SherryStay Destination Guide

Crete

Greece’s biggest island — two airports, four base towns, and a north coast you can drive end to end.

Greece

Sherry's Take

Pick your base from the airport you fly into, not from the prettiest photo. Heraklion and Chania are ~140 km apart, about 2 to 2.5 hours on the north-coast highway, so the wrong pairing costs you most of a day in each direction.

Best For

BeachFamilyCouplesRoad tripHistory

Go in

MayJuneSeptemberOctober

Avoid if possible

AugustDecemberJanuaryFebruary

Where to Stay

Chania

Venetian harbour, old town lanes, the walkable base in the west

Rethymno

Old town plus a long town beach — the middle-of-the-island compromise

Heraklion

Biggest city and main airport, Knossos on the doorstep, least beachy

Elounda / Agios Nikolaos

The upscale east — big resorts on a sheltered gulf

Hersonissos / Malia

The packed resort strip east of Heraklion, all-inclusive and nightlife

Money-Saving Tips

1The two airports serve different halves of the island. Compare Heraklion (HER) and Chania (CHQ) fares together — the cheaper flight can cost you a two-hour transfer.
2Outside the north-coast strip a rental car is close to mandatory; budget it from day one rather than paying per-excursion.
3Tavernas one street back from the seafront are consistently cheaper than the ones on it, and the same applies around Chania’s harbour.

Getting Around

1Two airports: Heraklion (HER) in the centre-north and Chania (CHQ) in the west. Book your base around the one you land at.
2Heraklion to Chania is roughly 140 km, about 2 to 2.5 hours on the E75 / VOAK north-coast highway.
3The KTEL intercity buses run along that same north coast and connect the main towns; the south and the mountain villages effectively need a car.

Most Common Mistake

Flying into Heraklion and booking a hotel near Chania (or the reverse) — that is a 2 hour-plus transfer at each end of the trip.

Ideal Stay

5–7 nights

Combine with

• Knossos (20 min from Heraklion)
• Elafonissi beach (2h from Chania)
• Samaria Gorge (from Chania)
• Spinalonga island (from Elounda)