5 Amazing Greek Beaches To Brighten Your Day

Some of you may have seen that story about the elderly couple in Australia who had to cancel their 53rd anniversary getaway cruise amid the current global health crisis but recreated the experience at home. Quite the heart-warming way to get past it and continue to enjoy their time together, right? Well, if you're in a similar boat (or not, as the case may be), and you had to cancel a trip or put it off, you may be in need of some escapism of your own. So, while you're at home dreaming of your next getaway, why not take a look at our round-up of some of the prettiest beaches in Greece that always bring a smile to our faces and cleanse our souls just from a picture while we all look forward to better times ahead?!

Elafonisi Beach

Once a hidden gem that only locals enjoyed, Elafonisi Beach in Crete was named one of the world's top 25 beaches on TripAdvisor in 2014 and has since been plastered all over Instagram and Pinterest, making it a popular tourist hot spot. As such, it can be very crowded during the summer months but you can understand why people cannot stay away from the incredibly blue waters, pink sands, and shore lined with intriguing rock formations and flowers; this beach is a serious looker! Those who hate crowds can always visit off-season or early or later in the day to avoid the worst of it but, if that doesn't put you off, then visit whenever you please! If you can look past it and any other inconveniences to just the pure natural beauty of the beach then you'll likely fall in love, particularly with the famous pink strand that is given its unusual hue by seashells and can be more or less pink depending on multiple factors. The best things don't stay secret very long and it was always only a matter of time before the world found out about this gem!

Xigia Beach

This beach is on the southernmost Ionian island of Zakynthos, a place famous for her excellent beaches, including Lagana, Tsilivi, Argassi, Kalamaki, Alykes, and Navagio beach, with its famous shipwreck on the shore. The most unique of all of the beaches on the island is, without a doubt, Xigia Beach. Luckily, you can't smell photos as the sulphur scent that permeates this beach might be off-putting at first.

However, the large concentration of sulphur in the turquoise waters of Xigia is actually a boon as, along with the collagen that also comes out from neighbouring caves in natural spring streams and flows into the warm sea here, this makes for a therapeutic bathing experience that is good for the skin and eases aches and pains and symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism. Plus, in addition to basically being a free spa experience, Xigia Beach is quite easy on the eyes; it's the whole package!

St Paul's Bay

The crowning glory of the historic town of Lindos on Rhodes is, without a doubt, St Paul’s Bay. Named for St Paul, who is thought to have landed on the site in the year 51AD in order to bring Christianity to Rhodes, this is perhaps one of the most beautiful spots on this list. It is a distinctive and naturally-occurring, vaguely circular pool framed by rocky surroundings with only a small opening that frames a stunning emerald-coloured sea.

It appears heart-shaped when viewed from certain angles and has become a popular spot for weddings and lovers and for photographers due to its highly photogenic appearance. It is also home to not one, but two, beaches: a large man-made sandy beach at the southern end and a smaller sand and gravel beach at the northern end. Neither beach regularly has big crowds and both have great facilities. Perfectly set up for a day at the beach and utterly picturesque, this gem has a lot to offer.

Sarakiniko Beach

Those looking for a beach that is a little more out of this world will enjoy this gem; Sarakiniko Beach looks like a moonscape! Located on Milos Island, it is quite unlike anything you have likely seen before: white volcanic rock that has been carved out by waves driven by northern winds to make it look like a lunar landscape or something from another planet.

While it might not be the soft and sandy beaches that one imagines in Greece it is one of the most photographed landscapes in the Aegean and a very special place that needs to be seen with one's own eyes!

Canal D'Amour

Corfu has some especially beautiful beaches but one of the most incredible of all is the Canal d’Amour, or the, “Channel of Love”. Positioned between the town of Sidari and another nearby town called Peroulades, about 32 kilometres from the city of Corfu, it is a little opening and channel in the coast that was created by the corrosive effect of the water and the air above on its sandstone cliffs. It is named for a myth that states that couples who can swim through the narrow canal will get married and be together forever, which makes it popular among lovers hoping to ensure their love lasts forever. Stunning and a place to ensure love is eternal? Sounds pretty magical to us!

So, if you are stuck at home and can't wait to see the world, take note of these beauties in Greece as we hold together to get through these challenging and unusual times and look forward to a brighter tomorrow!