Where to stay in Crete

First, accept that Crete is big

This is the thing every other Crete accommodation guide underplays. Crete is about 260 km end to end - a long island rather than a wide one - and driving it takes hours even on the good north-coast road.

So the question is not “which town has the nicest hotels”. It is which end of the island your holiday happens at, and whether you should split your stay between two bases rather than day-tripping absurd distances from one.

The short version: west for old towns and the famous beaches, centre for the Minoan sites, east for resorts and quieter coast. A week in the west and a week in the east are two different holidays.

This page names areas and towns, not hotels. We have not stayed in Crete’s hotels and will not rank them.

The bases at a glance

The west: Chania

Base	Best for	Airport	Feel
Chania	Old town, west-coast beaches, gorges	CHQ	The prettiest base
Rethymno	A middle base, old town, long beach	Between the two	Balanced
Heraklion	Knossos, the museum, transport	HER	A working city
Agios Nikolaos / Elounda	Resorts, calm gulf water	HER, then a drive	Polished, eastern
The south coast	Escape, Libyan Sea, walking	Long drive from anywhere	Remote

Chania is, for most first visits, the best base on Crete. The Venetian harbour and the old town behind it are genuinely lovely to stay in - narrow streets, Ottoman and Venetian layers, a waterfront that works in the evening.

It is also the launching point for the west: Balos and Elafonisi, the two beaches that put Crete on postcards, and the Samaria Gorge. All of those are long day trips even from Chania, which tells you how impractical they are from anywhere further east.

Chania has its own airport, CHQ, and the ferry from Athens docks at Souda nearby - see Athens to Crete.

The trade: the old town is beautiful and it is busy, and rooms inside it are small and characterful rather than large and modern. Some of the harbour-facing streets are noisy in season.

The middle: Rethymno

Rethymno sits between Chania and Heraklion and is the natural choice if you refuse to pick an end. It has its own Venetian old town - smaller and less visited than Chania’s, with a fortress above it - and a long sandy beach running east from the town.

As a base it is a genuine compromise rather than a poor relation: you can reach Chania and Heraklion, and the gorges of the interior are closer than from either. If you have one week and want to see both halves of the island without moving hotels twice, this is the base that makes it least painful.

The centre: Heraklion

Heraklion is the island’s biggest city, its main airport (HER) and its main ferry port. It is a working Greek city rather than a resort, and it is the base for the two things that make Crete historically extraordinary: Knossos, just outside the city, and the Archaeological Museum, which holds the Minoan collection and is one of the best museums in Greece.

Stay here if the Minoan world is your reason for coming, or if you are arriving late and leaving early and want to be near the airport. Most people who come for beaches and old towns base elsewhere and visit Heraklion for a day.

The east: Agios Nikolaos and Elounda

The eastern end is where Crete’s resort industry concentrates. Agios Nikolaos sits on the Gulf of Mirabello, with Elounda just north of it - calmer, more polished, and the base for Spinalonga, the Venetian island fortress that later held a leper colony.

The water in the gulf is sheltered and calm, which makes this end good for families and for anyone who wants swimming rather than surf. It is a long way from Chania and the west - plan the trip as an eastern one, not as a base for the whole island.

The south coast

The south is the other Crete: the Libyan Sea, mountains coming down to the water, small settlements at the bottom of gorges, some reachable only on foot or by boat.

This is where to go if you want to be genuinely away from things - but it is a long drive over the mountains from the north-coast towns, and it is not a base from which to see the rest of the island. Treat it as a destination in its own right, usually as the second half of a two-base trip.

Should you split your stay?

For a week or less, one base, chosen by what you came for. For ten days or more, split it - typically west then centre, or west then east. Two bases turn hours of daily driving into one transfer day.

The corollary: you need a car. Crete is the clearest “yes” among Greek islands. The bus network runs along the north coast reasonably but will not get you to the gorges, the south, or the west-coast beaches on your own schedule. Hire on arrival rather than shipping a car over on the ferry - see renting a car in Greece and which islands need a car.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best area to stay in Crete?

Chania for most first visits - the prettiest old town and the gateway to the west-coast beaches and gorges. Heraklion if you are here for Knossos and the Archaeological Museum. Rethymno if you want a middle base. Agios Nikolaos or Elounda for calm-water resorts in the east.

Where should I stay in Crete for the first time?

Chania. It gives you the best old town on the island, and it is the practical base for Balos, Elafonisi and the Samaria Gorge - all of which are impractical day trips from further east.

Should I stay in one place in Crete or move around?

One base for a week or less. For ten days or more, split between two - the island is about 260 km long and a single base means hours of driving on repeat.

Do I need a car in Crete?

Yes, more clearly than on any other Greek island. Buses cover the north-coast towns, but the gorges, the south coast and the western beaches all need your own transport. Hire on arrival rather than bringing a car on the ferry.

Which airport should I fly into for Crete?

Chania (CHQ) for the west, Heraklion (HER) for the centre and east. Flying into the wrong one can cost you a three-hour drive on your first day.

Where should I stay in Crete for beaches?

The west, based in or near Chania, for Balos, Elafonisi and Falassarna. The east, around Agios Nikolaos and Elounda, for calm sheltered swimming rather than dramatic scenery.

Next

Read the Crete travel guide, the Chania guide for the western base, things to do in Crete, or get there with Athens to Crete.