Falassarna, 16 km west of Kisamos, is a quiet village, with some small hotels, apartments and tavernas. It's the place of a spectacular big sand beach, with beautiful rocks in the sea, making it look like something out of a fairy tale. It looks like a landscape of dunes, with fine sand. Falassarna is also the site of an ancient Hellenistic port, which was surrounded by walls and connected to the sea by a canal. 10 Minutes north by foot some of the walls and the defensive towers can still be seen. The port used to be at the sea, but since the earth is slowly elevating on the west side of the island of Crete (and sinking in the east) the former port has moved inland.

Falassarna Beach is located in the Bay of Livardi it is a long and approximately 3 kilometer long sandy beach. It is accessible from Kissamos, which is 16 kilometer away. The road to Falassarna is paved and good. The beach is a fine sandy beach and the water is of a beautiful colour and crystal clear. Some parts of Falassarna have umbrellas and sunbeds for rent but the beach is not really super-commercial. It is long and wide, and there is always a nice quiet place where you can lie down.

There is an exit "Big Beach" to the large beach and when you drive further you will come to the next beach, which is also large. At the end of the beach it is a bit rocky. This is also the place where you can lie down if you are a naturist. Further away there are some small coves where you can also lie down. The beach of Falassarna is one of the prettiest beaches of the island of Crete, and its fine and sometimes red or pink sand give the beach a tropical look.

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On the north side of the beach Falassarna about 2 kilometer away are the remains of "Ancient Falassarna. Falassarna was the major port of the city Polyrrinia. They are now busy with excavations (2009) and not everything is exposed yet. The old Falassarna was found not so long ago. Because the west of the island of Crete is slowly moving up, the port is now around 6 to 9 meter above sea level. It is also suspected that during a massive earthquake and tsunami in 365 AD the city was suddenly elevated considerably in one single stroke. Besides the remains of walls (including walls of an Acropolis) and towers, a rock carved stone throne can be seen and there are tombs, cisterns, storerooms and the ruins of houses.

The excavation of Falassarna lies north of the beach at the end of a roughly two kilometers long, but easy to drive dirt road. At he end is a parking area where you can park your car. Next to the site stands the Agios Georgios church. Around this place you'll find most of the site, but on your way to the parking you will already pass some of the excavation (like the "throne" and several large stones and pieces of walls - much of Falassarna is still not excavated). If you drive further after the parking lot you will past the city walls and finally end up at a place with a wonderful view over the sea and coastline.

The entrance to the port of Falassarna was enclosed by a specially dug channel that connected the harbour to the sea. This harbour was approximately 100 x 75 meters large and it was surrounded by fortified walls and towers. There are also a number of buildings (probably also two temples) found on an acropolis north of the port, but there is not much left of these buildings. South of the harbour, between the beach and parking lot along the way, you can see the great stone "throne" and on this spot below is a quarry where stones were carved out in order to build up the city. Two cemeteries were found southeast of the fortification walls, of which the larger one extends for approximately 500 meters from the walls.

Located on a lush hill of Platanos in Kissamos area, the luxurious Falasarna Villas offer panoramic Cretan Sea views, 4 km from the sandy Falasarna Beach. Each 150 m2, self-catered villa features a private pool, fireplace and free Wi-Fi. Villas Falasarna are air-conditioned and luxuriously decorated with stone details and wooden ceilings. Bedrooms have en suite facilities. The kitchen includes a cooker, fridge and coffee maker. In the living room guests can watch satellite TV and DVDs. A sauna room is provided, while several massage treatments can be arranged.

Each villa has a private entrance and is surrounded by a Mediterranean garden with flowers and herbs. The swimming pool area is equipped with sun loungers and offers panoramic sea views. A shaded, dining area and BBQ facilities are available in the terrace. Falasarna Beach is awarded with a Blue Flag and is well-organized. Along the bay there are fish taverns and cafés. The city of Chania is at 45 km and Chania Airport is 52 km away. Free private parking is possible on site.

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This taverna is located in the west of Crete, near the coastal town and the site of Falassarna. If you drive down from the mountain road, you come to a junction with various signs (such as "Big Beach"). Here you turn left instead of going to the beach, and you drive to the port of Falassarna. At a certain moment you will pass Vassilis Taverna on the right hand side, with a parking and a beautiful garden. We order the tzatziki, the Kalitsounia (spicy fried vegetables with a layer of dough around it), the grilled feta cheese and the chicken souvlaki. Everything tastes very good, but unfortunately the bread is not fresh. The location is very nice, with a nice view and the service is very friendly.

Our verdict: a 9 out of 10