The Cretan South Scenic Drive: Matala, Phaistos and the Messara Plain

The Cretan South scenic drive carries you clear across the island from Heraklion, over the mountains and down onto the vast, fertile Messara Plain, to a trio of the greatest ancient sites in Greece and a hippie beach village on the Libyan Sea. On the Cretan South scenic drive you can stand in the Minoan palace of Phaistos where the undeciphered Phaistos Disc was found, read Europe’s oldest law code carved in stone at Gortyna, and swim beneath the cave-riddled cliffs of Matala where Joni Mitchell and Cat Stevens once lived.

Almost everyone does this on a packed coach tour. With your own hire car you can do it better, and this guide shows you how.

The Cretan South scenic drive from Heraklion runs about 150 km round trip and makes a full, rewarding day. It crosses the island north to south, through mountain villages and the olive groves and vineyards of the Messara, to the ancient sites and the southern coast. Here is the Cretan South scenic drive at a glance before we take it stop by stop.

The Cretan South Scenic Drive, Stop by Stop

1. Over the Mountains to Agia Varvara

The Cretan South scenic drive leaves Heraklion heading south on the EO97, signposted for Mires and Phaistos, and the city quickly gives way to a climb up into the hills. The road runs straight and easy for the first twenty minutes to the village of Agia Varvara, which sits astride the mountainous spine of the island and is traditionally reckoned to be its centre.

A large rock in the village, the Patela, is said to mark the very middle of Crete. It is a good place to pause for a coffee and watch the landscape change from the vineyards of the north to the wide, open country of the south.

Beyond Agia Varvara the Cretan South scenic drive descends gently towards the Messara Plain, Crete’s largest and most fertile, a vast sweep of olive groves and greenhouses framed by mountains on every side. The Psiloritis massif, the island’s highest, rises to the north, and the Asterousia hills wall off the Libyan Sea to the south. This is agricultural Crete at its richest, and the drive down into it is one of the quiet pleasures of the day.

2. Gortyna and the Oldest Law in Europe

The Cretan South scenic drive reaches Gortyna about 45 km and three quarters of an hour from Heraklion, on the edge of the plain near the village of Agioi Deka, lie the extensive ruins of Gortyna, once the Roman capital of Crete and one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece.

Its history runs unbroken for six thousand years, and its treasures are extraordinary. The famous Gortyn Code, carved into a curved stone wall in the second century BC, is the oldest and most complete written law code in Europe, its ancient Greek letters still perfectly legible after two and a half thousand years.

Nearby stand the ruins of the Basilica of Saint Titus, one of the oldest churches in Crete, and a great plane tree said to be the very spot where Zeus, disguised as a bull, seduced the princess Europa. Gortyna is spread out and only partly excavated, so wear good shoes and allow an hour to explore. Admission is modest, and the site is rarely crowded, one of the rewards of driving yourself here rather than arriving with a coach on a fixed schedule.

3. Phaistos and the Undeciphered Disc

A short drive west of Gortyna on the Cretan South scenic drive brings you to Phaistos, the second-greatest Minoan palace after Knossos, set on a hill with a truly magnificent panorama over the whole Messara Plain to the mountains beyond. Built to the same courtyard plan as Knossos but left unreconstructed, Phaistos is in some ways the more evocative of the two, its bare stones and grand staircases speaking directly of the Bronze Age without Sir Arthur Evans’s colourful concrete additions. You can wander the royal apartments, the storerooms and the great central court in relative peace.

It was here, in 1908, that archaeologists found the Phaistos Disc, a small clay disc stamped on both sides with a spiral of symbols in a script no one has ever deciphered, made from clay that is not native to Crete. It remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of archaeology, and the original is now in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Standing where it was found, with the plain spread out below, is a genuinely stirring moment.

4. Agia Triada: The Quiet Villa

Just three kilometres west of Phaistos, and missed by most of the coach tours, the Cretan South scenic drive reaches the small Minoan site of Agia Triada, a royal villa or summer palace beautifully positioned on a low hill above what was once the sea.

