Where to stay in Crete in May

by Mary
(UK)

My partner and I (both 57 yrs of age) are thinking of visiting Crete this May. However, we do not have a clue about where to stay.

We usually stay in apartments or small and friendly hotels and like peace and quiet, love to walk but like to be near tavernas at night to eat. Any suggestions greatly received.

We will probably hire a car too. Thank you.

Three Quiet Villages in Crete

Yiasas Mary,

Thanks for your question. May is a wonderful time to visit Crete...

We usually start by asking visitors to choose either east or west of the island, as there is so much to see in each region. This will also help you decide whether to fly into Chania (west) or Heraklion (centre) airport.

In May neither region will be too busy, so it is a good idea to choose a medium-sized seaside village to enjoy the tavernas, and also some peace and quiet, as you mentioned. We have provided a choice of three below, and some accommodation ideas.

In the west, we suggest the small beachside town of Kastelli Kissamos, which has a string of tavernas on the bay and is close to beautiful beaches such as Falasarna and Elafonisi which are perfect for day trips. Also the boat trip to Balos Lagoon is spectacular. In a village close by - we suggest the Elia Guesthouse because of its authentic atmosphere and small size, it is just beautiful.

In the centre of the island, we suggest the village of Matala on the south coast, with beautiful beaches and tavernas, close to historic sites including Phaistos, Gortys and close enough for a day trip to Knossos and Heraklion, or the mountains. In Matala we suggest Antonios Apartments.

In the east we suggest the village of Elounda as it has plenty of tavernas, cafes and shopping on a lovely scenic bay with the town of Agios Nikoloas, Lasithi Plateau and Spinalonga island as interesting day trips. In Elounda we suggest the Elounda Palm Boutique Hotel.

The information pages you might need are:

Kastelli-Kissamos

Matala Beach

Matala

Elounda Beach

Elounda Village

Enjoy your trip! Kalo Taxidi!

Where to stay in Crete in May

by Angie

Last spring, my husband and I (age 55) stayed in a small ancient village called Koutouloufari, 25km east of Heraklion, in the country.

We think this is the perfect location as it is not in the middle of a a busy tourist town, but it would only take 10-15 minutes to walk to it.

Koutouloufari has lovely little shops, great tavernas, (we recommend mezes) a laundry and you can walk along the dirt road to two other small villages, Piskopiano and Old Hersonissos.

There are many small, family run accomodations to choose from. Have fun! (We will be there in April!)

Thank you

by Mary First-timer

Thank you so much for all your information. It is greatly appreciated and we can't wait for May to arrive!