Visitors call Crete’s famed Balos beach ‘hell on earth’ amid tourist crush

A day trip to Balos Beach, one of Crete’s most celebrated destinations, left some visitors describing the experience as “hell on earth.” Travelers said huge crowds made it difficult to get off the ferry, while more boats continued arriving with new groups.

Balos is known for its turquoise water and panoramic scenery. But repeated promotion on social media has also been blamed for drawing overwhelming numbers of tourists. Crowds filled the shoreline as visitors waited to continue toward Gramvousa island, creating what was described as chaos.

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Balos Beach in Greece: a line of tourists waiting for the boat back, while more boats keep arriving full of new visitors.

Local media reported that authorities are looking for ways to control the number of people on the island at one time, citing the protection of nature and visitor safety. A proposal reported by the Daily Mail would limit access to 1,200 people simultaneously.

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It was a completely different world.

One traveler posted a video on X showing a line of tourists waiting for a boat back as other vessels arrived full of fresh visitors. Another person who visited in May said the beach then felt like “a completely different world,” calm and quiet. One commenter blamed influencers, saying, “This is the damage influencers do.” Others called the scenes awful or said access should cost more, while some compared waiting at Balos to standing in line at a concert.

The debate echoes complaints about Santorini, where visitors have reportedly waited up to two hours for a photograph in Oia. Influencer Luiza Parente recently showed a large queue there but said the wait was worthwhile because she got the picture she wanted, wearing blue especially for the occasion.

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This is the damage influencers do.