Ganema Beach, Serifos: Sand on One Side, White Pebbles on the Other, 25 Minutes on Foot From Koutalas Village, in a South-Facing Bay That Stays Calm When the Meltemi Blows

Greece | Koutalas | Serifos, Cyclades

Ganema beach is one of the most popular and favourite beaches of Serifos. For many it is considered the best beach of the island. The beach consists of soft and fine sand and pebbles, as well as trees that offer comfortable shade from the sun. It is on the southern coast of Serifos, next to Koutalas beach, forming opposite ends of a horse-shaped bay. The beach is divided into two sides — from the side of the parking area and up to the middle, the beach is sandy with few stones. The rest of the side is covered with white pebbles.

Three beaches share the large sheltered bay of Koutalas: Koutalas is a small fishing village with a shady, pebble-strewn beach and one old-time taverna. Ganema has a tamarisk-fringed beach with golden sand and a beach bar with loungers. Vagia’s horseshoe of golden sand is stunning and has drawn a few new holiday homes.

The sequence runs east to west across the bay. Vagia is the first, Ganema the middle, Koutalas the western end. The beach’s location on the southern coast of Serifos affords it some protection from the Meltemi wind. This makes it a favourable destination for beachgoers, even during windy conditions. This is the practical advantage that distinguishes the south coast bay from Psili Ammos — when the northerly Meltemi is sandblasting the east coast, Koutalas Bay often stays calm.

Getting There: 7km From Livadi, Drive to Koutalas, Then 25 Minutes on Foot — or Park Along the Road

After reaching Koutalas by car, it is necessary to walk around 25 minutes to find Ganema beach as it is only 1 km from Koutalas while the distance from Livadi, the island’s port, is around 7 km.

To reach Ganema beach, visitors typically drive to Koutalas and then walk for approximately 25 minutes. Furthermore, there is ample parking along the road, adding to the beach’s accessibility.

The road from Livadi to Koutalas Bay is paved and runs through the southern part of the island, passing through landscape still marked by the iron mining history — derelict machinery, tunnels, loading tracks — that sustained Serifos for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The drive takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Very convenient to get there by parking directly on the street. Sand mixed with some pebbles — being south it can also be visited with the Meltemi. Even on windy days this part of the island is nice for a swim.

The Beach: Sandy Side and Pebble Side, Tamarisk Shade Throughout, Beach Bar With Loungers, Snorkelling at the Edges

On the south side of Serifos, at the bay of Koutalas, right after Vagia, you will find Ganema, one of the biggest beaches of Serifos — white pebbles on one side and sand on the other side. A beach for all tastes, since half is covered by sand while the other half is covered by white pebbles. On a big part of the beach there are tamarisks offering their rich shadow. Golden sand and fine pebbles cover the bottom of the sea while the depth increases gradually. The side which is covered by sand is ideal for families and for games on the beach.

The beach also features a centrally located beach bar, where umbrellas can be rented, although prices can be on the higher side. The beach also boasts an abundance of fish and rocks in the water, making it a perfect spot for snorkelling.

The Lonely Planet description positions Ganema as the middle beach of the three: more organised than Koutalas (the old fishing village with its single seasonal taverna) but less manicured than a resort. The beach bar with loungers is the specific facility that makes a full day here comfortable without requiring visitors to carry everything from Livadi.

The Mines of Serifos: Open-Air Industrial Heritage on the Drive In

The seaside settlement and images of the mining history of Serifos around the beach, the mines’ carts, tunnels, tracks and loading ladder make up a living open-air museum that is worth visiting.

The iron mines of Serifos — in operation from ancient times to the early 20th century — are concentrated in the south coast area. The derelict industrial infrastructure visible from the road to Koutalas Bay is the specific historical dimension of the drive that makes arriving at Ganema feel like a transition from a working landscape to a beach.

Vagia and Koutalas: The Other Two Beaches in the Bay

Vagia’s horseshoe of golden sand is stunning and has drawn a few new holiday homes. Vagia is the first beach reached on the drive south — golden sand, no tamarisks, slightly more exposed than Ganema.

Koutalas beach facilities are only seasonal — one taverna and holiday houses to rent. The shore is lined with tamarisk trees with plenty of space and shadow for everyone, covered with a mixture of sand and small pebbles.

The three-beach day from a single parking area is the specific Koutalas Bay programme — walk east to Vagia for the horseshoe golden sand, return to Ganema for the beach bar and the tamarisk shade, walk west to Koutalas village for the fishing harbour and the old taverna.

Ganema Beach on Serifos is the middle of three beaches in Koutalas Bay — sand on the parking side, white pebbles on the far side, tamarisk shade throughout, beach bar with loungers (higher prices), south-facing and sheltered from the Meltemi when the east coast is rough, 7 kilometres from Livadi by paved road, 25 minutes on foot from Koutalas village, the iron mine industrial heritage visible on the drive in, Vagia for the golden horseshoe to the east, Psili Ammos Beach Serifos Greece for the finest sand on the island to the north.

Drive to Koutalas. Walk east to Ganema. Check which side suits you and claim your tamarisk.