Crete: Seitan Limania

If you are dreaming of the bluest water and the most unusual beaches, then look no further. Crete is the place for you!

As we flew south from Santorini, the first thing we noticed were patches of stunning, turquoise sea surrounding the island of Crete. One of my all-time favorite beaches was Seitan Limania (aka Stephanou Beach). I’d read about it while researching for our trip and from what I could tell, it was a local secret; slightly off the beaten track and required a hike-in. Frankly, it looked too good to be true in photos. I simply had to see it for myself! 

Although it seemed complicated to find, it wasn’t really. We followed the directions from this site and they were spot on. My advice is to head towards the Chania Airport, continue past it to the village of Chordaki, then follow the road until you start seeing signs for “the port.” Eventually you’ll arrive at the top of a hill and from there you can see the inlet. After a couple of serious switchbacks, voila! You are at Satan’s Beach.

HA! Almost.

When I got there, no one else was around and it was kind of hard to tell where the path lead to the beach. I decided to head to the canyon to the left of the parking lot (see above) and hike down that way. WRONG. It got me there, but was much crazier than the actual trail, which is on the right hand side of the parking. Whichever way you take, it’s steep but not especially challenging. Here’s the proper trail…

Although I went on my own, I wish I had brought the children. They would’ve loved it! There were other kids there and lots of people were climbing up and jumping off of the cliffs.

The more I travel, the more I seek out those one-off, different places and this beach was no exception! It felt so exotic and special. It is a must-see on Crete! I will never forget it.