Where to Stay in Crete — Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion & the Elounda Coast
Curated by Our Guild Explorers · Updated August 2026
Crete is not an island so much as a small country: about 160 miles end to end, with mountains down the spine and four quite different bases along the north coast. Chania in the west is the prettiest and the most walkable, built around a Venetian harbour, and it is the right first choice for most visitors. Rethymno is a smaller, gentler version of the same, with a long town beach and lower prices. Heraklion is a working city worth a night or two for the Archaeological Museum and Knossos rather than a week. And Elounda and Agios Nikolaos in the east are where the big resort hotels are: quieter, more expensive, and the right answer if you want to settle in one place with a spa and a sea view. Below are our picks by style, each with an honest note and a Book Me link straight to Trip.com.
Good to know before you book
Crete is large enough that the choice of base genuinely changes the holiday. Here is how we would decide.
Do you need a rental car?
If you are basing yourself in one town and taking the occasional taxi or day tour, no. If you want the Lasithi plateau, the south coast or the smaller beaches, yes. The modern north-coast highway is straightforward driving; the mountain roads are narrow, steep and best avoided after dark. Note that the drive from Chania in the west to Agios Nikolaos in the east is about 130 miles and a solid three hours — do not plan to do it twice in a day.
Which town suits which traveller
Chania for the prettiest old town and the best dinners, and it is flat once you are down at the harbour. Rethymno for the same at a gentler price, with a town beach attached. Heraklion for one or two nights of museums and Knossos. Elounda and Agios Nikolaos if you want a resort, a spa and a sea view and are happy to stay put.
Fly rather than sail, unless you enjoy the crossing
Athens to Heraklion or Chania takes under an hour in the air, with many daily departures. The ferry from Piraeus is roughly eight to twelve hours; the overnight sailings leave around nine in the evening and dock between six and seven in the morning, and a private cabin with beds is modestly priced. Take the overnight boat if you like a sea crossing and want to save a hotel night; take the plane if you would rather not be up at dawn hauling luggage down a car deck.
Which hotels stay open in winter
Most of the Elounda and beach resorts are seasonal and close roughly from November to April. The town hotels in Chania, Rethymno and Heraklion stay open all year, which makes Crete one of the few Greek islands that works for a quiet winter break. May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot: warm sea, manageable heat and hotels at around two-thirds of peak price.
Luxury
The Elounda coast has been Greece’s grandest resort strip for fifty years. One honest note: the famous Blue Palace is closed for rebuilding and is not expected back until 2027, so ignore any listing that suggests otherwise.
Elounda Mare Relais & Châteaux Hotel
A low-rise, garden-wrapped estate on the Elounda shoreline, a member of Relais & Châteaux, with its own private beach and a serious spa. It is quiet and old-fashioned in the best sense — stone bungalows, many with a private pool, and staff who have worked here for decades rather than for a season. It suits travellers who want genuine five-star comfort without any nightclub atmosphere, and who will happily spend most of the week on the property.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection
A large terraced resort of suites and villas looking straight across Mirabello Bay to the island of Spinalonga, with five pools, a private beach and a spa. A separate stone-built quarter is reserved for adults, which is what makes it work for a multi-generation group — the adult and family zones are genuinely kept apart rather than nominally so. Good for a family that wants everyone under one roof without everyone in the same swimming pool.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Boutique
The Venetian old towns of Chania and Rethymno hold some of the loveliest small hotels in Greece — and, being centuries old, some steep staircases.
Casa Delfino Hotel & Spa
A restored Venetian merchant’s house on a lane behind the old harbour, with twenty-four individually shaped suites arranged around a pebble-mosaic courtyard. It is small, calm and personally run, with a modest spa and a rooftop terrace over the tiled roofs of the old town. Best for couples who want to walk everywhere and do not mind that a historic building means stairs and no lift to every room; unusually for Crete, it stays open all year.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Avli Lounge Apartments
Ten suites carved out of three restored fifteenth-century mansions in the middle of Rethymno’s old town, above one of the island’s better-known Cretan restaurants. The rooms are generous and characterful, several with a private hot tub, and the walled garden courtyard is a real pleasure at dinner. Be aware that the staircases are narrow and steep and the pedestrian lanes outside stay lively until late — charming, but not silent.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Budget & Value
Two straightforward, well-placed hotels that leave money over for dinner.
