6 easy-to-reach villages to visit on Crete
This Greek hotspot has far more than picture-perfect beaches.


Most people are surprised when I tell them that it takes seven hours to drive the length of Crete, home of the healthy Cretan diet and birthplace of Zorba The Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis. They’re even more astounded to hear that—even though I’ve lived on Greece’s largest island for more than a decade—I still haven’t seen everything there is to see here.
Given the size of this island, which is only a couple of hours' ferry ride from Santorini, it’s hardly surprising that most travelers make a beeline for Crete’s main cities and resorts. There’s Chania with its labyrinth of shopping lanes clustered around a Venetian harbour in the west. Central Heraklion is home to the Palace of Knossos where the mythical Minotaur once roamed. And Malia serves as the notorious nightlife hub in the island’s eastern half that’s loved by younger travelers.
But as I’ve discovered, experiencing the heart of this island requires getting off the beaten track. Here are six of Crete’s best small cities, villages, and resorts where blissfully un-crowded beaches, low-key tavernas, and lesser-known sights offer a true taste of the island where the mythical God of Thunder was born.
Sitia
Two hours from Heraklion by car

Located on the island’s eastern tip, Sitia coils like a snail around its harbor filled with bright-colored kaiki fishing boats. Home to one of Greece’s newest UNESCO geoparks, this rarely-visited city is a concentrated dose of everything that Crete does best.
Followers of the Cretan diet will feel right at home in traditional tavernas like Kritiko Spiti, where they serve xoxloi (snails steamed in a garlicky sauce), vlita (wild greens foraged from the surrounding mountains), dakos (rusks), and other tasty local delights. After your meal, settle into a stroll up Sitia’s labyrinthine streets to the Venetian Kazarma, with its spectacular views over the surrounding countryside. Lined with quirky one-off shops selling everything from jewelry to local produce, this is also the place to go if you’re seeking a spot of shopping therapy.
Add a cluster of sandswept beaches, a handful of low-key boutique hotels, and a tangle of hiking trails and you’ll understand why there’s every reason to linger here.
Tip: For plenty of information on things to do and see in the Sitia UNESCO Geopark, visit the park’s office near the harbor—it's run by locals who have a wealth of experience in the surrounding area.
Matala
One hour from Heraklion by car

On the other side of the vast Messara Plains where most of Crete’s horticultural crops are grown, the seaside town of Matala is one of my favorite beach resorts—especially in June when it hosts the free, three-day Matala music festival, which features Greek artists and a few incredible tribute bands. Apart from the festival, Matala is a sleepy place, despite its claim to fame as the place where folk legends (including Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell) lived in caves, which still stand on one side of the central, horseshoe-shaped beach.
The hippie vibe lives on here in a crop of quirky craft shops and designer stores lining alleys back from the beach, in the funky bars near the harbor, and in the resort’s budget-friendly campsite overlooking Matala’s sheltered cove. Dig into xochloi, dakos, and more at Sunset (one of the resort’s oldest tavernas), or enjoy some raki—Crete’s national spirit, made with the residue from grapes during the winemaking process—with a side of live music at the Music Cafe Bar in Matala’s main square.
Tip: Don’t miss a visit to the Minoan Palace of Faistos and the neighboring archaeological site of Agia Triada, which are both close by. Alternatively, rent a bike from Olympic Bike and head out to explore the wild surrounding countryside.
Rethymnon
Just over an hour from Heraklion by car or bus

Crete’s third-largest city is like a bite-sized version of Chania—without the crowds. Instead, you’ll find a lively student population, heritage architecture, a network of shopping streets, and some of the island’s loveliest beaches.
Arkadiou Street in the center of Rethymnon’s old town is the place to see the city’s most picturesque Venetian loggias and ancient mosques. Shops in the old town are hemmed in by the crumbled remains of the city’s 16th-century walls and sell everything from komboloi worry beads to traditional Cretan musical instruments. Greeks also flock here for food. From tavernas like Ta Agrimia where they’ve put a modern spin on traditional home cooking to the local-loved Rakodikio where the snacks go down best with raki punch, Rethymnon is the place to enjoy some of the island’s specialties.
Tip: Just before the sun sets over Rethymnon’s Venetian harbor, climb to the 16th-century hilltop Fortezza to lap up panoramic views.
More to explore
Elounda
One hour from Heraklion by car

