A limeniskos boat tour takes guests by speedboat or private cruise to Balos and the Gramvousa islands. Find more trip ideas on Greece Tours.
Each section covers the speedboat tour, meeting point, stops, private cruises, operators and booking rules.
What is a limeniskos boat tour and where does it start?
A limeniskos boat tour sails from the harbour village of Limeniskos on Crete’s west coast to Gramvousa and Balos. Greek Wikipedia places the village about 14 km from Kissamos and 52 km from Chania.
Greek Wikipedia calls Limeniskos, also named Akti Platanou, a small seaside settlement in the Chania regional unit. It lies south of Falasarna and west of Platanos, and it serves as the harbour of Platanos. Census figures list 30 residents.
The village has a small harbour and a slipway for small boats. Greenhouses fill the land around it. GetYourGuide and checkyeti both file Falassarna boat trips under the place name Limeniskos. The name therefore appears on the booking pages of a limeniskos boat tour that sails from Falasarna Port.
Our guide to Crete tours places this west-coast departure among the island’s other sea trips. The sections below sort the boats, stops, meeting point, rules and booking options.
How does the GetYourGuide limeniskos boat tour with drinks work?
The GetYourGuide limeniskos boat tour is a 5-hour speedboat trip from Limeniskos to Gramvousa and Balos. Water, soft drinks and beer are included. It scores 4.8 out of 5 from 675 reviews and offers free cancellation.
The listing promises an hour of free time to enjoy both destinations. GetYourGuide also lists a hike up to the Venetian fortress on the highest point of Gramvousa as a little-known fact.
Booking has a cut-off: guests must book at least 1 hour 30 minutes in advance. That is the shortest notice among the GetYourGuide boat trips from Limeniskos. The private cruises ask for 2 to 4 hours.
The tour sits under the Limeniskos location on GetYourGuide. The widget below checks open dates for this limeniskos boat tour.
Where do you meet for a limeniskos boat tour and where do you park?
For a limeniskos boat tour, Falassarna Activities meets guests at its office at Falasarna Port, 15 minutes before departure. checkyeti lists a free car park nearby and files the office address under the name Limeniskos.
The address line on checkyeti reads Λιμενίσκος 734 00. A sign that reads Falassarna Activities Meeting Point marks the office. The boat returns to the same starting point at the end of the trip.
The operator’s own site adds a time rule for its short trip. Guests arrive 10 minutes early to hear instructions and load their belongings. Its cruise pages ask for at least 15 minutes. The operator lists Falassarna Big Beach as its main station. A kiosk stands right in front of the beach.
Our Chania to Falassarna page covers the drive from Chania to the neighbouring beach. Without a car, the operator runs a mini shuttle bus three times a day between Georgioupoli and Falassarna.
Which stops does a limeniskos boat tour make?
A group limeniskos boat tour from Falasarna Port makes two stops. It sails about 30 minutes to Balos Lagoon and stays about 1 hour. It then stops at Gramvousa for about 1 hour and sails back to the starting point.
checkyeti describes this route for its 17-passenger boat. The itinerary on that page lists the Balos swim stop, the Gramvousa swim stop and Falasarna Beach.
checkyeti calls Balos a lagoon formed by a tongue of sand. The sand separates it from the bay of the same name. Wikipedia places the lagoon between Imeri Gramvousa island and the Cretan coast.
Wikipedia describes Gramvousa as two small uninhabited islands off the Gramvousa peninsula. The remains of a Venetian fort stand on Imeri Gramvousa.
The operator lists a different order for its two-hour express trip. Gramvousa comes 15 minutes after departure with no stop. Balos follows five minutes later with a stay of 1 hour. The boat then returns to Falassarna in about 20 minutes.
Where can you swim and snorkel on a limeniskos boat tour?
Swimming happens at Balos and at Gramvousa. checkyeti adds a rule for now. The boat anchors 100 metres off the coast at Balos. Swimming and snorkelling are not allowed inside the lagoon but are allowed outside it.
The note stays in force until the Environmental Services bring in new measures for visiting Balos. checkyeti repeats it on its Balos boat listings. A limeniskos boat tour therefore keeps swimmers outside the lagoon.
checkyeti describes the Gramvousa stop on its private trip as a second stop for swimming and diving. One traveller from France wrote on checkyeti that Gramvousa was full of fish.
