Where to Stay in
Eastern Crete
Greece Travel Secrets suggests where to stay in Eastern Crete with our favourite hotels in Zakros, Elounds, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos, Istron Bay, Myrtos, Neapolis.
The Elounda Beach Hotel
Eloúnda Beach
The Elounda Beach in (of course) Elounda can make a claim to be the best hotel on Crete, a luxury resort in miniature, with rooms including deluxe suites which each have their own private little swimming pools. Needless to say, the rooms have everything including lots of space. There are numerous restaurants and bars, every indoor and outdoor facility you could wish for, and a breakfast buffet that could see you through the day.
Kato Zakros Bay View Apartments
Bay View Apartments
This wonderful set of rooms is on the left after you leave the town of Zákros to wind your way down to Káto Zákros. Easily spotted by the profusion of plants around, the aptly-named Bay View Apartments command stunning views of the surrounding area and down to the sea. The rooms have bright, white walls and are extremely simple but clean and comfortable and have TVs, fridge, ensuite facilities, and lovely verandas to relax on. A terrific bargain.
The Hotel Elysee in Sitia
Hotel Elysée
The Hotel Elysée is a typical Greek mid-priced hotel, right on the waterfront in Sitia and perfectly located, a short stroll from the beach and from the town centre. Front rooms have balconies with great views over the harbour. They have lots of closet space, a fridge, TV, and phone. The rooms are clean and simple, but perfectly adequate for a few nights' stay. There is a breakfast room and a small lounge, and also ample private parking behind the hotel.
Hermes Hotel in Agios Nikolaos
Hermes Hotel
The Hermes is a smart hotel in Agios Nikolaos and has a stylish lobby with a shop, flagstone floors, and one wall lined with large copies of frescoes from Knossos. Here all rooms and suites, are spacious with satellite TV, radio, phone, fridge, and hairdryers. There are two restaurants, a rooftop pool, fitness centre, and easy access to a diving club just across the road. One of the most comfortable bases on the waterfront in the centre of town.
The Istron Bay Hotel
Istron Bay
One of the best hotels on the island, the Istron Bay overlooks its own bay some 12 km (7.5 miles) east of Ágios Nikólaos. The hotel is all-but invisible as you enter, the building backing onto a cliff so all rooms have sea views. They are also good-sized with large balconies and decorated in the bright Greek colours of blue and white. The restaurant has won awards for its gourmet cooking, and with its own pool and beach, and friendly service, it's rightly popular so book ahead.
The Itanos Hotel in Sitia
Itanos Hotel
The family-run Itanos Hotel is bigger than it looks, with 72 rooms in a building overlooking the waterfront and right by Sitia’s main town square. The rooms are standard fare for a hotel in this price range, and all have phone, satellite TV, radio, bath, air-conditioning and balconies with soundproof doors. Try to get a room at the front for the sea views. Facilities include a large dining room and bar, and, right in the lobby, a rather tempting patisserie.
The Minos Beach Art Hotel
Minos Beach Art Hotel
With easy access to both Ágios Nikólaos and Eloúnda, the luxury Minos Beach Art Hotel has lush gardens whose greenery is interspersed with some striking sculptures. It’s the kind of self-contained resort that is almost a small town, with guest rooms being in bungalows dotted around the grounds. There are several restaurants and bars, pool, tennis courts, watersports, TV room, baby-sitting service, and the ability to book car hire and tours without leaving the hotel.
The Myrtos Hotel
Myrtos Hotel
Probably the best of a limited range of accommodation in Myrtos, the inexpensive Myrtos Hotel is right in the little town’s packed centre, with its own restaurant attached. The rooms are a decent size with basic facilities, and around the outside of the building runs a small balcony which all rooms can enjoy. Guests get a welcome glass of tsikoudia, and we can also recommend their taverna, which is right next door.
The Neapolis Hotel
Neapolis Hotel
The Neapolis Hotel is an eye-catching art-deco style building right in Neapolis, with rooms that are fitted out with stripped pine furniture and lemon-coloured walls. Some have air-conditioning but all have very small balconies overlooking the street (though noise is not a problem in this charming hill town). The breakfast is generous, often with fresh fruit added for good measure, and you may return at night to find old men playing cards in the lobby, or the local priest watching the TV. Charming, well-maintained, excellent value.
Our Pick of the Crete Guides
Other Crete pages
The most famous Cretan writers and artists include the painter El Greco and the author of Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis.
Agios Nikolaos is a pretty and popular town on the north coast of Crete and this page on Greece Travel Secrets covers its history, museums and beaches.
Elounda on Crete's north coast is a popular holiday town with a pretty harbour, from where you can take day trips by boat to see the island of Spinalonga.
Western Crete in five days allows time to visit Chania and Rethymnon, enjoy the beaches, hike the Samaria Gorge and see the monasteries at Arkadi and Preveli.
Malia on the north coast of Crete is renowned for its nightlife and beaches but also has the Minoan Palace of Malia, one of Crete's many archaeological sites.
The travel tale Our Hire Car in Crete describes what it’s like when you go driving in Greece and get off the beaten track, resulting in kindnesses.
The Battle of Crete during World War 2 inspired several books and took place with an airborne invasion over Maleme on the north coast of the island.
Greece Travel Secrets tours the Lyrarakis Winery on Crete and learns about Crete grape varieties such as plyto, dafni, vidiano, vilana, mandilari and kotsifali.
Rethymnon is the third-largest city in Crete and has a Venetian fortress, Archaeological Museum, Old Town area and Venetian harbour,
Driving central Crete in three days gives you time to see the highlights including the Minoan palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, the beaches and the Diktean Cave.
This Rouvas Gorge walk starts and ends in Zaros in southern Crete and should take three to four hours with a distance of eight kilometres or five miles.
Cretan music is part of the island’s soul and visitors will hear live music wherever they go, with several distinctive Cretan musical instruments and songs.
Greece Travel Secrets discovers Sitia, the main town in eastern Crete, with its relaxing waterfront, inexpensive hotels, good food, and nearby ancient sites.
Studies have shown the Cretan Diet as one of the healthiest in the world, involving lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh fish, and moderate amounts of wine.
Is someone from Crete a Greek or a Cretan? They are both, of course, but most will tell you that they are Cretan first and Greek second.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Crete Botanical Gardens near Chania and finds a wonderland of colourful plants, trees, and flowers filling a lovely valley.
This tour around central Crete lists some of the area’s highlights such as the traditional village of Arolithos, Minoan remains at Tilisos, and Agioi Deka.
Lonely Planet Crete is an excellent and thorough guide of almost 300 pages to the largest of the Greek islands.
This Lasithi Plateau drive on Crete starts in Neapoli and ends in Malia, covering a distance of 80 km (50 miles) and taking two to three hours.
Keramos Studios in Zaros on Crete is an inexpensive two-star hotel/guesthouse with one of the best breakfasts on the island using food from the family’s farm.
Greece Travel Secrets chooses ten of the best beaches on Crete including the beautiful beaches at Vai and Elafonisi.
The Byzantine Church of Panagía Kerá near Kritsa and not far from Ayios Nikolaos is one of the most famous in Crete, and close by is the site of Ancient Lato.
This drive along the west coast of Crete and inland from there will take a whole day and starts and ends in Kastélli Kissámou, west of Chania.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Western Crete with tavernas and restaurants in Chania, Rethymnon, and Paleochora.
The Samaria Gorge is one the longest gorges in Europe and doing the hike is one of the best and most popular things to do on Crete.
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