The beach is nice, kids loved playing in the sand, water was a little deep after a few feet so had to be careful for our little one. The town was cute but small lots of touristy shops, little expensive but still fun to visit. Had a good meal in one of the freestanding with great sea view. And a must to see and visit the hippy caves

The drive from Heraklion was quite fast and the road better than most trips from northern Crete to the southern coast. A very touristic town with many souvenir shops . The caves are worth a look but watch your head !!

Visited this place in June - had the chance to also see the last day of MatalaBeachFestival. Great for anyone with an open mind. The beach is not the main point of this place even though it's a pretty good one! The streets, stores, restaurants, people, and most importantly the colorful and light atmosphere are unique and breathtaking! Don't forget to take sneakers for visiting the caves and the not-so-far Red Beach (definitely worth of the hike!).

Lovely town with a great vibe. No shortage of restaurants and cafes in town and along beach front. Beach is shingle and goes deep quick so not great for young kids. Water is clear and the day we went in July there were no waves and no wind so it was very hot on beach. All beds and beach umbrellas were taken by time we arrived at midday. The caves are good to view but if doing in Summer the end or start of day when cooler may be best option, they were 4euro for adults. We parked nearby in covered car park for 5 euro and easy to locate a parking spot. Would recommend a visit if in Crete.

This one lives of the aura of hippie past. Loads of tourists, not really anything for small kids at least around the beach and the sand is pretty harsh for feet unless you use swim shoes. Good waves however and always a short distance to nearest bar or restaurant. Great view - just not the best place for families with toddlers.

Be sure to get there early to get spot on the beach (limited quantity of sunbeds). Comfortable parking right at the beach (also advised to get there early) While you’re here go to Matala caves where ancient people and lately hippies lived. Better have sport shoes for this - you will climb a bit while you

We went to Matala for the day to go snorkel ing but the wind was blowing from NW so the waves were massive which was great for us with teenagers 13 & 15 yrs but wouldn’t have been suitable with young children. We spent time on beach playing in large waves and breakers. Walked over to red beach but didn’t drop down to it . breath taking views. Dinner in the most amazing sea front location with aqua marine waters white waves crashing on rocks and a warm wind. walk around the town enjoy a very different vibe to the rest of the places we visited in Crete. Tip Check the wind direction and strength before you go.

The inspiring history of that place was really present there. Even though there were a lot of sun beds that you had to pay for them it was easy to find a perfect spot under the trees. The water was crystal clear and very deep but the best attraction in my opinion was sightseeing the caves. It was a little bit dangerous so you had to be careful because there was no barriers. The sights from that place are amazing and the history makes it even more interesting.

Nice little town. Great tavernas and restaurants all along the front. Beach rather crowded with lots of sunbeds and umbrellas, but still some areas if you just want to sit on your towels. Good vibe.

We took a guided bus trip to Matala beach, village and caves while on holiday in Crete with our teen daughter. We went on a very warm but windy day. The bus trip was very interesting as we saw parts of Crete that we would not have otherwise seen. The tour guide told us about the area and then we had 4 hours in Matala, exploring the shops, having lunch by the sea in a taverna and then my husband and daughter visited the caves while I went on the beach. The shops were really nice but quite pricey, and we enjoyed looking around. There are plenty of cafes and tavernas for a drink, snack or meal. We went in 2 Friends for lunch, on the boardwalk, which was really nice. Matala is where the hippies lived in the 60s. I'm accident prone and, as it was windy, decided not to risk climbing up to the caves on the cliff-face. Instead, I got sand and water blasted on the beach. There were plenty of sunbeds and parasols at €8 a set which was quite reasonable. The beach was more grit than sand which meant it hurt quite a lot when the wind whipped it up. I didn't stay long. My husband and daughter climbed quite a way and went in some of the caves and said they were interesting. In all it was a lovely day.