Seaside tourist areas abound in accommodation offers, but it is good to book in advance, to benefit from better prices, availability at beach hotels or rooms with sea views. On the booking portals - Booking, Hotels, Trivago, Expedia - you will find on the vast majority of hotels in Crete, from the economical, 2-3 star, bungalow type, with 50-80 euros per night, to the 5-star luxurious ones, featuring apart from the classic upscale facilities, heliport, private beach, Olympic pool, spa center and golf club, which can cost more than 1000 euro/night. You have the option to contact directly most of the hotel through their booking form to ask a question or make a reservation.
If you feel like organizing your holiday freely and getting a little closer to the real Crete, you can browse on Airbnb among thousands of holiday houses and pool villas for rent, self-catering family apartments, and even simple and cheap studios, with prices that vary from a few hundred euros to 25-30 euros/night, depending on the area, location, the number of beds, and facilities.
In the North are the best organized holiday resorts for couples and families, the most popular places for youth, cheap stays, and nightlife but also the most exclusive boutique hotels and all-inclusive luxury resorts, preferred by international celebrities and VIPs. The South is more exotic, wild, and harder to reach, with spectacular landscapes and rocky shores, among which quieter, secluded bohemian-style resorts and old fishing villages with budget hotels, rustic family apartments, and beach studios are scattered.
In the North are the best organized holiday resorts for couples and families, the most popular places for youth, cheap stays, and nightlife but also the most exclusive boutique hotels and all-inclusive luxury resorts, preferred by international celebrities and VIPs. The South is more exotic, wild, and harder to reach, with spectacular landscapes and rocky shores, among which quieter, secluded bohemian-style resorts and old fishing villages with budget hotels, rustic family apartments, and beach studios are scattered.
As you head to the center of the island, in the mountainous areas, you will discover old famous villages that have become real local tourist brands, with the boosting of rural and eco-tourism. Here you will find mansions, guest houses, or households with rooms for tourists and you will be able to explore and experience the domestic lifestyle of the Cretan peasants, food, customs and traditions, local craft, or agricultural activities.
Hidden in less known or harder to reach places, the monasteries offer free accommodation to pilgrims for two or three nights, and some retreat resorts with cottages in wooded areas organize detoxification and body-mind-soul balancing camps with yoga, meditation, nutrition, and alternative therapies. For adventurers looking for small refuge in nature or touring the island with a four-wheeled house, although less numerous and popular, there are recommended routes with tent campsites and caravans parks, offering amenities for such mobile-style holidays.
For city accommodation, there are plenty of options, from luxury boutique hotels that have revitalized old buildings in the historic center, modern high-end or budget hotels, to dormitories in youth hostels or guest rooms provided by locals.
Hidden in less known or harder to reach places, the monasteries offer free accommodation to pilgrims for two or three nights, and some retreat resorts with cottages in wooded areas organize detoxification and body-mind-soul balancing camps with yoga, meditation, nutrition, and alternative therapies. For adventurers looking for small refuge in nature or touring the island with a four-wheeled house, although less numerous and popular, there are recommended routes with tent campsites and caravans parks, offering amenities for such mobile-style holidays.
For city accommodation, there are plenty of options, from luxury boutique hotels that have revitalized old buildings in the historic center, modern high-end or budget hotels, to dormitories in youth hostels or guest rooms provided by locals.
Undoubtedly, wherever you choose to spend your stay, among the essential criteria that may interest you are quality, comfort, safety, and the reputation of the place where you will stay. On this page, you will find information, testimonials about experiences, and recommendations of more or less known places that hopefully, help you save time and effort in your own research.