Lato Boutique Hotel
A well-kept four-star overlooking Heraklion’s Venetian port, a flat ten-minute walk from the Archaeological Museum. The rooms are compact and plain but they have balconies and sea views, and the breakfast draws consistent praise. Good value for a night or two either side of a flight or a day trip to Knossos, rather than as a week-long base.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Porto Veneziano Hotel
A straightforward three-star sitting right on the quieter eastern arm of Chania’s old harbour, with a shaded garden and a good number of sea-view rooms. It has none of the flourishes of the boutique conversions nearby, but the position is excellent and the ground is flat — no cobbled climb back from dinner. A sound choice for travellers who want the harbour on the doorstep and would rather spend the money in the tavernas.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Family-friendly
Crete does the big family beach resort better than almost anywhere in Greece, and at sensible prices.
Creta Maris Resort
A very large all-inclusive village of low buildings spread across gardens behind a Blue Flag beach, about fifteen miles east of Heraklion airport. There are seventeen pools and a waterpark, seven restaurants, a children’s club and an open-air cinema, plus a quieter adults-only suite section. It suits grandparents travelling with grandchildren who want everything on one site and no nightly hunt for a restaurant.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Aquila Rithymna Beach Hotel
A long-established beachfront resort on a half-mile of Blue Flag sand, with a substantial waterpark and children’s clubs graded from crèche age up to teenagers. The grounds are green and generous and there is a large spa, though some rooms are showing their age and would benefit from refurbishment — worth asking for a renovated one. Choose it for the beach, the children’s programme and the short taxi ride into Rethymno’s old town.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Adults-only
Two genuinely adults-only resorts, one at each end of the island.
Minos Palace Resort — Adults Only
A five-star resort of about a hundred and fifty rooms on its own small peninsula just north of Agios Nikolaos town, adults-only throughout. There is a private beach, an infinity pool set over the water and a spa, and the town’s harbour and restaurants are a short walk or shuttle away. Well suited to couples who want quiet and sea views but also like being able to stroll into a working Greek town for dinner.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection — Adults Only
An adults-only resort on a sandy beach at Agioi Apostoloi, a short drive west of Chania’s old town, with a minimum check-in age of eighteen. It has indoor and outdoor pools, a well-regarded spa with hammam and sauna, and four places to eat, all in a relaxed, design-led style rather than a formal one. Good for couples who want a beach base with easy access to Chania and no children at the pool.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Pet-friendly
Both of these publish their pet policy in writing, with the weight limit and the fee stated. One warning: the widely recommended Cretan Malia Park does not accept dogs, whatever the listicles say.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort
A relaxed luxury resort of bungalows and villas set in a protected cove a short drive from Chania town, with its own beach and a well-known spa. The published policy allows one cat or dog per room up to about fifteen kilos for a non-refundable fee per stay. A sensible choice if you are travelling with a small dog and still want a proper beach resort rather than a self-catering apartment.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Elounda Gulf Villas
A small hillside estate of villas and suites above Elounda, each with its own private pool, roughly half a mile from the fishing village. Dogs up to about fifteen kilos are allowed in all rooms for a nightly fee, though not in the restaurant, bar, spa or beach club. It suits a couple or a small family who want privacy, a pool of their own and the dog along for the trip.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Beachfront
Two very different beach hotels — one small and personal, one a quiet peninsula resort.
Ammos Hotel
A small, colourful design hotel of thirty-three rooms and suites set directly on Glaros beach just west of Chania, run with unusual care by its owner. It is informal and low-key, the food is good, and it is one of the very few Cretan hotels with a written policy welcoming well-behaved dogs. Ideal for travellers who want the sea a few steps away and a hotel small enough that the staff learn your name.
Book Me on Trip.com ›St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas
A quiet five-star on a secluded peninsula between Agios Nikolaos and Elounda, with its own small beaches and views across Mirabello Bay. There are five restaurants, several pools and a spa, and it is close enough to walk or take a short taxi into Agios Nikolaos for the evening. A good fit for couples or friends travelling together who want a beach on the doorstep without an all-inclusive atmosphere.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Spa & Pool
Where the treatments and the swimming are the reason for the trip.
