Sfakia catamaran tour: Four hidden beaches, snorkeling and SUP

Four stops on the Sfakia coast without arranging your own boat

A four-and-a-half-hour catamaran tour from Sfakia explores four sites along the southern Chania coastline: Marmara Beach with its sea caves, Loutro fishing village, Sweet Water Beach where freshwater springs meet the sea, and a marble beach lunch stop. The tour includes snorkeling equipment, a stand-up paddle board, bottled water and snacks.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Sfakia coast and beaches

• Visit marble beach for lunch
• Explore Loutro fishing village
• Swim at Sweet Water Beach

The experience

The boat leaves Sfakia and heads east along a stretch of coast most travelers reach only by sea. Marmara Beach comes first. The draw here is the sea caves carved into the rock face, which you swim through and explore underwater. The water stays shallow enough to stand in parts of it, and the caves themselves are the main event: natural formations you cannot see from land.

Loutro is a working fishing village tucked into a protected bay with no road access. The only way in is by boat or on foot from the hills. You swim and float in the bay while the village sits quiet on the shore. Sweet Water Beach follows, named for the freshwater springs that seep into the sea along the sand. You can feel the temperature shift as you swim. A marble beach serves as the lunch stop, giving you time to rest between swims.

The catamaran carries snorkeling equipment and a stand-up paddle board, both available throughout the day. Bottled water and snacks come with the tour. The pace is built around swimming and floating rather than rushing between stops, so most of the four and a half hours is spent in the water or anchored at one site.

What’s included

• Snorkeling equipment.
• stand-up paddle board.
• bottled water.
• snacks.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 2 Oct 2027

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (4 to 90 years) · Child (under 4)

GroupUp to 22

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Notos Mare Marine Adventures

Is this one for you?The tour departs from Sfakia itself, so if you are staying in the southern Chania region without a car, you skip the drive to a distant port and walk or take a short transfer to the boat. The catamaran does the navigation and anchoring, leaving you to swim and explore at each stop without managing a rental boat or planning the route.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 4).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are the sea caves at Marmara Beach like to swim through?

Marmara Beach's caves are natural rock formations you enter from the water. They are shallow enough to stand in, and swimming through them is the main reason the beach is on the itinerary. You explore them underwater and see the cave structure from inside.

Can I use the stand-up paddle board at any of the stops?

The stand-up paddle board is available throughout the tour at all four stops, so you can use it whenever you want to get on the water in a different way.

What is Loutro Village like, and why is it only reachable by boat?

Loutro is a working fishing village with no road connection to the rest of Crete. The only access is by sea or hiking down from the hills. It sits in a protected bay, and the tour stops there to swim and float while the village remains quiet on the shore.

What makes Sweet Water Beach different from the other swimming stops?

Sweet Water Beach has freshwater springs that flow into the sea along the sand, so you can feel the temperature change as you swim and experience fresh water mixing with salt water close to the shore.