Where to Stay in Crete? Our 4 Favorite Spots & Best Hotel Tips

The 4 Best Places to Stay in Crete

Crete is one of the most popular travel destinations in Greece. You’ll find a huge selection of hotels and apartments here.

That’s why in this article we’ll show you the 4 best areas for where to stay in Crete.

These are the 4 places & regions we recommend for your Crete vacation:

1. Malia: Perfect if you’re looking for a lively nightlife scene or want to explore the east.
2. West of Chania, in Agia Marina or Platinas: Ideal if you want to relax on the most beautiful beaches and explore the west.
3. East of Rethymnon, in Bali or Adelianos: Great for families and if you want a beach vacation with just a bit of sightseeing.
4. Paleochora: Great if you’re looking for peace and quiet and affordable accommodation.

The 4 Crete Vacation Spots on a Map at a Glance

On the map we’ve marked the 4 places & regions to stay in Crete for you. The four yellow areas indicate the regions we recommend for your stay.

Our Recommendation: Stay in Two Hotels in Crete if You Want to See a Lot

Something you absolutely need to know: As you can see on the Crete map, the island stretches quite a long way from west to east.

If seeing many Crete attractions is important to you, we recommend booking two accommodations for your trip. The highlights are spread right across the island, so splitting your stay is the smartest way to cover them without spending half your vacation in the car.

To make that worthwhile, you should plan on spending at least one week in Crete.

Your 1st Hotel to Stay at in Crete

Where: In Malia or the surrounding area

What to see: The eastern part of Crete

Our hotel pick: Pyrgos Blue

Your 2nd Hotel to Stay at in Crete

Where: In Chania or the surrounding area

What to see: The western part of Crete

Our hotel pick: Casa Nostos

If you don’t want to see everything but just a few highlights in the west and a few in the east, we recommend staying in just one place in the region east of Rethymnon. That’s pretty much in the middle of the island.

We’ll now tell you in detail what each of the 4 areas has to offer and give you some great hotel recommendations for Crete right away.

Our Hotel Recommendations for Malia in Crete

If you want to see a lot of sights in Crete, you should book two hotels. It’s worth it for a week-long vacation in Crete. That’s what we did.

Our first hotel was in Malia in the northeast of Crete. We stayed there for four nights. From here you can reach all the key highlights in the northeast and east of the island.

Opinions on Malia as a vacation spot are mixed, though. Malia is known as the party town of Crete — you’ll find plenty of bars and clubs here. During the peak season, there’s always something going on, and around the party strip in the old town it can get pretty loud at night.

But don’t worry — just a few streets away you won’t hear a thing. You can easily avoid the party crowd in Malia. A bit outside the center, the beaches are also nicer.

One real plus: apartments and hotels here are still relatively affordable. Malia is probably the cheapest vacation area on Crete’s north coast.

Advantages of staying in Malia:

• Perfect base for sights in the east
• Wide selection of accommodations in all price ranges
• Also nice, affordable hotels right on the beach
• Good tourist infrastructure
• Only half an hour’s drive from Heraklion Airport

Disadvantages of staying in Malia:

• No authentic Greek atmosphere
• Lots of party tourism in the summer
• Long drive to the sights in the west

Our Hotel Recommendations for Malia

Malia is something of an under-the-radar pick when it comes to truly beautiful, affordable places to stay right by the sea. One of them is the Pyrgos Blue. It’s run by a super friendly Greek family who also serve delicious food at their restaurant.

Our personal hotel pick in Malia is the Mirage Studios. That’s where we stayed, and the prices are unbeatable. Even in summer you’ll pay under 75 euros for a double room. Our highlights are the pool and the bar.

Both hotels are among our top 14 best hotels in Crete. Definitely worth it!

Staying West of Chania in Agia Marina or Platinas in Crete

For the last three nights in Crete, we switched hotels once more. Our new lodging in Crete was in the resort town of Platinas, west of Chania in the northwest of Crete.

The area west of Chania is ideal if you want to discover the most stunning highlights in the northwest and south of Crete. You’ll find a really solid infrastructure here.

