On the beach
Right now
Sample dataIllustrative conditions — the live Open-Meteo marine feed wasn't reachable, so these are deterministic placeholder values that will be replaced automatically once the feed is available.
7-day outlook
Sample dataModeled placeholder forecast for demonstration — will be replaced by a live marine-weather feed.
Sea temperature
Next 7 days, °C
Wave height
Next 7 days, metres
View as table
| Day | Sea temp (°C) | Wave height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 | 25.0 | 0.7 |
| Thu 3 | 25.3 | 0.7 |
| Fri 4 | 25.1 | 0.7 |
| Sat 5 | 24.6 | 0.7 |
| Sun 6 | 24.2 | 0.7 |
| Mon 7 | 24.1 | 0.7 |
| Tue 8 | 24.4 | 0.7 |
Water quality history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Excellent2015
- 2016: Excellent2016
- 2017: Excellent2017
- 2018: Excellent2018
- 2019: Excellent2019
- 2020: Excellent2020
- 2021: Excellent2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Excellent2023
- 2024: Excellent2024
- 2025: Excellent2025
Excellent in the most recent season, and 11 of 11 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Excellent |
| 2016 | Excellent |
| 2017 | Excellent |
| 2018 | Excellent |
| 2019 | Excellent |
| 2020 | Excellent |
| 2021 | Excellent |
| 2022 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Excellent |
| 2024 | Excellent |
| 2025 | Excellent |
Typical sea temperature by month
Modeled estimatePlausible seasonal climatology derived from latitude, for illustration — not a measured average.
Monthly sea temperature
Typical range across the year, °C
View as table
| Month | Typical sea temp (°C) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 17 |
| Feb | 16 |
| Mar | 17 |
| Apr | 19 |
| May | 22 |
| Jun | 24 |
| Jul | 26 |
| Aug | 27 |
| Sep | 27 |
| Oct | 25 |
| Nov | 22 |
| Dec | 19 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- Agios Ioannis3.2 kmCrete
- Koutsounari3.6 kmCrete
- Ierapetra3.9 kmCrete
- Ierapetra5.4 kmCrete
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- By car: there's parking about ~1.2 km from the beach.
- Nearest bus stop is about ~380 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Κουτσουνάρι, about ~3.2 km away.
- 1 place to eat within 1 km Closest is Pool Bar, about ~730 m away.
- 5 places to stay mapped nearby Closest is Hotel Ostria Beach, about ~60 m away.
What kind of beach is this?
This beach belongs to a small coastal village. It's usually calmer than a resort or town beach, though a popular village spot can still fill up on the best summer days.
Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).
Is the water clean at Katharades?
Katharades is a coastal bathing site with an official EU Bathing Water rating of Excellent for the 2025 season — the highest official classification under the EU bathing-water assessment. That annual classification comes from the EU Bathing Water Directive: national authorities test for two indicator bacteria, intestinal enterococci and E. coli, throughout the bathing season, then report the full-season results to the European Environment Agency (EEA) the following spring — the 2025 season's rating was published in spring 2026, and the 2026 season won't be rated until spring 2027. In addition to that yearly rating, some national authorities — for Croatia, the national environmental authority — publish individual water sample results during the season itself, ahead of the annual report. On site you'll find Pebble shore. There's parking about ~1.2 km from the beach.
That rating has been consistent: every one of the 11 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. The most reliable swimming window here typically runs from July–September, with the sea usually at its warmest around August. Outside that window the water is cooler and often quieter. It's been a consistently reliable spot too — the rating has held at Excellent for 11 straight years. The nearest town, Κουτσουνάρι, is about ~3.2 km away.
That “Excellent” label comes from a full season of official water sampling, not a single test — it's one step on a four-point scale (Excellent, Good, Sufficient, Poor) reassessed once a year. Today's actual conditions can differ from the seasonal average, so for a live snapshot see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above. There's 1 place to eat near the beach — Pool Bar, about ~730 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to go in the water at Katharades?
Yes — Katharades carries the top EU Bathing Water classification, Excellent, for 2025, and 11 of its 11 classified seasons have rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
What's the current water temperature at Katharades?
The figure above (about 25°C) is placeholder data — the live marine-weather feed wasn't reachable when this page was built, and the real reading will appear automatically once it is. That's the reading right off Crete. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When should you plan a swimming trip to Katharades?
For swimming, July–September is usually the best call — that's the modeled window when the sea here runs warmest. That applies to the water around Crete. Within that window, August is typically the single warmest month.
Where does the water quality rating come from?
It's based on official water samples: authorities test for intestinal enterococci and E. coli through the season, then report the full-season results to the European Environment Agency each spring, which assigns one of four grades — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor. A few national authorities, including Croatia's IZOR, also publish individual samples during the season itself, ahead of that annual report — that isn't yet available for Katharades.
Is there parking near Katharades?
By car, there's parking about ~1.2 km from the beach. There's a bus stop about ~380 m from the beach. The nearest town is Κουτσουνάρι, about ~3.2 km away.