Crete · MATALA & HIPPIE CAVES TOURS
Tombs cut into a sandstone cliff, occupied again in the late sixties, above a bay on the south coast. Matala is a long drive from the north-coast resorts, so most trips pair it with Gortyn, Phaistos or Agia Galini. These 15 are compared on route, road time and what the ticket covers.
Full-day bus trip from Rethymno to Spili, Matala caves and beach, and Agia Galini harbor. Three village stops, 10 hours.
“wonderful trip.. very good guide... just amazing.. i absolutely recommend it!!”
South Crete day trip from Heraklion to Matala Beach, the hippie caves, and Odigitria Monastery. Swim, explore, and learn.
“nice tour, good pickup service, very talented tou lady!”
Heraklion to Matala day trip with guided beach time for swimming and snorkeling, optional Matala caves, and free time in the hippie town.
“het plaatsje Matala, erg leuk. ook erg toeristisch maar dat mag. we hebben lekker gezwommen en gesnorkeld. de grotten was veel van hetzelfde. je kon alleen steeds van buitenaf de grot in, dus niet echt doorlopen. maar binnen toe. reisleidster heeft veel verteld in de bus. was ook leuk. en informatief. goeie buschauffeur”
South Crete day trip with a live guide, 4 hours in Matala, hippie caves, beach time, and a walk to Red Beach.
“fantastisch plaatsje. waar je veel langer wilt zijn dan 4 uur. dat is te kort om alles te kunnen zien. de heenweg richting Matala duurde gewoon 3 uur. dat is te lang. de terugreis was in 2 uur.”
Wine tasting in a Cretan winery, scenic drive through the Messara Valley, and a full day in Matala with caves and beach swim.
“War alles super, nur im Weingut hätte man mehr erklären!”
From Agia Galini or Matala to Samaria Gorge and Agia Roumeli, hike 18 km then swim and take a 1-hour boat ride.
“De Samaraikloof moet op je bucketlist staan, maar je moet in zeer goede conditie zijn! Als 65j sport ik nog min.4/w, maar je knieën en voeten moeten in optimale conditie zijn! Het is van in het begin tot het einde springen van steen tot steen, met het risico om bij elke pas je voet om te slaan! Maar de kloof zelf is een wonder der natuur! De prijs echter is bij GYG veel te hoog. In Agia Galini betaal je slechts 55€, transport inbegrepen! Dus om nogmaals met GYG te boeken, zal ik beter uitkijken! Een andere activiteit(zeilboot met snorkelen was ook 90€, waar ter plaatse het slechts 50-60€ is!”
A 7-hour Rethymnon day trip with A/C hotel transfers, German escort, Ottoman and Venetian sights, Rimondi Fountain, Fortezza views, plus beach time.
“Toller, kurzweiliger Ausflug. Auf der Fahrt nach Rethymnon gab es viele interessante Informationen über die Insel. Hätte mir in der Stadt noch eine kurze Führung gewünscht. 5 Stunden zur freien Verfügung vergehen wie im Flug wenn man durch die hübschen, kleinen Gassen schlendert oder die Fortezza besucht. Toller Ausflug im Vollklimatisierten Reisebus. Transfer ohne Probleme. Ja, man sammelt noch andere Gäste ein aber das weiß man eigentlich vorher schon.”
Jeep safari in Crete with Agios Thomas, Odigitrias Monastery, Agiofarago Gorge walk, and Matala caves, plus a traditional meal.
“Perfekter Ausflug! Unser Guide Nico hat immer wieder tolle Infos gegeben. Man hatte Zeit für sich an den verschiedenen Stops. All in super gelungener Ausflug und duch die vielen Stops auch sehr kurzweilig, trotz den vielen Kilometern die man zurücklegt.”
Day trip from Rethymno to Agia Galini, Matala caves, and Spili. Beach time, lion-head fountains, guided stops, and coach pickup.
“Barbara is the perfect tour guide in German and English.”
Spend a relaxing 7 hours in Matala, southern Crete, with cave visits, Roman ruins, and beach time, plus easy coach transfers.
“Matala est un village original et très sympathique mais dont on a vite fait le tour. Il y a surtout des boutiques et des restaurants. Les grottes de Zeus valent le détour, cependant munissez-vous de bonnes chaussures. La plage est agréable. Nos guides étaient sympathiques. Mais dans l’ensemble, si vous avez un choix à faire, vous pouvez aisément vous passer de Matala pour visiter d’autres lieux plus incroyables.”
Spend a Cretan day mixing ancient ruins at Gortyn with beach time at Matala, including the famous hippie caves near the shore.
“Ausflug war sehr gut und Personal war sehr net.”
Half-day South Crete trip from Heraklion to Matala hippie caves and Red Beach, with beach time and optional cave tickets.
Day trip from Rethymno to Matala caves, Agia Galini for sea time, and Spili’s famous lionhead taps in one 9-hour loop.
“Probably could just have Matala and Ag Galini. There’s not really much to see at Spili.”
Spend a half day at Matala’s legendary beach and caves, with pickup from Heraklion and time to swim and explore on your own pace.
“A praia é maravilhosa, no entanto, o tempo inicialmente de 7 horas, foi alterado para 5 horas de passeio. Ficamos apenas três horas e meia no local, inclusive falei com a guia sobre isso.”
South Crete day from Heraklion: guided Phaistos ruins and palace, Matala sea swim and caves walk, Odigitria monastery stop, German guide.
“Very good. The tour guide was extremely nice and told us a lot of informative things about Crete on the bus ride. A lot of things were explained in the excavation area and the monastery. Lunch was very tasty.”
Every kind of day out on the island, and the best of each.
