Kalamaki seaside village is located 65km southwest of Heraklion, in the middle of Matala and Kokkinos Pirgos. The small beach in front of the village includes a small part (2,5 km) of the seaside of Messara Bay. The sand on the beach is blond and has a long smooth rock, quite slippery. The beach is well organized with umbrellas, sunbeds, taverns, lifeguard, playground, water sports, etc, but if you would love to you could walk to the southeast, till Kommos, which is common by nudists.
In advance, you can walk till Afratias (beach of Pahia Ammos) to the north side, where the is. The beach is natural untouched from people. There are many rocks along where you can admire the natural and wild beauty of South Crete. Remember to have your own umbrella in case you will need one as long as the beach is far from facilities. On the North of Afratias, you will see the military Airport of Timbaki, which is used from the staff of Greek Air Force. Accessing the beachfront of the airport is possible, as the fence ends at the beach. However, do not try to pass on the military side, otherwise you will be arrested. You might be lucky to see some people parachuting or even skydiving from small aircrafts, used by a parachuting club in the airport area. The airport of Tymbaki has a great importance for the enviroment because it is crossed by the Geropotamos River, which ends at the beach. Geropotamos hosts hundreds of rare birds at its several spots.
In this long seaside you might meet the rare Carretta – Carretta turtle or her egg nest. Because of that, it is important to watch your steps during the night, in order to avoid destroying the nests or even frighten the turtles. Kalamaki is a quite new settlement. Right next to Kalamaki you will meet the residents of Kamilari, a small traditional village that is worth visiting, spending a night on it’s beautiful tavernas for traditional menu or for a refreshing drink.