Chrissi Island Boat Trip

"We took the Chrissi Island boat trip tour out of Ierapetra port around nine and the Libyan Sea stayed flat the whole way across. Belegrina is crushed shell rather than sand, so it crunches underfoot and the shallows hold their warmth well past the sandbar. Water shoes made the walk over the dune ridge much easier."

"I did not expect a grove of twisted junipers in the middle of what looks from the water like a bare sandbank. The crossing ran about fifty minutes and the open deck was windy enough that a light layer earned its place. The crew still call the island Gaidouronisi, which suits how quiet it feels."

"We picked up chrissi island boat trip tickets the previous evening and the morning departure had already filled two boats by the time we boarded. Shade is thin once you move away from the taverna, so the umbrella we nearly left behind was the best thing in the bag. The water was clear enough to see our own shadows on the seabed."

"The north side sat waist deep for a long stretch and the seabed ripples were visible the whole way out. I walked toward Kato Nisi and did not pass another person for about twenty minutes. Light bouncing off the pale shells is fierce around midday, so sunglasses are not optional."

"The Gaidouronisi day cruise felt calm and unrushed, with maybe thirty people aboard. Our captain cut the engine near the reef so we could look down at the rock shelves before pulling into the mooring. The wind rose on the return and spray reached the back seats."

"We took one of the chrissi island boat trip tours that departs early and had the shell beach nearly to ourselves for the first hour. The pink tint in the broken shells reads much stronger in low morning light than it does in photos taken at noon. By midday the surface was hot enough that sandals stopped being a choice."

"The late-season sailing meant an hour of proper swell and the crew warned us before we left the harbour. Once ashore the colours in the water were as strong as anything you see in a summer photo. The lagoon on the leeward side stayed completely sheltered."

"The chrissi island boat trip left us about five hours ashore, enough to cross the dune path and still swim twice. Some of the junipers are said to be several centuries old and their roots sit exposed above the sand like driftwood. Everyone we saw kept to the marked path."

"Locals say Χρυσή rather than the tourist name, and hearing it from the deck crew set the tone for the whole crossing. The shallow northern bay warms early and the water was comfortable without any hesitation getting in. I have done this Ierapetra island tour three times and it has never felt crowded before ten."

"By eleven there were three boats' worth of people on the main beach and shade became a small competition. The water on the leeward side still looked like glass, which saved it for me. Next time I would take the first departure and skip the crowd."