Matala, Matala in Crete became famous in the sixties as a hippy colony, there are still some hippies roaming the streets today. Before the Hippies Matala was a small fishing village. On the sandy beach is written by a fisherman: "Today is life, tomorrow never comes!" Matala was once the place of the flower-power and the hippy-scene. Yeah, those were the days! The Matala from now is a busy tourist place with a lot of hotels, apartments, rooms, taverns and shops. Before 1970, the time that the flower-children and the hippies overrunned this small village, Matala only existed of 10 houses, one tavern, a beautiful beach and of course the ancient cave houses of which Matala thanks her fame. The beach of this bay, in the form of a reaping-hook, is still the same. The cave houses, cut by the Cretan people from the early Stone Age, with their passages, stone beds and fireplaces, are now put under monumental care. They are really worth visiting.
The beach of fine stones is very pleasant. Especially the early morning and the end of the afternoon can still bring back the memories of what has been. Nevertheless, Matala has something. A friendly atmosphere and beautiful surroundings will take care of some days of enjoyment, without having the feeling of being disturbed by mass tourism. Should you be in the neighbourhood, do pay this village a visit and try to go back in time: put a flower behind your ear and wow, for some time you will feel like a hippy!