Recommendations for Crete

[latara23]

My younger sister & I are planning a holiday to Crete beginning of July, just us 2.

We want an apartment or b&b hotel a short walk from a safe sandy beach & at least 1 food shop.
We'll hire a car for day trips but my sister likes to have a drink in the evenings so restaurants should also be in walking distance.

We like beaches, restaurants & bars, culture & history, quaint old buildings, shops..
But not to stay somewhere too crowded?

I've looked at places in the Chania region, maybe Kissamos?

Not Malia.

Look at places around Rethymnon or Chania. The eastern side of the north coast has loads of lovely places but possibly a bit too commercialised. Although Sissi is lovely, but close to Malia.

Don’t go.

The San Nicolaus area at the Eastern end of the island is really lovely. Lots of nice restaurants and bars but not tacky like Malian.

LittleWitch why? Have you visited every area in Crete?

Sissi is a low key village near Malia, but absolutely nothing like it at all. We loved it.

Rethymnon is lovely, beach, restaurants, old town, old Harbour with restaurants.....

Elounda is beautiful. Ticks all your boxes.

Chania region is lovely, with a great bus service. We stayed on the edge on Agia Marina, which is as busy or quiet as you want it to be.

I’d recommend the south coast, maybe Loutro. You arrive by boat, no roads, very peaceful.
www.cretetravel.com/guide/loutro/

Lonerica why? Spent three long, tedious, weeks there - bad weather, bad food, cringingly bad entertainment, awful fellow guests who wouldn't leave us alone. Nothing to recommend it in my view, loads of much nicer Greek islands. That's my opinion based on my own experience and for sure others will love it.

I’d recommend the village of Almyrida near Chania, it’s beautiful. Lovely safe sandy beaches, restaurants and shops. Not too busy but close enough for day trips out in the car to Chania, Kalyves, Georgipoli and the stunning lake Kournas. If you go to Crete I’d throughly recommend the western side near Chania, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Plaka & Elounda are lovely.