I have been blessed with some incredibly thoughtful and observant friends in my life. One of those is my classmate Liza, who knows that I don’t care much for just sitting on a beach all day. I enjoy going to the beach on occasion—especially when they’re as nice as the ones on Crete—but I prefer exploring things rather than just sitting in the sun.

Most of my classmates do like to just go sit at the beach, so I often found myself opting to stay home instead. At least at the rental house, I could work on my book, go for a walk, or edit pictures, and there was a 99.67% chance I wouldn’t run into any nudists.

There was also a pretty significant chance I’d develop cabin fever and go completely crazy.

Liza took note of this and very kindly made plans that would allow us both to enjoy our day off. Her solution: go to a beach that was near a town instead of off by itself. That’s a surprisingly tricky request in Crete, where most of the beaches near any sort of residential or commercial area are on the opposite side of the island.

But we found one that worked brilliantly. It was called Agia Galini, and it was only about 30 minutes from Sivas. She got to read on the beach, and I got to explore. It was a win win.

I spent most of my time there exploring the port. There were some cool boats moored to the pier, and the view was absolutely spectacular! I still can’t get over how blue the water is.

I did eventually wander down to the beach to join Liza, and met a few more friendly critters along the way. I also peeked inside a machine gun cave like the one at Komos Beach, although I didn’t go inside since I was alone.

Once I saw the swimming area, I seriously regretted not having worn my swim suit. Unlike Komos, Agia Galini has no waves, and there’s a nice shallow entry into the water. I would have enjoyed going for a swim where I didn’t have to fight monstrous waves with every stroke. There were a few other people nearby, but they were suitably clothed and left us alone. As much as I did enjoy Komos beach, I honestly have to say that Agia Galini was my favorite.

So thank you, Liza. This was the perfect blend between relaxing on the beach and exploring a beautiful new place.

Read more about my Cretan adventure here.