This is Greece’s most beautiful beach—and the only way onto the sand is to swim for it.
Boats are generally banned from landing on Crete's Chryssi Island to protect its fragile shores—meaning if you want to touch the sand, your only option is leaping off the deck.
Floating roughly nine miles off the southern coast of Crete in the Libyan Sea lies Chryssi Island, a place where the Mediterranean feels remarkably like a secluded Caribbean paradise. Known locally as Gaidouronisi, or “donkey island,” this uninhabited haven is celebrated for its pale, golden sand formed from millions of microscopic crushed seashells. The sea here transitions seamlessly from a sparkling, translucent mint green to deep cobalt blue, with ancient, twisted cedar and juniper trees framing the coastline.
While its natural beauty has drawn visitors for decades, experiencing this sun-drenched sanctuary today comes with a unique twist. Heavy foot traffic previously threatened the island’s delicate dune ecosystem and its centuries-old forest, prompting authorities to enact strict environmental protection regulations to allow the ecosystem to regenerate. Commercial ferries and excursion boats are no longer permitted to dock at the island or anchor along the shore.
Instead, daily excursion boats departing from Ierapetra anchor in the open, crystalline waters a short distance off the coast. If you want to set foot on the warm sand, you have to jump off the boat deck and swim for it. Gliding through the warm, clear water toward the glowing shoreline feels like an adventure in itself, making the arrival on land all the more rewarding.
Once you reach the beach, the raw, undeveloped state of the island becomes immediate. With all commercial beach bars, sunbeds, and interior walking trails strictly off-limits, visitors are required to stay along the water’s edge and leave no trace behind. Anything brought to shore, from towels to cameras sealed in waterproof dry bags, must swim back out with you.
Though reaching the shore requires a little extra effort and a refreshing swim, the reward is an untouched, peaceful coastal paradise that feels wild and genuinely preserved.