It is a lovely, tranquil spot, far quieter than Phaistos, and it yielded some of the finest Minoan art ever found, including carved stone vases and painted sarcophagi now in the Heraklion museum. If you have driven yourself, adding Agia Triada costs you ten minutes and rewards you with one of the most peaceful ancient sites on the island.

5. Matala and the Hippie Caves

From the ancient sites the Cretan South scenic drive runs south to the coast and Matala, the day’s final stop and its most famous. Set in a pretty bay on the Libyan Sea, Matala is defined by the soft sandstone cliffs at the north end of its beach, honeycombed with caves cut as tombs in Roman times.

In the 1960s and 70s those caves became home to a celebrated hippie community, and Joni Mitchell, who lived here, immortalised it in her song Carey. The village today trades gently on that history, with a laid-back, colourful air and tavernas right along the sand.

Matala, the end of the Cretan South scenic drive, has a lovely beach, excellent swimming, and famous sunsets over the Libyan Sea. If you want more, the beautiful Red Beach is a thirty-minute walk over the headland, and the long sandy beach and Minoan site of Kommos is a few minutes back up the road. It is the perfect place to end the day, with a swim and a late lunch before the drive home.

Where to Eat on the Messara Drive

The Cretan South scenic drive runs through farming country, and it eats accordingly. The Messara Plain produces much of Crete’s olive oil, wine and vegetables, and the village tavernas around Mires and Pitsidia serve honest, hearty Cretan food at gentle prices.

In Matala itself, the tavernas strung along the beachfront are geared to visitors but still turn out good fresh fish and Cretan staples, and there is no finer spot for a long lunch than a table on the sand with the caves and the bay in front of you. Look for local specialities like gamopilafo, the Cretan wedding rice, and wash it down with the plain’s own wine, though only if you are not driving back over the mountains.

What to Take and Know Before You Go

A few practical points make the Cretan South scenic drive easier. Carry water and sun protection, as the archaeological sites at Gortyna and Phaistos are large, open and short on shade, and can be punishing at midday in summer. Bring swimwear and a towel for Matala, and reef shoes if you plan to explore the rockier corners of the coast. Wear sturdy shoes for the ancient sites, whose ground is uneven stone and rubble.

Time the day to suit the heat. In summer, do the archaeology in the cooler morning and save Matala and its beach for the afternoon, when a swim is most welcome. Bring cash for the site admissions and the smaller tavernas, and check the opening hours of the archaeological sites before you set out, as they vary by season and the sites can close earlier than you expect. Fuel up in Heraklion or Mires, the main market town, rather than relying on the smaller villages.

When to Go and How Long to Allow

Allow a full day for the Cretan South scenic drive, around eight to nine hours door to door with the sites and a swim. Spring and autumn are ideal, when the Messara is green or golden, the sites are comfortable to walk and Matala is pleasant rather than packed.

High summer is hot on the exposed archaeological sites, so start early and be at Gortyna soon after it opens. Matala and the southern coast enjoy some of the warmest, driest weather in Crete and stay swimmable well into October, making this a fine shoulder-season drive when the north coast is cooling down.

Making More of Southern Crete

The Cretan South scenic drive opens up a whole quiet corner of the island. West along the coast lies Agia Galini, a former fishing village turned relaxed resort, and beyond it the road climbs towards the Amari Valley and Rethymno.

To the south east, a rougher road leads to Lentas and the remote beaches below the Asterousia mountains, and the monastery of Odigitria. With a hire car and two or three days based around Matala or Mires, you can combine the ancient sites with the southern beaches and the mountain villages into an unhurried tour of a Crete most visitors never see.

