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Voykit pocket guide · Greece
Bali, Crete
Μπαλί
Base here 3–5 nights only if you want a beach-and-hotel stay; the village itself is small, so treat it as a resort, not a sightseeing hub.
Bali is a small seaside village on Crete's north coast, in the Rethymno regional unit between Rethymno and Heraklion. It is a beach base with hotels, tavernas and a harbour, not a town with a monument list. Come for swimming, boat trips and slow evenings; use a car or the bus for everything else. Most travellers need 3–5 nights, and a car if they want to see the island.
- Country
- Greece
- Local name
- Μπαλί
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–early Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), Nov–Mar (many places shut)
- Stay
- 3–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely accepted; card terminals are required in many businesses.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–75 excl. bed · Mid €80–140 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at the airport; a passport is needed to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Tourist police 1571
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European round two-pin plugs.
- Tipping
- Café: Leave the coins, €0.50–1.; Taverna or restaurant: 5–10% in cash on the table; not expected at gyros shops.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night.; Boat crew or guide: €5–10 per person for a day trip.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Athens, Thessaloniki and most of the mainland. On many islands it is desalinated or hard: ask locally and buy bottled if unsure.
- Toilets
- Use cafés (buy something), museums and sites. Paper goes in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2–4 |
| Gyros or souvlaki | €4–7 |
| Taverna main course | €9–16 |
| Beer, 500 ml | €3–5 |
| Nightclub drink | about €5 |
| Sunbed and umbrella on the beach | €5–15 (check) |
| Boat trip with lunch | €30–60 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HER · Heraklion International Airport (Nikos Kazantzakis)
- About 50 km east; taxi roughly €50 or more, bus via Heraklion (check)About 31 mi east; taxi roughly €50 or more, bus via Heraklion (check)
- CHQ · Chania International Airport
- About 100 km west; longer transfer, usually via Chania or Rethymno (check)About 62 mi west; longer transfer, usually via Chania or Rethymno (check)
Typical fares
- Taxi Heraklion airport → Bali
- €50 or more, about 50 min (check)
- Bus Rethymno → Bali
- a few euro, about 30 min (check)
- Little train in the village
- small fare, buy from the conductor (check)
Get around
The village is walkable but hilly. A little tourist train links the main road, the centre and the beach and is a practical shuttle, not just a tour; buy a ticket from the conductor. Taxis are ordered from Rethymno or Heraklion, so they are slow and costly for short hops. Rental cars and scooters are available locally; bring an international driving licence if you are not from the EU/Schengen area, and wear a helmet on a scooter — insurance can be void without one.
See and do
Known for
- Beach and harbour
- Boat trips and diving
- Tavernas and raki
- Quiet evenings, no big party scene
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rethymno | KTEL bus along the coast, or about 30–40 min by car | About 45–60 min |
| Heraklion | KTEL bus or car on the E75 | About 1 h |
| Plakias | Car over the mountains via Rethymno | About 1.5 h |
| Anogeia | Car up into the Psiloritis foothills | About 1.25 h |
Sleep
- Village centre and harbour
- Walk to tavernas and the small beach; some rooms sit on steep lanes above the water.
- Main-road and hillside hotels
- Cheaper and quieter, but 2 km from the centre and often a climb; check the walk before booking.Cheaper and quieter, but 1.2 mi from the centre and often a climb; check the walk before booking.
- Beachfront complexes
- Step-out-of-room swimming; book early for Jun–Sep.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Γεια σαςya sas |
| Thank you | Ευχαριστώefharistó |
| The bill, please | Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώton logariasmó, parakaló |
| How much is it? | Πόσο κάνει;póso káni |
| Can I pay by card? | Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα;boró na pliróso me kárta |
| Where is the beach? | Πού είναι η παραλία;pu íne i paralía |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'kaliméra' (morning) or 'kalispéra' (evening) on entering shops and tavernas; avoid: Launching straight into a question
- Hospitality: Accept offered coffee, sweets or raki; it is part of the welcome; avoid: Refusing flatly — take a little
- Churches: Covered shoulders and knees; quiet voices; a small candle donation; avoid: Turning your back on the altar for photos during a service
- Gestures: Wave with the palm turned towards yourself; avoid: The open palm pushed forward (moutza)
- Conversation: Family, food and football are easy topics; avoid: Lecturing on the debt crisis, Türkiye or the name of North Macedonia
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries or wine; arrive a little late; avoid: Leaving food on the plate if you have been served more
- Dress: Casual; long trousers or skirt for monasteries; avoid: Swimwear in town, shops and churches
Scams and watch-outs
- The bus stop on the main road is about 2 km from the village centre: plan the walk, the little train or a taxi.
- Not all bars and restaurants take cards; there is an ATM on the road up from town, so withdraw before you eat.
- Many shops outside tourist villages close on Sundays; restaurants generally stay open.
- Hot water is often solar-heated, so showers can be cool after a cloudy day.
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet.
- Steep lanes and few lifts make the village hard going for wheelchair users or anyone with limited mobility.
Very low crime; the real risks are traffic, sun and the sea. Lock your room, drive carefully at night and swim near other people.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bali, Crete yet. Suggested stay: 3–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Beach and harbour
- Boat trips and diving
- Tavernas and raki
- Quiet evenings, no big party scene
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Greece — Crete: www.visitgreece.gr/islands/crete/
- KTEL Chania-Rethymno bus timetables: www.e-ktel.com/
- Wikivoyage: Bali (Crete), revision 5016926 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5016926
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bali, CreteΜπαλί
Σε αυτή τη διεύθυνση, παρακαλώ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Bali; most are in Athens, with consulates in Heraklion and Chania (check).
Keep the number of your accommodation and the local taxi contact saved offline.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bali-crete). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.