Kalives Crete satellite map and beach report on Kalyves

Greek island holidays | Kalives Crete

Kalives or Kalyves has two beaches. The main town beach is an arc of golden sand sweeping around the bay and backed by trees and tavernas. The eastern end houses a small harbour beneath the cliffs. At the opposite end a small river runs between buildings of the Kalives Beach Hotel. The hotel is a low relatively built affair and pretty well hidden but you must weave your way through sunlounging guests and cross a silly carpeted bridge (I kid you not) to get across the river to the far end of the sands. The hotel has a couple of twee wooden boats moored in the river and a few ducks swimming about as well as a slightly ridiculous lighthouse and other kitsch oddments.
Over the bridge the sand turns to sharp grit before petering out at a long narrow road that separates a string of apartments from the sea. At the end of this road, and virtually the end of the village, is the western beach. This is a long narrow affair, much quieter than the main beach and backed by a sea wall with a few choice tavernas. The main beach at Kalives slopes gently into a shallow sea, making it ideal for children. It is north facing however and in strong winds the sea can get very choppy.
The sand is soft and taverna tables line the beach between shady tamarind trees. Sunbeds have been provided free for patrons of the tavernas, but his is a practice that unfortunately appears to be dying out.
Beyond the dinky harbour, recently rebuilt, is a huge and monstrous cement building surrounded in wire that both mars the headland and prevents walks around it - only in Greece. The small harbour was completely rebuilt in 2000 and now has rather cute street lamps strung along a concrete quayside and providing a pleasant enough focus for evening walks along the road behind the beach.
Kalives village boasts 17 tavernas though some are no more than half-a-dozen tables set out to catch the passing tourist trade. The meals are consistently good and consistently cheap which makes full board at the local hotel a dubious luxury.