Guests who want to snorkel bring their own equipment, because checkyeti lists snorkelling gear under what to bring. On a private trip, guests choose where to stop for a swim and for how long.
Wikipedia adds that the municipality of Kissamos administers the Gramvousa islands. The Gramvousa swim stop therefore sits in the same municipality as the village where the boats start.
Which boats and group sizes does a limeniskos boat tour use?
The group boat from Falasarna Port carries 17 passengers on checkyeti. The operator’s site lists 20 people per boat on its Sea Runner group cruise. The private cruises on GetYourGuide take 8 to 15 people.
The operator’s page gives the Sea Runner 800 horsepower from two 400 engines. Its group cruise starts daily from Falassarna Port. The two pages disagree, so this guide gives both numbers.
For private cruises the operator lists a 5.50 metre Orizon inflatable boat and a 6.40 metre Poseidon polyester boat. The Balos Express uses a 6.50 metre polyester boat. The Valeria RIB takes 8 people and has 300 horsepower from two 150 engines.
GetYourGuide names a speed boat called Attack and a boat called Bibelo, each for 15 people. Its private midday cruise takes 12 people. The private sunset cruise takes 8 and carries a small group tag. Each limeniskos boat tour option therefore fits a different party size.
What is included on a limeniskos boat tour and what do you bring?
The GetYourGuide tour includes water, soft drinks and beer. checkyeti lists water, lemonade and beer on the Falassarna Activities trips. Guests bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, a swimsuit and a beach towel.
The 12-person private cruise lists both drinks and food as included. The operator’s site says all of its cruises include gas, the skipper, taxes and other fees.
Guests on a limeniskos boat tour can bring their own food and drinks on board, according to checkyeti. The same page says small pets are allowed on board.
The 17-passenger boat has a sun-protected area, and a sun shade is available on request. checkyeti lists restrooms for this boat. The private boat listing says there are no restrooms, so the choice of boat decides the facilities.
Which private cruises replace the shared limeniskos boat tour?
GetYourGuide lists six private cruises from Limeniskos, each lasting 4 or 5 hours. Falassarna Activities sells private boats from 2 to 6 hours. A private limeniskos boat tour lets the group choose how long to stay at Gramvousa and at Balos.
The morning cruises on the Attack and the Bibelo run from 10:00 to 15:00, according to their GetYourGuide texts. The Attack evening cruise runs from 15:30 to 20:30. The sunset cruise lasts 4 hours.
The operator lists a two-hour Drago morning cruise and a three-hour Orizon midday cruise. Poseidon cruises run 3, 4 or 5 hours, and the Valeria runs 3, 4, 5 or 6 hours. The Bibelo comes as a half day in the morning or at sunset.
checkyeti lists its private RIB trip as starting every day between 10:00 and 17:30. Its private sunset trip lasts 3 to 5 hours for up to 8 participants. A traveller from France booked the 3 p.m. slot to avoid the big boats and the crowds.
Open dates for the private sunset cruise from Limeniskos show in the widget below.
Which operators run a limeniskos boat tour?
Falassarna Activities runs the group cruise and the private boats behind a limeniskos boat tour from Falassarna Port. checkyeti lists 8 of its offers with 146 reviews. GetYourGuide sells the 5-hour speedboat tour under its own Limeniskos listing.
The operator’s terms give its headquarters as Platanos, the village that Limeniskos serves as harbour. The site also mentions a second station at Kolymvari.
The operator’s group cruise runs daily from 10:00 to 15:00 and from 15:00 to 20:00. The company sells through its own site and through checkyeti. The two channels set different cancellation windows, covered in the booking section.
Expedia carries an activity titled Limeniskos Gramvousa Balos 5 hour boat tour with drinks. That title matches the GetYourGuide title almost word for word.
Can you rent your own boat instead of booking a limeniskos boat tour?
Yes. getmyboat lists boat rentals and yacht charters near Limeniskos for groups of 6 to 22 guests. One listing is a Falasarna to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island boat tour on a 39-foot Sunseeker for 10 guests.
The listings sit in Limeniskos, Trachilos and Kissamos. A BSK Marine RIB takes 9 guests and a Dufour sailing yacht takes 8. A luxury catamaran day cruise to Balos and Gramvousa takes 22. getmyboat says its filters cover boat type, group size and captained or self-charter options.
