Goudouras Beaches

This beach before the seaside settlement of Goudouras and beside a promontory (all of the same name) is set amidst greenhouses. It has an overview of the Libyan sea and the islet of Koufonisi opposite it. The area takes its name from a shrub Agoudouros (one of the St. John’s worts) which abounds hereabouts: the locals used it both as a brush to sweep clean their threshing floors and as a supporting layer on which to set their grapes and figs to dry.

In fact Goudouras actually consists of two adjoining villages and beaches – Goudouras and Asprolithos.

Goudouras Beach

The huge beach (1200m long!) of Goudouras has small pebbles, and very clear crystalline waters. But primitively organized, it does yet have umbrellas, sunbeds and showers. Nearby are some tavernas (the fresh fish must be sampled!) and rooms to rent for a stay and bathers can visit the cafeterias and taverns, located actually next to the shore.  This pebbly beach is some 14 km east of Makrigialos and some 73 km southeast of Agios Nikolaos, located in this southeasternmost part of Crete. It’s a pretty popular resort for the locals but unknown for visitors in Makrigialos area. Hovewer, the village is tourist-friendly, attracting a large number of visitors in the summer (July-September), with a number of tourist-shops for your shopping needs. Exposed to western winds, the nearby beaches of Atherinolakos and Livari to nort east offer a good alternative on a windy day.

Goudouras Village

This is a small village right on the coast with a few small tavernas, and quite a few greenhouses as agriculture is predominant here – although not a pretty village in itself, it is flat and right by the sea and there is stunning scenery round about and some lovely beaches. It is about 15 minutes drive East after Makri Gialos and therefore quite remote from the Main airport but once flights come into the new Sitia airport it will be less than one hour away.

Most of the local people live all the year round there and there is a primary school. On the way to the village of Goudouras you see the beautiful Monastery of Kapsa and a the gorge. The monastery of Kapsa is built on the steep rock overlooking the Mediterranean sea right next to it the Pervolakia Gorge! Fantastic mountain and sea views..

Asprolithos Beach

The name Asprolithos (white stones) derives from the white pebbles which can be found at the beach. Asprolithos beach is a picturesque sand and pebble beach (300m long) located just 500m west of the main Goudouras Beach and very close to Goudouras village, 13km east of the tourist resort of Makrigialos and close to the Kapsa Monastery. There are no facilities like umbrellas and sunbeds on the beach of Asprolithos, there is just sand and seawater. It’s a quiet beach although it is located just next the asphalt road. The problem with the beach is that there can be quite some wind here. In 2017 as we drove by, after a couple of stormy days it looked as if a large part of the beach had disappeared.