The South Coast of East Crete feels very different from the busier north. Roads are quieter, villages are smaller and tourism is spread much more thinly, with few large resorts or polished waterfronts.
Instead, the coastline is a series of small places that work for different reasons. Some deserve a proper stop, some make good bases and others are really only worth visiting for the beach. Knowing which is which makes this part of East Crete much easier to explore.
The East Crete Travel Guide gives the wider regional picture if you’re deciding how this southern coastline fits into a longer trip.
🏘️ Myrtos: The Best Village on the South Coast of East Crete
Myrtos is one of the places on the South Coast of East Crete where it is genuinely worth slowing down. The village is compact, with a small waterfront, tavernas, a beach and narrow residential lanes all gathered into a surprisingly small area.
🌊 Come for the Village, Not Just the Beach
The beach itself isn’t spectacular. It’s mostly shingle, although the water shelves gently and the bay is often protected from the stronger northern winds by the mountains behind. What makes Myrtos work is how easily everything fits together.
🍽️ Give Myrtos Half a Day
The village still feels lived in, with houses mixed among the tavernas rather than everything being arranged purely for visitors. You can swim, have lunch, wander the back streets and sit by the waterfront without needing to make a full day of it.
I wouldn’t choose Myrtos for a week unless you’re specifically looking for somewhere extremely quiet. As a relaxed half-day stop on the coast, however, it’s one of the strongest choices.
🌊 Tertsa: A Quiet South Coast Detour
Tertsa is one of the smallest stops on the South Coast of East Crete. It’s little more than a scattering of houses and tavernas facing a long, dark-pebble beach, with the mountains rising immediately behind the coast.
🏖️ Come for a Quiet Swim
The beach rarely feels crowded, largely because there is so little development around it. If you want somewhere quiet for a swim without organised beach facilities or large numbers of visitors, Tertsa works well.
🍽️ Or Stop for Lunch
A slow lunch beside the water is the other reason to come. Beyond swimming and eating, however, there isn’t much to keep you here, and the narrow approach road makes Tertsa feel more like a deliberate detour than a destination.
If you’re already exploring this stretch of coast, it’s a pleasant stop. I wouldn’t prioritise it over Myrtos or the stronger places further east.
🏖️ Makry Gialos: The Best All-Round Base
Makry Gialos is the most practical place for a longer stay on the South Coast of East Crete. It spreads around a broad bay with accommodation, tavernas, shops, organised beach sections and a small harbour, giving you considerably more choice than the smaller villages along this coast.
🌊 The Beach Is Easy to Use
The beach is long, sandy in places and unusually shallow, with calm water that makes it particularly good for families and less confident swimmers. Organised sections don’t dominate the entire shoreline, so there is still plenty of usable public beach.
🍽️ It Works Beyond the Beach
Makry Gialos isn’t the prettiest village on this coast. Some stretches feel functional and the road occasionally presses too close to the pedestrian areas. But there is enough going on around the harbour and seafront to give you restaurants, evening activity and somewhere pleasant to walk after a day out.
If you’re choosing one base east of Ierapetra for swimming, convenience and day trips, Makry Gialos is the strongest all-round option.
The Where to Stay in East Crete guide compares it with the other main bases across the region.
🩵 Diaskari: The Better Beach Near Makry Gialos
Just a few minutes east of Makry Gialos, Diaskari strips away most of the development. There isn’t really a village centre here, just scattered accommodation and a long, open beach facing a quieter bay.
🏖️ Come Here for the Beach
Diaskari feels less organised and less crowded than central Makry Gialos. The shoreline mixes sand with coarser sections, while tamarisk trees provide patches of natural shade and the length of the beach gives everyone room to spread out.
🌊 Diaskari or Makry Gialos?
For a dedicated half-day on the beach, Diaskari is the better choice. There are fewer umbrellas, fewer tavernas and less activity immediately behind the shoreline.
For restaurants, evening walks and somewhere practical to stay, Makry Gialos wins easily. Diaskari is the place to come when the beach itself is the priority.
🚗 Koutsouras: A Practical Stop Rather Than a Destination
Koutsouras is one of the more functional settlements on the South Coast of East Crete. It stretches along the main road west of Makry Gialos, with supermarkets, fuel, practical services, tavernas and a long shoreline.
🌊 The Beach Is Fine, but Not a Reason to Visit
There are perfectly usable swimming spots and an attractive mountain backdrop, but the village lacks a real centre. Unlike Myrtos or Makry Gialos, there is no harbour or square pulling everything together.
🛒 Useful If You’re Staying Nearby
Koutsouras makes more sense as somewhere to shop, refuel or find potentially cheaper accommodation. Its position between Ierapetra and the eastern beaches is convenient, particularly if you’re exploring by car.
As somewhere to spend an afternoon or wander around in the evening, there are much stronger choices along this coast.
