chania crete

Where to stay in Crete: Chania, Rethymno or Heraklion?

Crete is the largest island in Greece, so choosing the best area to stay in Crete for you, will dramatically influence your experience of the island. I’ve put together this mini guide for where to stay in Crete, based on my own trip to Crete. The best areas to stay in Crete are Chania or Rethymno, but if you’re visiting Crete to see the Minoan Palace of Knossos, you may want to stay in Heraklion. Read on for the best towns to stay in Crete & what to see in each region.

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Where to stay in Crete: Crete’s Four Prefectures

The island of Crete is divided into four prefectures, three of which are named after major cities. The four prefectures of Crete, from west to east, are Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Lassithi. The major towns of Crete are Chania, Rethymno and Heraklion, and they are all on the north coast of Crete.

How to get to Crete 

You can get to Crete by flying into Heraklion or Chania, or by catching the ferry from Athens (Piraeus) to Chania, Heraklion or Sitia. If travelling from Athens, I’d recommend flying as the ferry takes between 6-10 hours, and Greek ferries are notorious for running extremely late (ie. hours late). I like using the Greek ferries for shorter, sheltered trips between islands, rather than longer trips on open seas, which can be bumpy rides.

horse and buggy in chania crete

Rethymno

Rethymno is the best place to stay in Crete for a traditional Greek village experience. 

We stayed in Rethymno when we visited Crete, and I am so glad we did! Rethymno is such a charming seaside town. Rethymno is a town with 30,000 inhabitants, and a beautiful Old Town with strong Venetian, Byzantine and Ottoman influences. It has a very relaxed, seaside resort feel, and lots of great little bars and restaurants. 

I also loved staying in the Rethymno prefecture, because there were lots of beautiful beaches and villages to explore in central and southern Rethymno. There’s the hilltop towns of Spili and Margarites, as well as Preveli Beach and Plakias on the south coast of Rethymno. 

Rethymno Crete

Where to stay in Rethymno

We stayed at Pal Calma Suites in Rethymno, which I highly recommend. The owner, George, was so hospitable and welcoming, and a true local expert. We had a loft-style suite, which was beautiful – and importantly, very cool, during the hot Greek summer. It was located in the centre of Rethymno Old Town, I loved stepping out the front door into the heart of the lively Old Town every morning.

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How to get to Rethymno

Rethymno is on the north coast of Crete, approximately halfway between Chania and Heraklion. In summer, there is a ferry service to Rethymno, but I’d recommend flying to Heraklion and hiring a car to drive to Rethymno, which is what we did. There are lots of hire car rental shops at the Heraklion Airport, and it is a 1 hour drive to Rethymn from Heraklion. Our flight arrived very late into Heraklion, so we were exhausted on our drive to Rethymno. If I had my time again, I’d stay overnight in Heraklion, hire a car in the morning and visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, and then drive to Rethymno after a good night’s sleep.

Rethymno Crete

Chania

Chania is Crete’s westernmost prefecture, and home to its most famous city, Chania. Chania is a beautiful, historic town known for its scenic Venetian Port, Venetian Quarter and Turkish Quarter. In Chania, the story of Crete is written in the streets, in the melange of architectural styles that divide the town. Chania is the best place to stay in Crete for staying in a major, lively city that is as beautiful as it is historic. Chania is much larger than Rethymno, with a population of 100,000.

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Chania prefecture is also home to two of Crete’s most famous beaches, Balos and Elafonissi. In saying that, both are not easy to visit from Chania town. Balos can be visited via a full day trip from Chania, on a boat tour, or self driving along one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Many rental car companies have a “No Balos” policy in the contract.

Elafonissi is in the southwest corner of Chania prefecture, a two hour drive from Chania Old Town. You might want to spend a night or two closer to Elafonissi to avoid spending more hours on the road than on the beach in a single day.

chania venetian port crete
Venetian Port, Chania

How to get to Chania

Chania is very easy to get to, as it is home to one of Crete’s two major airports. There is also a ferry port, but as I’ve mentioned, given the distance from Crete to Athens, I’d recommend flying to Chania.

chania crete

Heraklion

Heraklion is the best place to stay in Crete if you’re visiting the Minoan Palace of Knossos, as well as for visiting other museums, historic sights and Crete’s wine region. Crete’s major airport is in Heraklion, so we flew in & out of Crete from here, but didn’t stop to spend any time. Heraklion is the capital of Crete and is the fourth-largest city in Greece, with a population of 300,000.

If I had another trip to Crete, I’d want to visit the Palace of Knossos, but based on my research of Heraklion, as well as experiencing other regions of Crete, I’d prefer to see Knossos on the way in or out of Crete, and stay on another part of the island – like a small town in Chania, closer to some of the sights I missed on our first trip.

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How to get to Heraklion

Heraklion is very easy to get to, because it is home to Crete’s major airport, as well as a ferry port. I’d recommend flying into Heraklion, and hiring a car at the airport.

Crete
Driving around Crete

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