Daios Cove Luxury Resort & Villas
A terraced resort built into the side of a private cove, with a sandy beach at the bottom and — crucially — a funicular to save you the walk back up. The spa offers hydrotherapy alongside the usual treatments, there are both indoor and outdoor pools, and many rooms have a private pool of their own. Best for travellers who want a serious spa and are content to stay put, since it is a drive to the nearest town.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Avra Imperial Hotel
A large resort near Kolymbari, about fifteen miles west of Chania, built around courtyards and a series of pools including an infinity pool and an indoor pool with hydrotherapy jets. The spa adds a hot tub, sauna and steam room, and there is a separate adults-only wing alongside the family areas. Suited to travellers who want extensive water and spa facilities at an upscale rather than a top-luxury price.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Crete Hotels — common questions
Which part of Crete should I stay in?
Chania in the west is the prettiest and the most walkable, with a Venetian harbour and the island’s best dinners — the right first choice for most visitors. Rethymno is a smaller, gentler version of the same at lower prices, with a long town beach. Heraklion is a working city, worth one or two nights for the Archaeological Museum and Knossos rather than a week. Elounda and Agios Nikolaos in the east are the resort coast: quieter, more expensive, and the right answer if you want to settle in one place with a spa and a sea view.
Do I need to rent a car in Crete?
Only if you want to leave the north coast. If you are basing yourself in one town and taking the occasional taxi or day tour, you do not need one. If you want the Lasithi plateau, the south coast or the smaller beaches, you do. The modern north-coast highway is easy driving; the mountain roads are narrow, steep and best avoided after dark. Bear in mind that Crete is about 160 miles end to end, and Chania to Agios Nikolaos is a solid three hours each way.
Should I fly or take the ferry from Athens to Crete?
Flying to Heraklion or Chania takes under an hour and is usually the sensible choice. The ferry from Piraeus takes roughly eight to twelve hours depending on the vessel; overnight sailings leave around nine in the evening and arrive between six and seven the next morning, and a private cabin with proper beds costs relatively little. Take the overnight ferry if you enjoy a sea crossing and want to save a hotel night; take the plane if you would rather not be up at dawn hauling luggage down a car deck.
When is the best time to visit Crete?
May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot — warm sea, manageable heat and hotels at around two-thirds of peak price. August is the hottest and busiest month, with inland highs regularly in the nineties Fahrenheit, crowded beaches and top rates; if you must travel then, book a coastal hotel rather than an inland one and do your sightseeing early in the morning. Most Elounda and beach resorts close from about November to April, while the town hotels in Chania, Rethymno and Heraklion stay open all year.
Is Knossos worth visiting, and how do I get there?
Yes, if you have any interest in the ancient world — it is the great Minoan palace site and the reason many people come to Crete at all. It sits about three miles south of Heraklion and is reached by a frequent city bus, a short taxi ride or an organised half-day tour. Go early or late in the day in summer, since there is little shade and the ground is uneven. Pair it with the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, which holds the frescoes and objects found there, and the site makes far more sense.
Are the old towns of Chania and Rethymno easy to walk?
The harbour fronts of both are flat and pleasant. Behind them, the lanes are narrow, cobbled and occasionally stepped, and the historic buildings converted into hotels often have steep staircases and no lift. If walking is difficult, choose a hotel on the harbour front itself rather than up a lane, ask specifically about stairs when you book, and take a taxi to the edge of the pedestrian zone rather than expecting to be dropped at the door.
Don’t see your perfect fit?
Browse every hotel with live prices and availability on Trip.com. Booking through our links supports Destinations Guild at no extra cost to you.
The Greece Guide ›
The whole country in one chapter — Athens, the Cyclades, Crete, the Dodecanese and the mainland.
Best Time to Visit Greece ›
Month by month on weather, crowds, prices and which islands are open when.
Where to Stay in Rhodes ›
The medieval old town, the beach strips and the honest truth about the Lindos steps.