Crete is 260 kilometres long. Driving from Chania in the west to Sitia in the east takes the better part of five hours on a road that is good in the middle and slow at both ends. It is the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean and the difference between one end and the other is not a matter of a few minutes.
That matters because the two things most people want are at opposite ends. Knossos, the Minoan palace complex and the reason Crete is in every history book, is just outside Heraklion in the centre-east. The Samaria gorge, sixteen kilometres of walking down a ravine to the Libyan Sea, is in the far west above Chania.
The four stretches
Chania and the west have the Venetian harbour, the old town of Turkish and Venetian buildings, the gorge, and the pink-tinged sand at Elafonisi and Balos. It is the most beautiful part of the island and the furthest from the archaeology.
Rethymno, in the middle, has another Venetian old town, a long sandy beach and the shortest drives to both ends.
Heraklion and the centre have Knossos, the archaeological museum that holds everything found there, and the busiest resort strip on the island at Hersonissos and Malia.
Elounda and the east have the luxury. The bay at Elounda holds the highest concentration of five-star resorts in Greece, on a sheltered stretch of water opposite the fortress island of Spinalonga.
The practical answer for a first visit: base at Rethymno or Heraklion and reach both ends, or split the trip between Chania and Elounda and accept one long drive between them.
The fourteen below run from west to east.
Chania and the west
The Venetian harbour, the old town and the gorge.
Casa Delfino Hotel & Spa occupies a set of Venetian buildings on the old harbour with a rooftop, a courtyard and rooms among the seventeenth-century structures. It is the best hotel in the Chania old town.
Casa Delfino Hotel & Spa
Chania old harbour · 5★ · $$$
Venetian buildings around a courtyard with a rooftop
Check availabilitySerenissima Boutique Hotel sits nearby in a restored mansion with a small room count, exposed stone and a personal operation.
Domes Noruz Chania occupies a beachfront site west of Chania with low buildings among gardens, a design-led interior and a quiet stretch of sand.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete sits on the same coast with treehouse-style rooms, private pools and the most contemporary architecture on the island.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete
West of Chania · 5★ · $$$$
Treehouse-style rooms with private pools
Check availabilityAvra Imperial Hotel occupies a large site at Kolymbari with several pools, full family facilities and the best value in the west.
Rethymno and the centre
The middle of the island, with the shortest drives both ways.
Grecotel Creta Palace occupies a long beachfront at Rethymno with gardens, several pools and a serious children's programme. It is the family answer in the middle of Crete.
Grecotel Creta Palace
Rethymno · 5★ · $$$
Long beachfront with a serious children's programme
Check availabilityAmirandes, A Grecotel Resort to Live sits west of Heraklion at Gouves on a large beachfront estate with a lagoon pool, a spa and one of the better kitchens on the island.
Amirandes, A Grecotel Resort to Live
Gouves, near Heraklion · 5★ · $$$$
Lagoon pool on a large estate with a strong kitchen
Check availabilityAbaton Island Resort & Spa occupies a position at Hersonissos with rooms cut into the hillside above a small bay, private pools and an adults-only policy.
Abaton Island Resort & Spa
Hersonissos · 5★ · $$$$
Adults-only hillside rooms with private pools
Check availabilityElounda and the east
The luxury bay, opposite Spinalonga, and the furthest from the gorge.
Rethymno Blue Residence sits on the Elounda bay with bungalows stepping down to a private beach, several restaurants and views across to the fortress island. It is the most complete resort in Greece.
Rethymno Blue Residence
Elounda bay · 5★ · $$$$
Bungalows stepping to a private beach facing Spinalonga
Search hotels in CreteElounda Peninsula Luxury Resort occupies a headland with suites and villas each with a private pool, a spa and the highest concentration of private pools of anything here.
Elounda Peninsula Luxury Resort
Elounda headland · 5★ · $$$$
Every suite with its own private pool
Check availabilityElounda Mare Relais & Châteaux Hotel sits on the bay as a Relais and Chateaux property with mature gardens, a private beach and a quieter, older tone than its neighbours.
Elounda Mare Relais & Châteaux Hotel
Elounda bay · 5★ · $$$$
Mature gardens and a quieter, older tone
Check availabilityDomes of Elounda, Autograph Collection occupies a hillside above the bay with a large spa, several pools and a strong food programme.
Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection
Above Elounda bay · 5★ · $$$$
Large spa and several pools on the hillside
Check availabilityDaios Cove sits in a private bay outside Agios Nikolaos with a funicular down to the beach, a spa and rooms cut into the slope.
Daios Cove
Near Agios Nikolaos · 5★ · $$$$
A private bay with a funicular down to the beach
Check availabilityCayo Exclusive Resort & Spa occupies a small private bay at Plaka with villas, a beach club and the closest position to Spinalonga.
Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa
Plaka, Elounda · 5★ · $$$$
Closest position to Spinalonga, with a beach club
Check availabilityWhat we have left off
The apartment complexes and studios along the northern coast are excluded, and between Malia and Hersonissos they represent the majority of Crete's beds and the package market that built them. They are apartments rather than hotels.
What to do
Do Knossos early with a guide, then the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, which holds the frescoes, the bull-leaping panel and the Phaistos disc. The museum is the better half.
Walk the Samaria gorge, which is sixteen kilometres downhill from the Omalos plateau to Agia Roumeli on the south coast, takes five to seven hours, and ends with a boat because there is no road out. It runs roughly May to October depending on conditions.
Go to Balos and Elafonisi in the far west for the shallow lagoons and pink-tinged sand, both early in the day.
Eat Cretan rather than generic Greek: dakos, snails, wild greens, raki at the end of every meal whether you ordered it or not.
Take the boat to Spinalonga, a Venetian fortress island that was a leper colony until 1957.
Practical notes
Heraklion and Chania both have airports with heavy European traffic in summer. Ferries run overnight from Piraeus.
May, June, September and October are ideal. July and August are very hot and the northern coast is at capacity. Winter is mild on the coast, and the mountains hold snow into spring.
A hire car is essential. Distances are longer than they look.
Explore 4 & 5 Star Crete Hotels
Questions people actually ask
Can you see Knossos and the Samaria gorge from one base?
Not comfortably. They are at opposite ends of a 260-kilometre island. Base in the middle or split the trip.
Chania or Elounda?
Chania for the old town, the gorge and the western beaches. Elounda for the resorts and the sheltered bay.
Is the gorge hard?
Sixteen kilometres downhill over loose rock, five to seven hours, and it is a serious walk rather than a stroll. Proper footwear matters.
How many nights?
Seven. Longer if you want both ends of the island.