Booking on getmyboat runs in three steps. You browse, then send an inquiry with your preferred trip details and receive an offer from the captain. You then coordinate the pick-up place and time and meet the captain.
A charter suits a group that wants its own route and timing. The shared limeniskos boat tour follows the operator’s schedule. Our Chania boat rental page covers rentals on the Chania side of the coast.
How does a limeniskos boat tour differ from a trip that leaves Kissamos?
A limeniskos boat tour starts at a village harbour, while a Kissamos trip starts at a town port. The operator’s private cruise from Kastelli Port, the port of Kissamos, reaches Balos in under 40 minutes.
Wikipedia says the town of Kissamos is also known as Kastelli Kissamou, or simply Kastelli, after the Venetian castle. It calls Kissamos a port and fishing harbour today. The operator describes its Kastelli cruise as an all-day private cruise to Balos and Gramvousa.
The cruise lengths differ too. GetYourGuide lists Kissamos catamaran and sailing cruises of 6.5 to 8.5 hours, while the Limeniskos speedboat tour takes 5 hours. Our Balos boat trip page compares the Kissamos sailings in detail.
The Viator cards below list boats that leave from Kissamos and Chania. They give a second view of the same Balos and Gramvousa route from other ports.
What else leaves from the same port as a limeniskos boat tour?
Falassarna Activities runs jet ski safaris from the same office, one to Balos and Gramvousa and one to Sfinari Beach. It also sells a private RIB trip to Elafonisi Beach and Kedrodasos that reaches Elafonissi in about 1.5 hours.
The Balos jet ski safari needs no licence, and the minimum age to drive is 18. One jet ski carries 1 or 2 people. The stay at Balos lasts 1 hour.
The Sfinari safari takes about 30 minutes of riding out and back. Guests spend about 60 minutes on the beach, according to checkyeti.
The operator’s site menu also lists water ski, wakeboard, towables, surf and flyboard. Our Falassarna beach page covers the sand and the sunsets next door.
How do you book and cancel a limeniskos boat tour?
Book the GetYourGuide limeniskos boat tour online and cancel for free. checkyeti gives a full refund when guests cancel 24 hours or more before the start. The operator’s own site allows cancellation without penalty up to 14 days before the date.
Cancelling less than 14 days before the date costs the full amount on the operator’s site. A no-show is charged in full too. Refunds made before the 14-day mark go through email.
The same policy page says date changes depend on availability and can add fees. A limeniskos boat tour booked through checkyeti therefore carries a much shorter cancellation window than one booked direct.
Sea conditions also shape the trip. checkyeti says the skipper sets a private itinerary on the day, according to weather and sea conditions. The operator answers its bad-weather question by pointing to its cancellation policy.
The widget below lists dates for the private morning cruise on the Attack.
Who can join a limeniskos boat tour?
The Falassarna Activities boat listings on checkyeti are not accessible to wheelchairs or strollers. GetYourGuide tags its 5-hour private cruise as wheelchair accessible. Neither source states a minimum age for the boat trips.
checkyeti lists English, French, Italian, Greek and Portuguese as the languages of the Falassarna Activities trips. Reviews on those pages come from guests in the United States, France, Portugal, Austria, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Guests who use a wheelchair compare the listings before booking, because the two sources give different answers for different boats.
Which questions come up about a limeniskos boat tour?
Which departure windows does the express trip list?
The operator lists three daily windows for its two-hour express trip. They run from 10:00 to 12:00, from 14:00 to 16:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00.
Do the boats carry a sound system?
The operator’s cruise pages list a Dolby surround sound system on its boats. The group cruise, the private cruises and the Valeria page all carry that line.
What do the names Imeri and Agria Gramvousa mean?
Wikipedia translates Imeri Gramvousa as Tame Gramvousa and Agria Gramvousa as Wild Gramvousa. Agria lies due north of Imeri and is much less hospitable.
Who built the fort on Imeri Gramvousa?
Wikipedia says Venice built the fort in the sixteenth century to defend Crete from the Ottoman Turks. The fort stayed in Venetian hands through the long Cretan War.
Does the operator film its rides?
The operator’s site says a drone follows jet ski or safari rides to record a panoramic video of the activity. The text sits in the paragraph about the beach kiosk.