This low-key seaside resort town has always attracted celebrities, from Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis and his wife Jackie O during the ’60s to Rihanna and Lady Gaga. The celeb set tends to stay in and around a cluster of sophisticated resorts set discreetly back from the main town, so you’ll need to look hard to find them.
The town itself centers around a small harbor and an admittedly touristy (but still fun!) floating taverna. For more authentic dining, you’re better off heading to The Ferryman further along Elounda’s pebble-lined coast. Here, take a seat at a wobbly table right by the water and enjoy brine-fresh grilled octopus, mussels steamed with ouzo, and other fresh, seafood-heavy dishes. Alternatively, grab your swimsuit and sturdy shoes and head for the town center where a small road leads to a peninsula spiked with stocky stone windmills. This area is home to the crumbled remains of the sunken Dorian city of Olous, once one of Crete’s most important towns until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 780 AD. From here it’s a half-hour hike along dusty, thyme-scented tracks to Kolokithia—a remote, sandy cove that is one of Elounda’s loveliest beaches.
Tip: Elounda is also the departure point for boats leaving for Spinalonga, the leper atoll setting for Victoria Hislop’s poignant novel The Island. Since it’s only a 10-minute trip across the bay and you can linger for a few hours or join an hour-long tour with a professional guide, it makes for the perfect day trip.
Loutro
Three hours from Heraklion by car and ferry

Crete has plenty of blissful get-away-from-it-all havens, but car-free Loutro—which can only be reached by boat from Chora Sfakion—is in a class of its own.
Filled with whitewashed houses shaped like sugar cubes and backed by a low semicircle of hills studded with wild herbs and olive trees, Loutro is idyllic. Behind the long promenade circling the waterfront, there are also bougainvillea-shaded alleys lined with small shops and seafood tavernas where they serve gavros marinatos—marinated anchovies—and other seafood treats. When you need some fresh air, head up the winding paths that lead to the picturesque ruins of Loutro’s Venetian castle high above.
Where to stay: Although you won’t find top-notch luxury here, a handful of hotels such as Hotel Porto Loutro and Daskalogiannis Hotel offer a comfortable base and breathtaking sea views that more than make up for any lack of luxury.
Tip: Some of Loutro’s dreamiest beaches, including the hidden coves of Marmara or Glyka Nera, are best seen by kayak. Book a tour with Enjoy Crete or head out on foot and hike from cove to cove.
Sougia
Just over three hours from Heraklion by car

Sougia is another lost-in-the-past resort town on Crete’s southern coast that was frequented by hippies back in the ’70s. Today, its lanes are littered with lean-to shacks (once fisherman’s homes) standing shoulder-to-shoulder with small kafenions where men sip thimbles of syrupy elliniko (coffee) and play with their worry beads. Along the beachfront, you’ll also find a string of family-run tavernas such as Smaragdus Fish Taverna or Omikron, which serve everything from fresh grilled fish to tsigaristo (slow-cooked lamb sautéed with onions).
For me, Sougia’s real charm lies in its endless pebble-and-sand beach, which has waters so clear you can see fish swimming along the bottom. Whenever I visit, I slap on tons of sunscreen, pack a picnic, and hike for around half an hour until I find a deserted spot beneath the tamarisk trees to spend a long lazy afternoon. Absolute paradise.
Where to stay: There isn’t much in the way of accommodation apart from a few guesthouses. If you’re seeking something slightly more luxurious, Monastery Estate is only a five-minute drive away and is home to a set of stylish suites housed in a cluster of beautifully converted stone houses.
Tip: During the summer months ferries leave from Sougia for the equally secluded Chora Sfakion, Paleochora, and Agia Roumeli. Of the crew, Sougia has the best tavernas and evening vibes, so I prefer to tackle one (or two) of these spots as a day trip and return to enjoy Sougia’s charms afterward.