On the beach
Right now
Live conditions from Open-Meteo, refreshed hourly.
7-day outlook
7-day marine forecast from Open-Meteo.
Sea temperature
Next 7 days, °C
Wave height
Next 7 days, metres
View as table
| Day | Sea temp (°C) | Wave height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 | 28.0 | 0.6 |
| Thu 3 | 27.7 | 0.8 |
| Fri 4 | 27.4 | 1.2 |
| Sat 5 | 27.0 | 1.4 |
| Sun 6 | 27.4 | 0.7 |
| Mon 7 | 27.4 | 1.0 |
| Tue 8 | 27.2 | 1.5 |
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
- Chrysi Akti1.5 kmCrete
- Koum Kapi2.0 kmCrete
- 2.1 km
- 2.5 km
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- By car: there's parking about ~380 m from the beach.
- Bus stop: ΜΟΝΗΣ ΓΩΝΙΑΣ, about ~200 m away.
- Nearest ferry landing is about ~1.1 km away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest city: Χανιά, about ~1.2 km away.
- 118 places to eat within 1 km Closest is ΜΕ ΝΟΥ & ΚΡΑΣΙ, about ~50 m away.
- 92 places to stay mapped nearby Closest is Anika Apartment, about ~40 m away.
- 29 shops nearby, the closest about ~40 m away
What kind of beach is this?
This is a town beach, woven into the everyday fabric of a city or larger settlement — expect company on warm days, especially through July and August, alongside easy access to shops and services.
Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).
- Families
Is the water clean at Nea Chora?
Thinking of swimming at Nea Chora? The short answer: its official EU Bathing Water rating for 2025 is Excellent — the highest official classification under the EU bathing-water assessment. That rating is set once a year under the EU Bathing Water Directive, from a full season of testing for intestinal enterococci and E. coli reported to the European Environment Agency the following spring, so the 2025 season's grade appeared in spring 2026 and the 2026 season won't be graded 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. It's been a consistently reliable spot too — the rating has held at Excellent for 11 straight years. There's parking about ~380 m from the beach.
That rating has been consistent: every one of the 11 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. If you're timing a visit around water temperature rather than crowds, July–September is the safest bet, with August typically the peak — expect a cooler, calmer sea either side of that stretch. The nearest town, Χανιά, is about ~1.2 km away.
“Excellent” is one point on a four-step scale — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — assigned once per year from that season's water samples, not a live reading. It describes how the site performs on average across the season, not the exact water quality this afternoon; for day-to-day sea conditions, see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above. There are 118 places to eat within a kilometre — ΜΕ ΝΟΥ & ΚΡΑΣΙ is the closest, about ~50 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to go in the water at Nea Chora?
Nea Chora is rated Excellent for 2025 — the top EU Bathing Water classification — with 11 of 11 classified seasons rating Excellent or Good, so yes. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
What is the sea temperature at Nea Chora today?
The latest reading puts the sea at Nea Chora at around 27°C — the “Right now” panel above has the full live picture. That's the reading right off Crete. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When is the best time to swim at Nea Chora?
For the warmest water, aim for July–September — that's when the modeled sea temperature is typically at its best. That applies to the water around Crete. Within that window, August is typically the single warmest month.
How is bathing water quality actually assessed?
Behind the annual grade: a season of testing for intestinal enterococci and E. coli, reported to the European Environment Agency each spring under the EU Bathing Water Directive. A few countries, Croatia via IZOR included, also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that report, but Nea Chora doesn't have one published yet.
What's nearby Nea Chora — parking, buses, or a ferry?
By car, there's parking about ~380 m from the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is ΜΟΝΗΣ ΓΩΝΙΑΣ, about ~200 m away. There's a ferry landing about ~1.1 km from the beach. The nearest town is Χανιά, about ~1.2 km away.