“The wind is in from Africa, last night I couldn’t sleep….” (from the song “Carey”). The Matala Beach Caves are in Crete, the place that was home to hippies in the late 1960’s through early 1970’s. From the time I first heard of Matala, I really wanted to visit. Steve and I checked out the caves during our September 2021 trip to Crete.
Famous people from the Hippy era also spent time in Crete at the Matala Caves including Bob Dylan, Joan Baes, Janis Joplin and Cat Stevens. The most famous hippie who lived here was Joni Mitchell. Inspired by Matala, Joni Mitchell wrote her 1971 song “Carey” while living here. Carey was a guy who Joni lived with while there. This once small village became a mecca for the peace and free love souls of the hippie era. Living like nomads in the caves above the pristine sea and sandy beach these people were their own community, unlike any this small village had seen. Eventually they were driven out by the church and military. The caves remain.
Location
Located in Southern Crete, Matala is about an hour and a half South and East of Rethymno. Rethymno is where we stayed so we combined visiting Matala Beach with also hiking Martsalos Beach earlier in the day.
The Beach
The beach appears to be a popular place for both locals and tourists. The water is crystal clear and sandstone cliffs overlook the sandy beach.
The Caves
The Caves at Matala date back way before the Hippies came to Crete. These man made caves were carved out in ancient times. They were possibly used as burial crypts or perhaps homes, as some of the caves are quite large. More than likely they were used for many different purposes over the years. Currently, the area is an archeological site and is open for tourist. For a small admission fee you can climb up to the caves and walk around in them. It is important to note, the cliffs are sandstone so they are slick. Wear good shoes and step carefully.
Conclusion
Although we did not stay long at the Matala Caves in Crete, we did channel our inner hippie and tried to imagine what life was like back then. While here, it was easy to imagine the free spirit lifestyle in such a beautiful place. I am glad we stopped here as not only was it a fun exploring, but it is also a beautiful place.
You can click on this link to read the lyrics and listen to Joni Mitchell’s song “Carey”.
Follow Me on Instagram!
Follow these links for more posts of my 2021 Greece Vacay:
Hike to Martsalos Beach, Sept 2021
The Chapel at Georgioupoli, Sept 2021
Koutalas Beach and Sea Cave, Sept 2021
A Walk Through Chania, Sept 2021
Temple of Poseidon, Septs 2021
You can also follow my other Crete adventures here:
Elounda Peninsula Hotel, Sept 2019
Knossos Palace, Crete Sept 2019
Seitan Limania Beach, Sept 2019
Katholiko Monastery, Sept 2019
Follow Links to our 2018 and also 2019 Trip:
10 Days in Greece Athens, Crete, Santorini 2019
8 Days in Greece, Athens, Milos, Santorini 2018
Diary of a Gen-X recommendations for hotels and restaurants are based on our own experiences. We do not receive compensation for recommending at any of these nor are we affiliates of any hotels or restaurants. We only recommend hotels and restaurants which are clean, comfortable, and provided exceptional hospitality.
Any post that begins with a Joni Mitchell quote gets my attention. What a great destination. Thanks for sharing it.
I agree! I love her music and especially this song! Thanks for your comment!
what a fasciating history of teh caves; I can’t imagine living in one though. THey do offer woonderful views of the beach and the town. I wonder if they ever put a concert on for the locals, maybe they would not have been kicked out…
I would not want to live there either! I’m not sure if they ever performed there! Would be awesome though!
I think they should have a reunion concert there…
Agreed! That would be cool!
I love the ocean. But those sandstone cliffs really get me going. I’d love to climb all over them. Great story! Great photos!
Climbing around in them was lots of fun!!
Lovely indeed, and great photos! I have been following all things related to Crete for a while now, I thought I would get there this summer but I could not, but next year, God willing, I am going!
I hope you get to Crete! We love the island! So much to see and do and the food is fantastic!
Cannot wait! 😊
Interesting place for sure. I recall the hippie era, but not that Joni Mitchell song. Were any birds using the caves to nest in? Thanks for sharing Lori. Allan
Hi Allan! I did not notice any birds or nests but quite a few people were roaming around so maybe there were some in less accessible places! Thanks for stopping by!! Lori
What a unique network of caves overlooking the beach! I can imagine one can spend hours getting lost in the nooks and crannies of it all. 🙂
It was a fun area to explore!
💗
It looks like we were there at the same time! I love your advice to wear shoes when visiting the caves. We watched a bare-footed man carrying his toddler on his shoulders go to the caves. Needless to say, he didn’t stay long!!
Oh my! I’m can’t I’m Mahoney going barefoot and carrying a toddler! It was a fun place though!
So interesting. I didn’t know all that. They certainly knew how to pick their spots.
I agree! Great place to be!
Great post. I have been t that beach but did not explore the caves. Crete is such a fascinating island. Cheers! Following you!
Glad you enjoyed! So far Crete is our favorite!
The caves look amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for reading!
This looks like a fun place to be a hippy!
I agree!! We channeled our inner hippie and loved the place!!
“we did channel our inner hippie” 👍🌼
Looks like a fascinating place
✨🙏🕉🌱🌿🌳🌻💚🕊☯🐉✨
It was a lot of fun!!
It seems like you two have a little bit of hippie spirit yourselves in the free spirit of travel.
We do! I was just a little kid in the late 60’s, early 70’s but I remember the hippy era!!
We do as well. It’s a nice nostalgic feeling.