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The fantastic views and the sea right on their doorstep were certainly further compelling arguments for settling in the caves. When you consider that even famous musicians like Bob Dylan lived in these caves, it quickly becomes clear that Matala must have been a very special place back then. Today, parts of the protected caves can be visited. For a small entrance fee of around €5, you can see these impressive cave dwellings for yourself.

The hippie caves are probably the most famous attraction in Matala. Incidentally, they didn't originate in the 1960s, but much earlier. As early as the Stone Age, caves were carved into the rock here, offering shelter to people. During the Roman period, in 146 BC, they were repurposed by the occupiers and used as burial sites. After remaining unused for a long time, they were rediscovered and repopulated by hippies. In the commune that formed, dropouts and hippies sought the pleasures of a simple life. As you can imagine, the caves offer little in the way of comfort, let alone electricity or running water. But for the hippies, this simple life was the perfect contrast to normal life; Matala was the ideal place to break free and escape all obligations.

Red Beach, by the way, is a fantastic nudist beach and was the only one in Greece to be featured in the SKY travel program "The World's Best Nude Beaches". The website "Captain Barefoot" gave it a 90% rating, which would certainly have been even higher if it were more easily accessible.

It's just a short 20-minute walk from Matala to Kokkinos Ammos, better known as Red Beach. On the way to this picturesque, tranquil beach, you'll pass several caves, some of which are even inhabited during the summer. However, the exact location of the best "apartments" outside the village remains a closely guarded secret...

It's just a short 20-minute walk from Matala to Kokkinos Ammos, better known as Red Beach. On the way to this picturesque, tranquil beach, you'll pass several caves, some of which are even inhabited during the summer. However, the exact location of the best "apartments" outside the village remains a closely guarded secret...

When Zeus, in the form of a white bull, seduced Princess Europa, he crossed the sea and brought her to the beach of Matala. There he transformed himself into an eagle and flew her to Gortys, where he had sex with her.

Matala was once a fishing village. In the 1960s, the caves were occupied by hippies[1] who were later evicted by the church and the military junta. Today, Matala is a popular tourist destination, relying on bus tours and summer visitors. There are many gift shops and bars. Matala's hippie history is celebrated during the three-day Matala Beach Festival, which has been held every June since 2011.

The artificial caves in the cliffs of Matala Bay were created in the Neolithic period. During the Minoan era, Matala was the port of Phaistos. In 220 BC, Matala was occupied by the Gortynians, and during the Roman period, it became the port of Gortys. It is thought that the caves once served as tombs, but it is more likely that they were used as dwellings due to their size (corpses don't require much space to move around). One of the caves is called "Brutospeliana" because, according to legend, it was frequented by the Roman general Brutus.