra (there are free car parking spots right next to the port) and we took a boat. We payed 40 euros per person to Christina boat company. In the price is included a boat ride, wine, cola, fresh fruits and snacks. Great service really. We departed at 12 and after about an hour we came to the island. Because of the new strict laws a boat can not come directly to the island. In order to get there you will need to swim, not so far, though. So, keep in mind that you will need some waterproof bags to carry your stuff to the beach, a phone for example. Island itself is really beautiful, crystal clear water, with white sand beach. We had a great weather and it wasn't so crowded. Tour ended at 5pm which was enough time for a visit. Overall, we loved it.
Written 12 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
T3llic
Stockholm, Sweden138 contributions
Jul 2020 • Couples
Chrissi is accessible through cruises from Ierapetra. I recommend Ierapetra Cruises with the Evi II yacht. You can basically choose to do island hiking, snorkelling, sunbathing or just hang out on the beach and feel the nice water. The island is bigger than you think and 2 hours is not enough to do it all. If you want to to it all you might consider being here at least 4 hours. A hike from east to west might take 2 hours. If you do the hike take good shoes, lots of sunscreen and yes you will have some company of bugs such as flies and crickets. The island consists mostly lf small rocks and sandy dunes with juniper trees. Shade is not a common thing so be careful and bring lots of water. If you come here for just 2 hours i suggest you find a good beach and relax there. Snorkelling is average and you will only see some fish mostly of same species. You can find different types of beaches; rocky, pebble and fine sand. A good thing is that you can easily find a private beach. The waters around the island is turqouise crystal clear... very nice for swimming and relaxing. If you come here in a private boat this is a nice place probably to stay for 1 whole day. If you are in the Ierapetra area this is a must-do but if you are further away like Chania (3 hours away), consider this only if you enjoy being in a "remote" place for some tranquility or if you really like doing cruises with yacht.
Written 31 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David
Haarlem, The Netherlands10 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
There are soo many nice beaches in Crete, so this is not worth the hassle of a whole day with few creature comforts and extreme heat. Chrissi is crowded with huge boats dropping people for the day. The only way to do this is to go on a smaller boat that also serves lunch. Around 60 euros pp. You then spend a couple of hours on Chrissi and the rest on the boat snorkeling etc.
Written 23 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael G
Martlesham, UK36 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
Had a great trip to Chrissi Island on the Nautilos. Would definitely recommend their semi-private experience.
Chrissi is great, plenty of beach and terrain to explore. Some complaints from others that there aren't enough facilities - those people are stupid. It is a tiny island which is almost completely undeveloped. Adding 'more facilities' would ruin it's beauty and charm, and turn it into the rest of Greece; a noisy, litter ridden tourist trap.
Having said that, the numbers of people on the relatively small stretch of beach makes it crowded, and sadly many of the visitors don't take care to 'leave only footprints'. It would be nice if some of the taxes the boats have to pay to ferry passengers to Chrissi were actually used to keep it beautiful and clean.
Would give 5 stars if the litter problem was improved.
Chrissi is great, plenty of beach and terrain to explore. Some complaints from others that there aren't enough facilities - those people are stupid. It is a tiny island which is almost completely undeveloped. Adding 'more facilities' would ruin it's beauty and charm, and turn it into the rest of Greece; a noisy, litter ridden tourist trap.
Having said that, the numbers of people on the relatively small stretch of beach makes it crowded, and sadly many of the visitors don't take care to 'leave only footprints'. It would be nice if some of the taxes the boats have to pay to ferry passengers to Chrissi were actually used to keep it beautiful and clean.
Would give 5 stars if the litter problem was improved.
Written 12 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ciao, perdonate il disturbo... una cortesia (una domanda) ... non riesco a capire quindi se si scende dalla barca e si può stare sulla sabbia oppure se si sta solo a bordo e al largo con la barca ... mi faresti capire meglio ? grazie 1000. Leggo che la barca si ferma a 200 metri dalla spiaggia... ma quindi non attracca ? si può arrivare solo a nuoto sulla spiaggia ? fattibile o solo per super nuotatori ? il viaggio a Chrissi merita ? Giovanni Antoni (siamo una famiglia)
Written 23 March 2024
Chiedo a chi è andato ultimamente chi organizza l’escursione per andare all’isola di Chrissi?Cosi da poterlo contattare Grazie
Written 27 August 2023
Bonjour, il y a des bateaux pour aller sur Lille jusqu'à quelle heure ?
Written 20 September 2021
Is there somewhere to buy food on Chrissi island?
Written 22 August 2020
We didn’t see a stall selling food, we only saw the odd few hippy stalls with their crafts.
We got our food on the boat but please don’t take this option as it’s awful. Pack a cool bag/box like most of the tourists did with your own food and drinks.
Written 22 August 2020
È possibile arrivare sull'isola anche noleggiando una barca privata o si può solo raggiungere con i battelli?
Written 13 October 2019
Non sono sicura ma io ho visto là solo battelli ma era un brutto giorno pieno di vento…...
Written 18 November 2019
Bonjour, aviez vous reserveé vos billets a l’avance et combien de temps à durée la traversée ?
Written 6 August 2019
Non nous n’avions pas réservé, on trouve facilement des billets pour la traversée, ça dure environ 3 quart d’heures
Written 14 August 2020
Υπάρχει ντουζιερα στην περιοχή και δυνατότητα επιστροφής νωριτερα απο την προβλεπόμενη?
Written 3 August 2019
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