Crete Island Attraction| Sweet Water Beach: A Hidden Treasure Where The Drinkable Mountain Spring Water Meets The Sea
Sweet Water Beach, also known as Glyka Nera Beach, is an impressive hidden gem situated between Loutro and Hora Sfakion. What sets this beach apart from others is the drinkable natural mountain spring water that is hiding at this beach. The pure and crisp taste of the spring water is truly fascinating, but you’ll need to do some work to find it. If you visit this unique beach, don’t miss the chance to discover the spring water. It’s an experience that will blow you away! Read on to know where it is located and how to find it.
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How to get the mountain spring water at Sweet Water Beach in Crete?
The natural mountain spring flows UNDER THE PEBBLES and meets the sea at Sweet Water Beach. However, you need to do a bit of digging to find it.
I was blown away when I saw the cafe owner at the beach looking for the spring water and showing us how to dig it out. The water is drinkable, pure and delicious! Even though it is so close to the sea water, it is not salty at all! Despite the effort, the clean and refreshing taste is well worth the search, and the experience is very unique.
Tips: Don’t forget to bring a water bottle to collect some of this refreshing drink during your visit.
How to get to Sweet Water Beach in Crete, Greece?
Sweet Water Beach can only be accessed by boat or an adventurous hike. Below is the detail information:
1.Take a ferry to Sweet Water Beach in Crete Island
Ferry services from both Sfakia and Loutro to Sweet Water Beach are operating daily (during the end of April to September). It takes about 10 minutes and costs about 3-5 euros one way (water taxis have different prices to this).
2.Take the Sweet Water Beach hiking route to the beach
The other way to visit Sweet Water Beach from Sfakia or Loutro is on foot, and the total time may take you from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on your pace.
It is noteworthy that the distance from Sfakia to Sweet Water Beach is shorter than from Loutro to Sweet Water Beach. I walked the entire way from Loutro to Sfakia, and it took me 1.5 hours to walk from Loutro to Sweet Water Beach, and 50 minutes to walk from Sweet Water Beach to Sfakia.
Important Information: If you choose to walk instead of taking the ferry, please ensure that you wear comfortable, proper shoes. This hike is not as easy as the locals would tell you there. It is quite challenging, as you will be walking along the coastal path, and you will be walking along the edge of a cliff many times. Sometimes it’s windy, and some paths are steep, which is why I called it an “adventurous hike.” Be sure to pay close attention to every step you take, and FOLLOW THE BLACK AND YELLOW SIGNS ON THE ROCKS along your path. However, even with the signs, I lost track of the path when I wasn’t paying attention for a few minutes, and I got lost. That is why I strongly advise you to pay attention while walking. If you are interested in hearing the story, you can find it here.
Food and drink at Sweet Water Beach Crete
There is a little tavern at the beach, providing umbrella hire, drinks and some food, but not with many options. You can bring your own snacks or eat at Loutro or Sfakia before your hike.
Hotels near Sweet Water Beach Crete, Greece
There is no hotel at the beach, however, there are many ocean view hotels at Loutro and Sfakion. And you can just take ferries or hike to Sweet Water Beach in the daytime.
How to get to Crete Island?
Crete Island has two international airports – Chania International Airport and Heraklion International Airport. You can easily find cheap flights to both cities from Skyscanner.
Alternatively, you can fly to Athens first and spend a few days exploring the city (ideally 2-3 days) before taking a flight or ferry to Crete from Athens.
How to get to Crete Island from Athens?
Athens is an excellent starting point for your Greek Island hopping trips, as there are many ferries and flights operating daily to take you to various Greek Islands. Surprisingly, Athens has many interesting things to see, including some aesthetic and artistic places that will make you fall in love with the city. I would recommend spending 2-3 days in Athens while exploring the Greek Islands.
If you’re going to Crete Island from Athens, here are two ways:
1.Athens to Crete Island by ferry
The popular option to travel to island Crete is by ferry (boat).
There are ferries that operate daily from the port of Athens (Piraeus) to two ports in Crete – Chania and Heraklion. Some days, routes to Sitia and Kissamos are also available.
The travel time by ferry varies from 7.5 to 11 hours depending on the port of arrival.
One advantage of taking the ferry to Crete from Athens is that some ferry companies offer night ferries, allowing you to board at around 10 pm and arrive around 6 am. This means you can sleep on the ferry and arrive in Crete without losing a day to transportation. Most ferries have cabins and more comfortable seating options that you can book, such as the air VIP seats on Minoan Lines.
You can check the rates and availability of ferry tickets to Crete and other islands here.
2.Athens to Crete Island by flight
There are three airports in Crete Island that you can fly to domestically from Athens International Airport: Crete Chania Airport, Crete Heraklion Airport, and Crete Sitia Airport.
The flight time is approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour, and flights operate regularly. To find affordable flights to Crete, you can check Skyscanner.
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