Plaka is located on the coast on the east of Crete around an hours drive from Heraklion Airport. Glyka Nera is one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete and definitely one of the most unspoiled places to visit on the island, with deep blue water and fine white sands. Its super sedate. Daios Cove Luxury Resort & Villas 8. Mykonos has the best beach clubs (and nightlife). 302 reviews. Malia can be a great option for cheap last minute packages keep an eye on Lastminute.com for deals. #1 Best Value of 1,305 Crete Beach Hotels "Beach - Currently sitting on the beach I can tell you it is a little sun trap! She counts supping on Bloody Marys on a rooftop in Manhattan, downing Singapore slings at the Raffles Hotel, daring a paraglide on the Grand Cayman, spending an exotic Christmas in Malaysia and exploring the Angkor Wat, Cambodia as her all time favourite travel moments. Oceanview Designer Beach House (4 guests): $300/night. Transfer time: 55 minutes from Heraklion International airport. ; SOUTH: Most of the main beach resorts are on the south coast, busier on the west side and getting quieter the further east you get. Big Sur's craggy cliffs are breathtaking, but for an equally beautiful and less crowded California alternative, try this quiet spot tucked between Monterey and Carmel. Naxos has the best beaches (but little nightlife). Beach bums are better off at Plakias (see below). One of the main things to do in Heraklion is to catch a ferry to visit Santorini, Mykonos and other places. The area is also crisscrossed with donkey paths that make it fantastic for walking (its possible to walk to Plaka). Porto Elounda Golf & Spa Resort has a Six Senses Spa, direct beach access, and a private 9-hole golf course. Honeymoons - A haven of tranquility with private villas with mountian and sea views, spoiling massages and haute cuisine overlooking the bay. Excellent Mediterranean dishes are served up in the restaurants. Milatos is a small and low-key beach resort just beyond Sissi. Two Cretes minor islands Chryssi and Koufonisi are just off this part of the shore. Loutro:Porto Loutro On the Hill has the best position with balcony rooms looking out over the bay. The beaches in the Rethymno province are some of the best not as dramatic as the west coast, but long and sandy and perfect for long, lazy beach days. And oh the food! There are still many quieter, less commercialized resorts, villages, and secluded coves to explore and more hidden locations that are barely touched by tourism. #1 Best Value of 80 Beach Resorts in Crete "Highlights were Excellent, clean sandy beach and lot of sun beds on beach, around pools etc. Although the hippies have long since been moved on, and the caves protected and closed to the public, the town retains a laidback feel despite the explosion of tourism here. of the rooms, the quality of the beach. East of Sitia the crowds really thin out most tourists dont make it beyond this point. However, Balos Beach caught our eye for its clean waters and beautiful offshore reefs. Elounda is a lively harbour town thats surrounded by beautiful scenery and a sandy Blue Flag town beach. Try the spotless Marina Hotel, or the beautiful white and blue decor and sea views atElektra. Packages to Stalis are available through TUI. There are 3 main beaches and a long waterfront area thats full of seafood restaurants, bars and clubs, and is popular in the evening. The one we are talking about is ideal if youve decided to stay in or near Agios, as its just around the bay. The smaller of the two beaches, Small Triopetra (or Koumado), is more an enclosed, sandy, and rocky bay. It is flanked by steep, mountainsides, home to a sizable herd of goats (judging from the clinking of bells) as well as a tepid sea, sheltered by a lush bay. Set on an unspoiled beach, the resort offers bespoke suites and private bungalows with custom-made furniture and natural accents inspired by the landscape. Most visitors wont venture far outside the old town, the nexus of which is the pretty 14th-century Venetian harbourfront, but surrounding it is a decent-sized the modern university city with a year-round population of 60,000 people. Crete is filled with fine beaches, ancient treasures, dreamy villages, wonderful cuisine, and hospitable locals who hold their traditional culture in high regard. Both a beautiful and quiet place to visit in Crete. 5. The main town in the region is likeable Agios Nikolaos (or Ag Nik, as its affectionately known), which makes up the quartet of north coast main cities. A lively beach town, the resort of Bali is set around a handful of coves in a scenic bay. Mid-range boutique: Casa Cook is a beach resort reimagined for the Instagram generation, with boho-chic minimalism up on the hills behind the beach in Kato Daratsa. If you're looking for a quiet, isolated experience . Top things to see and do in Heraklion include: Ammoudara is the easiest beach to reach from the city the line 12 bus runs throughout the day. Therefore it can be easier to decide on arrival airport/port first, or any attractions that you particularly want to visit, in order to narrow down where to stay. Other options include Hotel Loutro Bay,SifisandDaskalogiannis Hotel. 