It’s one of the most beautiful corners of Crete and our personal favorite vacation spot on the island. We loved the beaches here the most, you can catch both sunrise and sunset, and you’re just a short trip away from Chania.

We can highly recommend not only Platinas but also Agia Marina. In the end, it doesn’t really matter which one you choose. They’re right next to each other and both have a small, charming village center with shops and restaurants.

Advantages of staying in Agia Marina and Platinas:

• Perfect base for sights in the west
• Stunning beaches
• You can catch both sunrise and sunset
• Chania is the most beautiful city in Crete
• Close to Chania Airport

Disadvantages of staying west in Agia Marina and Platinas:

• Accommodation is more expensive than in other regions
• Long drive from Heraklion Airport
• Long drive to the sights in the east

Our Hotel Recommendations for Agia Marina and Platinas

We love the Casa Nostos. The design is super modern and minimalist, and many rooms have direct pool access — really cool! The beach is a five-minute walk away.

Hotel in Crete East of Rethymnon Between Bali and Adelianos

Definitely don’t want to switch hotels? And just want to see a few highlights in the east and a few in the west? Then the north coast east of Rethymnon is perfect for you.

This is probably the most popular vacation area in Crete. Here you can have a truly great beach vacation with some sightseeing mixed in. It’s also a fantastic choice for a Crete vacation with kids.

East of Rethymnon you’ll find many small towns spread out along the coast, all very geared toward tourism. That’s great if you want a wide selection of places to stay and good infrastructure. From here you can also take wonderful day trips around Crete.

Two spots we really love: if you’re after a long sandy beach, Adelianos is perfect. We like Bali even a little more, with its small coves. The beaches have fine sand and a gentle entry into the water. We’ve got great hotel picks for both.

Advantages of staying in Bali and Adelianos:

• Wide selection of accommodations in all price ranges
• Long sandy beaches and beautiful small coves
• Good tourist infrastructure
• Quick access to sights that are more centrally located in Crete
• Only about an hour’s drive to both Heraklion and Chania airports

Disadvantages of staying in Bali and Adelianos:

• No authentic Greek atmosphere
• Very crowded with tourists in summer and during school vacations
• Long drive to sights in the west and east

Our Hotel Recommendations for Bali and Adelianos

If you’re wondering where to stay with kids in Crete, we have a great recommendation: the Marinos Beach in Adelianos. One of the best family hotels in Crete, right on the sandy beach, but with great double rooms as well.

The Blue Bay Lifestyle is our absolute top pick for a hotel in Bali. The location by the sea with a small, private rocky terrace and sunbeds for relaxing is one of a kind. A great-value adults-only hotel in Crete in this area is the Bali Diamond.

Staying in Paleochora in Crete

If sightseeing isn’t a priority and you just want complete peace and quiet, Paleochora is ideal. The south of Crete is still considered a hidden gem for travelers who want a few genuinely relaxed days away.

Paleochora in the southwest of the island is exactly that kind of place. Here you’ll find one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete where you can just kick back and unwind. Most of the sights are very far away, though.

That said, there are great tavernas and small shops here. The sea is very calm, making it perfect for families too. Paleochora is a real budget pick — prices are low, though the accommodation is fairly basic. Don’t expect luxury here.

Advantages of staying in Paleochora:

• On a truly beautiful beach, also great for kids
• Authentic Crete
• Affordable hotel prices
• Perfect for a relaxing beach vacation

Disadvantages of staying in Paleochora:

• Limited selection of accommodations
• Long drive from both airports
• Far from almost all sights
• A rental car is a must

Our Hotel Recommendations for Paleochora

If you’re looking for a place to stay with a pool in Paleochora, we recommend the Relax Hotel. It’s beautifully quiet right on the beach yet still close to the center. If you have the choice, go for the newer building — the rooms are super modern.

The Casbah Boutique Hotel has an incredibly beautiful design. The furnishings are very high quality, modern, and super stylish. You rarely find that in Paleochora. The beach is just a five-minute walk away. A fantastic hotel pick for this corner of Crete.