Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
It is more than that, though not by a huge margin, and the “not by a huge margin” is the appeal.
What is in the town
- A long town beach, sandy and shingly, running along the front and rarely crowded because everyone is on a boat.
- The archaeological museum, in a Venetian-Ottoman building on the square, holding Roman floor mosaics from the villas of ancient Kissamos. They are the town’s genuine surprise and take twenty minutes.
- An ordinary Cretan main street, with the shops a town uses rather than the ones a resort sells.
Kissamos is also the centre of a wine and olive area, and the plain behind it is agricultural rather than touristic.
The boats, and what to know about them
The Gramvousa and Balos trip is the busiest excursion in western Crete. It usually takes in the Venetian fortress island of Gramvousa and then the lagoon at Balos, and it runs from Kissamos harbour.
The alternative to the boat is the dirt road to Balos and the walk down, which is a different day entirely and hard on a hire car. Our Balos page covers that choice properly.
Why it works as a base
The far west is the part of Crete with the fewest hotels and the best beaches, and Kissamos is the only town of any size in it:
- Falassarna is over the ridge to the west, with the long sunset beach.
- Elafonisi is south down the west coast, a longer drive than the map suggests.
- Chania old town is about 40 minutes east.
Last checked August 2026. Boat schedules are seasonal and weather-dependent - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Where is Kissamos?
In the far west of Crete, at the base of the Gramvousa and Rodopos peninsulas, about 40 minutes west of Chania.
Why do people go to Kissamos?
Mostly for the boats to Gramvousa and Balos, which leave from its harbour. The town also has a long uncrowded beach and a museum of Roman mosaics.
What is in the Kissamos museum?
Roman floor mosaics recovered from the villas of ancient Kissamos, displayed in a Venetian-Ottoman building on the main square.
Is Kissamos a good base for western Crete?
Yes, as the only town of size in the far west. Falassarna is over the ridge, Elafonisi is south down the coast and Chania is about 40 minutes east.
Can you reach Balos without the boat?
There is a dirt road and a walk down, which is a demanding drive and hard on a hire car. The boat from Kissamos is the usual alternative.
Next
Read things to do in Crete, Balos, or Falassarna.