The beaches

You could stay on Plakias beach for a fortnight and have no complaints. But half an hour in a car gets you to water that looks like a different sea, and most people end up with a favourite they defend loudly at dinner.

Plakias — 100 m

The long one. Sand the whole way, gently shelving, with umbrellas and sunbeds for hire along the central stretch and a scattering of cafés and water sports. Our end is the quiet end — that is precisely why the hotel is here. Walk five minutes east from the busy section and you will usually have a good deal of sand to yourself, even in August.

Damnoni — 3 km

The popular alternative, sitting at the end of a valley with hills around it. Sandy, very clear, and properly organised: taverna, snack bars, showers, changing rooms, umbrellas, water sports and a diving centre. Busier than Plakias in high season, and better for a long lunch than for solitude.

Mikro Ammoudi — 3 km

Small, sandy, turquoise, and traditionally used by nudists — worth knowing before you arrive with the children. A little canteen sells cold drinks and rents umbrellas.

Souda — 4 km

The last of the Plakias beaches, where the small Finikas river reaches the sea. Sandy, quietly beautiful, and one of the few places on this coast where you can see native Cretan palms growing. Umbrellas, showers and a taverna or two.

Ammoudi — 4 km

Thick white sand, a rocky seabed and bright green water — the local choice for snorkelling, with a diving centre on site. Tamarisk trees along the back give real shade, which matters more than people expect by two in the afternoon.

Schinaria — 7 km

Some people will tell you this is the best beach in Crete, and they are not being silly. Small, sandy, deep blue-green, with water clear enough that the diving school based here has good reason to be. Semi-organised: umbrellas and cold drinks, not much more. Take a picnic.