The white sands and turquoise lagoon of Balos, Crete, under a blue sky
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Luxury in Greece

Crete

The largest Greek island: Elounda Bay and its resorts facing Spinalonga, the palace of Knossos where Europe’s first civilisation began, the Venetian harbour of Chania and the White Mountains.

Balos Lagoon, CretePhotograph: Laura Stanley

Kalós orísate

The island of Minos

Crete was the home of the Minoans, the first great civilisation of Europe, whose palace at Knossos, with its painted halls and labyrinth of rooms, flourished nearly four thousand years ago and gave birth to the myth of the Minotaur.

Later the island was Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman, and the Venetian harbours of Chania and Rethymno, with their lighthouses and waterfront houses, are among the most beautiful in Greece. In the east, the island of Spinalonga, a Venetian fortress, guards the entrance to Elounda Bay.

Elounda and the Gulf of Mirabello became one of Greece’s first luxury resort coasts in the 1960s and 1970s, and its hotels and villas still face the calm water of the bay. Inland rise the White Mountains and the Samaria Gorge, and Cretan cooking, with its olive oil and wild greens, is famous across Greece.

A few words of Greek
EnglishGreekSay it
HelloΓεια σαςYAH-sas
PleaseΠαρακαλώpa-ra-ka-LO
Thank youΕυχαριστώef-ha-ri-STO
Good eveningΚαλησπέραka-li-SPE-ra
The bill, pleaseΤον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώton lo-ghar-yaz-MO, pa-ra-ka-LO

Where to go

Crete at a glance

When to go and how to arrive privately.

Crete

Best time to visitLate May to June and September to mid-October are ideal: the sea is warm, the days are long and dry, and the island is calmer than in July and August.

  • Stay
    None that meets our standard yet.
  • Dine
    None that meets our standard yet.
  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (HER / LGIR), about 1 hour 10 minutes by car to Elounda, the island's luxury resort area. For western Crete, Chania International Airport (CHQ / LGSA) is the usual choice, about 30 minutes by car to Chania.
By helicopter
Not a regular option.
By sea
Agios Nikolaos Marina, taking yachts up to 70 metres; about 20 minutes by car to Elounda.

Stay

Luxury hotels in Crete

The finest hotels in and around Crete: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

Private villas and estates

  • BlueVillasAthens and Mykonos

    A Greek villa specialist, licensed by the Greek National Tourism Organisation, with offices in Athens and Mykonos and more than 150 villas on Mykonos alone, plus homes on Santorini, Paros, Antiparos, Crete and the Ionian islands. Visit website ↗

Cruises

Crete by sea

How the ships arrive in Crete, and the luxury lines that call.

Ships berth at Heraklion, and at Souda Bay for Chania; at Agios Nikolaos, near Elounda, they anchor and bring guests ashore by tender.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Experience

Events and things to do in Crete

The finest things to do in and around Crete.

The great museums

Weddings and celebrations

  • Stella & MoschaSantorini and Athens

    Planning weddings in Greece since 1993, with work across Santorini, Crete, Paros and the Athens Riviera. It is a founding member of the Greek Destination Planners Association. Visit website ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Crete

A home in Crete: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Greece Sotheby's International RealtyAthens

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Greece, with a head office in Athens and a branch in Corfu, covering the Athens Riviera, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Crete and the Ionian islands. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in Greece ›

Looking for a home in Crete? Write to [email protected] and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Crete and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Crete

Where is Crete?

In the southern Aegean, the southernmost large island of Greece. Heraklion airport takes private jets and is about 1 hour 10 minutes from Elounda; Chania airport serves the west of the island.

What is Crete famous for?

Knossos and the Minoan civilisation, the resorts of Elounda Bay, Spinalonga, the Venetian harbours of Chania and Rethymno, the Samaria Gorge, and Cretan cooking.

When is the best time to visit Crete?

Late May to June and September to mid-October are ideal: the sea is warm, the days are long and dry, and the island is calmer than in July and August.

How do you arrive in Crete by private jet?

Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (HER / LGIR), about 1 hour 10 minutes by car to Elounda, the island's luxury resort area.

Do you tip in Crete?

Service is generally included in the price, but leaving 5–10% for good service is customary. Round up taxi fares, or add 5–10% for longer journeys. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.

What should you wear in Crete?

Dress modestly at churches and monasteries: women cover their shoulders and knees, and men wear long trousers and sleeved tops. At the monasteries, wraps are usually provided at the entrance and men in shorts are turned away. No hard-soled shoes on yacht decks. Fine dining is smart-casual, and Athens and Mykonos can be dressier.

Beyond Crete

More in Greece

Mykonos, Santorini, the Athens Riviera and the Peloponnese, and the Mediterranean beyond.

GreeceLuxury Greece Holidays: Mykonos & SantoriniExplore GreeceThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Crete, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Crete

How Greece does things.

Language
Greek is the official language. English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants and anywhere that serves visitors.
Greetings
A firm handshake with eye contact on first meeting is usual. Friends typically greet with a hug or two cheek kisses. Address people as Kyrie (Mr) or Kyria (Mrs/Ms) with their surname until invited otherwise.
Dress
Dress modestly at churches and monasteries: women cover their shoulders and knees, and men wear long trousers and sleeved tops. At the monasteries, wraps are usually provided at the entrance and men in shorts are turned away. No hard-soled shoes on yacht decks. Fine dining is smart-casual, and Athens and Mykonos can be dressier.
Dining
Greeks eat late. Lunch is usually taken by about 3 pm, and dinner rarely starts before 9 pm, often 10 pm or later in summer. Reservations are essential at the top restaurants in Athens and on the islands in high season. Sharing plates is the custom.
Tipping
Service is generally included in the price, but leaving 5–10% for good service is customary. Round up taxi fares, or add 5–10% for longer journeys. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.
Good to know
Avoid the open-palm "stop" gesture towards someone, because in Greece it is an insult (the moutza). It is illegal to approach, photograph or film military installations, vehicles or buildings, and offenders can be arrested; take the same care in border areas.
Tourist tax
Hotels add a climate resilience fee per room per night, €15 at five-star hotels from April to October; cruise passengers landing on Santorini or Mykonos pay €20 a visit in summer.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.