Sougia beach: Blue Flag, pebbles and the river mouth

Sougia beach runs for more than a kilometre in front of the village, from the harbour in the west to the cliffs in the east. It is pebble, grey and smooth, with a strip of sand where the river reaches the sea. A few metres out the sea floor drops away, and the water turns from turquoise to deep blue close to the shore.

The only trees on the beach are tamarisks. Their two groves are protected, as part of the Natura 2000 area that reaches from Sougia west towards Lissos, with sea meadows of Posidonia, reefs and sea caves along its coast.

The Blue Flag

Sougia was awarded the Blue Flag in 2025 and again in 2026, the year 624 Greek beaches received it. The flag is run by the Foundation for Environmental Education, and in Greece by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature. It is given for one season at a time, for clean water, a well-kept beach, safety for swimmers and information about the local environment.

During the season the bathing water is tested at least every 30 days. In the 2026 samples posted on the beach, from 25 May and 22 June, no E. coli and no intestinal enterococci were found at all. Excellent bathing water allows up to 250 and 100 colony-forming units per 100 ml.

The results, the code of conduct and the lifeguard hours are pinned to the Blue Flag board on the beach. In 2026 the lifeguard was on duty from 10:00 to 18:00.

Into the sea without walking on stones

Pebbles are hard going for anyone in a wheelchair or unsteady on their feet. Sougia beach has a Sea Access system: a wooden walkway over the pebbles and a seat that runs on rails down into the water, with its own solar panel. The instructions are printed on the unit. Café Diktamos, by the beach, has an accessible toilet.

Where the river meets the sea

For most of the year the riverbed is dry and the pebbles close over its mouth. After heavy autumn rain the river runs again and cuts its way across the beach. On an October morning its fresh water spreads over a bar of sand and meets the waves.

The day the river came back: the river after the first rain →

Good to know

The eastern end of the beach, below the cliffs, is quieter, and naturists use it. Sunbeds and umbrellas stand along the middle of the beach in summer.

Numbers on the beach board: police 28230 22100, port police 28230 41214, Kandanos health centre 28233 40000.