Mononaftis beach is located 24 km west of Heraklion with direction to Agia Pelagia.

The small beach with the green waters is sandy and surrounded by rocks. It is also protected by the north winds and that is the reason it is popular to the local people.

According to the residents the beach took its name from a shipwreck that once happened from which only one sailor survived (Mononaftis=one sailor). Also, Mononaftis is the name of the famous rock of the beach that is laying some metres above the coast.