Getting There: Your Gateway

The Cretan South scenic drive begins in Heraklion, so the natural gateway is Heraklion Airport (HER), on the eastern edge of the city. Pick up a hire car at the airport, follow the ring road round to the southbound EO97, and you are climbing towards the mountains and the Messara within minutes. A small car is all you need; the roads are well surfaced, if winding in places. For prices, suppliers and the full lowdown on collecting your car, see our guide to cheap car hire at Heraklion Airport, or browse the full car hire in Crete guide.

Driving Tips for the Cretan South

The Cretan South scenic drive is straightforward, but a couple of honest points help. The main road south from Heraklion is good and fast as far as the plain, though the stretch climbing towards Gortyna has some twists, so take it steadily. Once you are among the ancient sites and heading for Matala, the roads narrow and wind through farming villages, easy enough but not to be rushed.

The single most useful thing to know about the Cretan South scenic drive is that many of these southern roads are unlit, so if you plan to linger for the famous Matala sunset, be prepared for a dark drive back over the mountains and allow plenty of time.

It is far better to leave in the last of the daylight than to hurry unfamiliar mountain roads after dark. Drive on the right, fill up before you head into the villages, and for the official rules of the road and current requirements, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office keeps an up to date summary on its Greece travel advice pages.

What Most Guides Do Not Tell You

Three things about the Cretan South scenic drive the tours leave out. First, Agia Triada: the coaches skip it to keep to schedule, but it is one of the loveliest and most peaceful Minoan sites on the island and only minutes from Phaistos, so drive yourself and see it. Second, the timing of Matala: the coach tours arrive at the beach in the busy early afternoon, but if you do the sites first and reach Matala later, you get the softer light, thinner crowds and a far nicer swim.

Third, and most practical, do not try to cram this into a half day. Some tours sell it as a quick morning run, but the Messara is a long way south and the sites deserve time. Give it a full, unhurried day, build in a proper swim and a long lunch, and you will see a side of Crete, ancient, agricultural and coastal all at once, that the rushed tours never really reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Matala from Heraklion by car?

On the Cretan South scenic drive, Matala is about 68 to 71 km south of Heraklion, roughly an hour’s drive direct on the road via Agia Varvara and Mires. Done as a full scenic drive taking in Gortyna, Phaistos and Agia Triada along the way, allow the whole day and around 150 km round trip.

Can you drive from Heraklion to Phaistos and Matala in a day?

Yes, easily, and the Cretan South scenic drive makes one of the best day drives in Crete. Phaistos is about an hour from Heraklion and Matala fifteen minutes further, so a full day gives you time for the ancient sites, a swim at Matala and a proper lunch without rushing.

Is the drive from Heraklion to Matala difficult?

No, the Cretan South scenic drive is straightforward on mostly good roads. The main road south is fast as far as the Messara Plain, with some twists climbing towards Gortyna, and the village roads near the coast are narrower but easy. The main thing to know is that many southern roads are unlit, so allow time to be back before full dark.

What is Matala famous for?

Matala is famous for the caves cut into the sandstone cliffs beside its beach, used as tombs in Roman times and later home to a 1960s hippie community that included Joni Mitchell and Cat Stevens. Today it is a relaxed beach village on the Libyan Sea, known for its swimming, sunsets and laid-back atmosphere.

Do you need a car to visit Gortyna, Phaistos and Matala?

A hire car is much the best way to do the Cretan South scenic drive, letting you link the three ancient sites with Agia Triada and a Matala beach afternoon at your own pace. Buses do run from Heraklion to Mires and Matala, but they are slow, involve changes, and do not connect the archaeological sites conveniently, so a car is well worth it.

Download the Cretan South Drive Guide

Drive the Cretan South for Yourself

The Cretan South scenic drive gives you Europe’s oldest law, a palace with an unsolved mystery at its heart, a quiet Minoan villa the coaches skip, and a hippie beach on the Libyan Sea, all on one full day’s drive across the island. Skip the rushed coach tour, take your time, and see the ancient south of Crete your own way. Pick up your car at Heraklion Airport and the Messara is yours.

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