Matala Beach: Hippie History and Festival Vibes

Discover the enchanting town of Matala in South Crete, famous for its hippie caves and rich mythology. Swim in crystal-clear waters, indulge in local cuisine, and immerse yourself in the vibrant history of this coastal gem.

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Matala - Explore this charming fishing village, wander through the shops, visit the caves, enjoy a refreshing swim in the sea, and relax on the beach.
  • Matala Beach - Embrace the spirit of love, peace, and happiness at the Matala Beach Festival. This festival takes place right on the beach and extends throughout the entire area. It features…
What's Included
  • Liability insurance
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Live tour guide
  • Experienced drivers
What's Not Included
  • Entrance fee to the caves of Matala
Additional Information

After a brief drive through the Messara plain, you arrive at Matala. This location is famous for its hippy community in the 1960s, who resided in large caves carved into the mountain. These rock formations also contain Roman burial sites. In Matala, visitors can enjoy a refreshing swim, savor a meal, or simply relax with a drink on the beach. This is…

Location
Matala
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.8
(13 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Martin_k
Oct 3, 2025
A nice day trip to Matala - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Sandy141174
Jun 8, 2025
Im alle super - Nice beach,super drinks,but better than bus tour too long with car rental. Cool people, at the bars, very chill.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Natalia_p
Aug 6, 2024
Great tour with free time - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Cristinamaria_r
Jul 9, 2024
Matala - the hippie land - 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).
Review provided by Viator
Carol_p
May 15, 2024
Our tour guide, Viola was... - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Kristiyana_c
Jun 2, 2023
Nice beach day - 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.
Review provided by Viator
R8901exlaurah
Oct 6, 2025
Far too long on the bus - Lovely place once we got there but spent 5hrs total on a bus for 3 and half hours of visit. Couldn't go in the sea as wasn't enough time. Would definitely reccomend a visit but unless u like very long bus journeys. Find a different route or tour!! We will definitely not use again!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E7238dpmichelep
Aug 25, 2023
Not even - We booked the tour (if you can call it that) in Italian from Italy. Specially chose this one because it was in Italian. We were contacted two days before by email during the night, which was not possible in Italian... On your site there was the possibility to choose the most convenient place to be picked up, and even in this case, the operator forced us to go to another meeting point much further away. Two words in broken English. So also not very understandable, even if the guide was nice. The place is very nice, but it's better to organize on your own, it will cost less and you will certainly have more satisfaction
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $41
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).