Cretan Holiday

June 20, 2022 2:08 AM

Two young adults have a short holiday on Crete coming up in July. Cheapo flights are booked to Heraklion airport, but they haven't decided where exactly to spend the holiday yet. Do you know a place that would tick (most of) their boxes? Or have any other tips with regard to Crete? Major limitation: no driving.

The boxes are:
- Easy enough to reach from Heraklion by bus.
- A lively (old?) town to explore (doesn't need to be one of the biggest ones though).
- Some nice nightlife such as bars and maybe a few clubs, but preferably not an insane party destination.
- Beaches: maybe something with a bit of variation? Some touristy stuff available (snorkeling, stand up paddling etc.), but also a bit more quiet (rocky?) ones within a shortish walk?

Furthermore:
- Any tips for finding reasonably priced accommodation?
- How to do stuff and see things when driving isn't an option? Or are buses etc. too unpleasant and should the youngsters just stay in one place and forget about day trips?

If you have any other advice or ideas, please share! Eg. regarding vegetarian food (local dishes not to miss?), things to do, safety... Many thanks in advance!

posted by muuratsaari to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

Chania is much prettier than Heraklion, has a beautiful old town and waterfront and a variety of beaches. There are plenty of beachfront bars and clubs, as well. The city is walkable - you can get from one end of it to the other across the longest axis in 40 minutes or so according to Google maps.

In terms of getting to other places on the island, don't discount ferries, they are a lot more fun than a bus and just getting the ferry is an activity in itself, especially on the less-populated south side of the island. There are little settlements or even single residences that are served by the ferry but have no other way in or out- no roads at all.
posted by cilantro at 2:53 AM on June 20, 2022

Honestly I really enjoyed Heraklion, and it ticks most of your boxes. You can just take the bus to various beaches.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:36 AM on June 20, 2022

I would not stay in Heraklion or Chania, both are too big and it will be sweltering and crowded. I think the easiest solution is to stay in Agios Nikolaos (not one of the resorts nearby, but actually in the town), it is a small pretty (by greek standards) city of 10K less than an hour from Heraklion, with several beaches in town, some tourists, but also people who actually live there, which means it won't feel like a tourist trap all the time and the food will be better. I would then take buses or a taxi for day trips, for example, there's a very nice looking beach abour 10-20km east of Agios Nikolaos, forgot the name, or they could go farther to Sitia or the east coast (more windy and deserted).

Just a tip: in case the worry about driving is that Greek drivers are crazy, I found the drivers in Crete to drive very slowly, and it is nothing at all like driving in Athens or Thessaloniki, or on mainland highways for that matter, especially if you are just in a small place like Ag. Nikolaos. (I can recommend some rental places).

Here is the bus station website for Heraklion. https://www.ktelherlas.gr/en/ It's a bit hard to navigate, let me know if I can help. In general, buses in Greece are pretty good.

Clubs together with walking distance to quiet beaches might be a bit hard. Crete is big and mountainous and in July very hot. Perhaps your friends could try a few nights in town and then a few nights at a quieter place in the far east.
posted by melamakarona at 8:04 AM on June 20, 2022

Part of our holiday in Crete involved an overnight stay in Heraklion (so we could visit Knossos) followed by a bus to eastward to Agios Nikolaos to then get a taxi to our ultimate destination was Elounda (which is stunning but not what you’re looking for -lots of resorts a bit quieter).

I can recommend the KTEL buses and you could choose to stay in Ag Nik itself as suggested above, or look for somewhere a bit further along.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 11:24 PM on June 20, 2022

Granted it was 21 years ago, but the best hostel I ever stayed in was in Plakia, a short bus ride from Heraklion. Back in 2001 it only cost $4 a night! It was very social and had lots of fun activities, a nice beach and a good hike nearby. There was a nightclub in town. You could also take a short hike to a nearby town that had a great restaurant. I'll never forget hiking back by moonlight and thinking I was surrounded by moaning ghosts in the dark -- only to realize I had meandered near a bunch of wandering white goats.
posted by egeanin at 10:14 AM on June 24, 2022