1,438 reviews. Outside Heraklion centre is the vast and swanky kid-friendly resort Amirandes Hotel. The local fare in many of the harbour tavernas is about as close as you can come to freshness, maybe even caught meters from where you sit. Crete Beach Resorts: Find 55281 traveller reviews, candid photos, and the top ranked Oceanfront Hotels in Crete on Tripadvisor. Triopetra is surrounded by Siderotas mountain, olives groves, and of course, the seafront, the area is named after the three majestic rocks that rise out of the ocean at the edge of the peninsula. Agia Roumeli: Lots of budget rooms all around the same price point thanks to the proliferation of walkers tryAgia Roumeli Hotel or Gigilos which are both right on the beach. Captains House is in a traditional building by the waterfront a friendly welcome, fantastic sea views, and comfy beds. The beach is large and there are a range of tavernas and shops offering food at a very reasonable price. The famous Preveli Palm Beach with its exotic date palm forest at the end of Kourtaliotiko Gorge is 5km away. Best Places in Crete to Stay for First-Timers and Sightseeing: Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion, Elounda, and Agios Nikolaos. If youve braved the paddle (or walked over the sandbar leading to the island) youll be rewarded with water that is the temperature of bathwater, soft pink sand (particular to this area only), and pictures that youll treasurePrizes awarded for spotting a sea turtleand deducted for duckface Instagram postsenjoy! NORTH: Rugged and unpopulated, with quiet but windy beaches. The Troulis Apart-hotel is excellent value. Theres plenty to keep older children entertained, including watersports and boat trips. #3 Best Value of 119 Crete Resorts "The mini water park within the hotel is excellent, with plenty of slides for younger and older kids. See More, A vast contemporary beach resort with all the trimmings, lush grounds, four pools and private beach area. Transfer time: 2 hours 30 minutes from Heraklion International airport. It is slightly commercialised, but that said if you like the occasional deep-fried or sugary treat delivered to your lounger whilst you catch the sun, its not too bad at all! per night. The long-distance hiking route passes through the area, and there are several smaller gorges and empty beaches such as Sweetwater to discover. Most of the beach is lined with tavernas, cafes and bars, but with easy acces to the city. At Finikounda in south-western Peloponnese, it's a simple beach resort with honey-hued beaches, space for 80 campers, and 16 sizeable bungalows with their own bathrooms, cooking facilities. A perfect miniature island-hopping adventure. Suites have private pools. Transfer time: 1 hr 40 minutes from both Chania and Heraklion airports. 5* Minos Beach Art Hotel has 1km of beach access, spacious grounds, and calming minimalist decor. ); The infamous resort of Malia is known for its 24hr party scene its the best spot for nightlife on Crete, as legions of teenage boys well know. Here are the best luxury Crete resorts on the beach. Kissamos is a working port town on the northwestern edge of Crete. Tourism here peaked in the 90s and as such it has a slightly careworn feel and is friendly but not busy. Theres a regular bus to Heraklion, and its possible to reach Rethymnon and Agios Nikolaos for day trips too. Sissi is located on the north coast of Crete a 40-minute drive from Heraklion Airport. St Nicholas Bay Resort Hotels & Villas is a large 5* complex with direct beach access. What was once a small Greek village has now become a cosmopolitan town, with bars, restaurants and hotels surrounding picturesque Lake Voulismeni. For all intents and purposes its a real treasure. It has a tranquil fishing village vibe, although the heart of the village does feel a bit commercialised, and there are some small beaches a short walk away (the main one is Boufos). It feels a little like the end of the known world, and Sfakions are known for their fierce independence and excellent cheese pies. Euphoria Resort 7. (function() { Visitors to the area might be shocked to find that it retains its snowcaps until the middle of spring and offers innumerable hiking opportunities from the Samaria Gorge to the Askifou plateau to Mount Ida herself. Head east from Sitia and you eventually reach is Paleokastro, a windswept resort with an edge-of-the-world feel and some of the best windsurfing in Europe. Large rooms offer mountain views or sea views from the large glass windows. Top choice is the IG-friendly swim-up rooms at Stella Island Luxury Resort & Spa. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and 2 bars/lounges. On the harbour: If youre after a harbourfront hotel with a sea views balcony just bear in mind that noise and light from the restaurants below go on until late. Top attractions and things to do in Chania include: Head west from the main harbour to hit the town beaches Nea Chora is the closest and a 15-minute walk, Chryssi Akti is the nicest. It is famous for its never-ending stretch of sand, fabulous sunsets and peaceful atmosphere. Interiors are chic, contemporary and comfortable. There are a few tavernas and perhaps the occasional cafe bordering the shallow rocky beach. For a mix of the two - great beaches and some nightlife - Paros is perfect. Self-catering and BBQ are available for all. FalassarnaBeachhas won prizes for being the most beautiful beach in Crete and is always one of the top ten beaches in Europe, with its wonderful, fine white sand and warm, crystal-clear water. As Chania is a regional capital and in close proximity to so many beach resorts, it makes a great base to explore the west of the island. But the highlight is the peaceful and picture-perfect sugar cube village of Loutro, with its whitewashed walls and electric blue seas.