Any alternatives to cattle boat to Gravousa/Balos?

PS All sites I checked say there is a road that requires 4WD....but it appears to be only 10km and the youtube video of the drive seems to show lots of ordinary small cars at the parking at the beach headland. Anyone have experience driving a small 2WD vehicle out to beach? Seems like with an early start one can beat the midday cattle boat and its hundreds of people. Also is camping allowed at Balos Beach?

Cattle boat? Do you mean the excursion boat?

There are one or two that leave from Kissamos. It would mean a shorter ride than from Chania, although you might have to stay in Kissamos to take best advantage of boat departures. Kissamos wouldn't be a bad place to stay, much less touristed than the package-style places further east towards Chania.

Balos beach is getting popular. The dirt road is now graded occasionally to handle the traffic, thus making it doable with a normal car. Quality of road probably depends on previous winter's weather, and whether it's been recently graded.

I notice on your other post you mention renting a car, with Falasarna as an option. You could always check the road to Balos (you get there first). If it's in good condition, take it. If not continue on to Falasarna. A win-win situation.

Thanks for the info - makes sense the road has been graded because it really didn't look that bad in the video. Ordinarily I would like the boat excursion but the boats hold hundreds of people and I just don't want to deal with the crowds. So if we go we will abuse our rental car instead.

I want to warn you about taking a rental car "off road". It's possible that the insurance will be invalidated if you do this, if the car is not an off-road type vehicle. Also, if your rental agent is not an honest one you may be charged for "damages" due to improper use. So ask questions. Don't try to hide the fact that you will be driving on that road. Make sure you are careful, make sure you inspect the car thoroughly, especially the underside (there may already be damage waiting to be "discovered"), and make sure you have the best insurance coverage you can get. If you live outside the EU or UK be sure to bring along an International Driving Permit. If you live in No. America you can get one at your local AAA/CAA office, no test or membership required.

the boats hold hundreds of people

Not the ones I saw in Kissamos

we will abuse our rental car instead

Interesting attitude you have. Locals might be willing to abuse their own property .. or might extra carefull on dirt roads. Properly graded dirt roads shouldn't be a problem for normal cars. However, I suggest you pay close attention to what brotherleelove wrote.

From Cretan Daily Cruises website: the boats they use for Gramvousa and Balos lagoon hold 350 to 12000 passengers. I have read reviews remarking on the vast crowds embarking and disembarking. Thus the tongue-in-cheek "cattle boat." BDHDH if you know a tour company that takes smaller boats out to Balos I would appreciate knowing the name. As for rental cars, OF COURSE I don't "abuse" them. Why else would I be concerned about condition of road and feasibility of non-4WD? Only after seeing the youtube video with dozens of small ordinary cars parked at Balos headland did I consider taking the possibility of driving there. Anddo you really think I would land up thousands of miles away in Crete ready to rent a car without knowing about the need for an international drivers license? I really didn't expect my feeble attempts at humor to be met with such severe lectures.

http://www.cretandailycruises.com/fleet.aspx?id=14&lang=en

The biggest ferry takes 1200 NOT 12000 passengers.!
If you go by car you will anyway be in Balos with that crowd. It's not that big place you could avoid the crowds.

Sorry the 12000 was a typo. 1200 is certainly far too many as it is. Tentative plan would be to arrive early at Balos and depart at midday when "cruise ship'"(JOKING) comes in. Anyway biggest problem is coming during peak season but it can't be helped. Just trying to avoid the worst of the crowds.

Agree.
I've read in your other thread that you will go in July, that is peak season.
I don't understand your concern about the size and capacity of the boat since all boats big or small will end up on the same beach anyway.

A few years ago when in Crete we drove to Elafonissi which I am well aware is an even more popular secluded beach, but rather unique and beautiful. It was June and we had no reservations anywhere, and we quickly decided to stay overnight there in one of the only two domatia (not on the booking sites). Something that very few people seemed to do. After 4pm the beach was virtually deserted since all excursion buses leave at that hour, also the boat to Paleochora. It was the best thing we could have done to enjoy Elafonissi. The days are long that time of the year and the sunset was memorable.
Just to give you an idea how to make the best of spots that are popular with day trippers.
Unfortunately there is no accommodation in Balos if I am not mistaken.