Crete holidays

With 100 bars within easy walking distance of the golden sand, and with a great choice of watersports on offer, it’s no wonder that this lively beach is very popular with the younger set. After a night of partying, you’ll find hordes of tanned and toned twenty- and thirty-somethings unwinding on Malia Beach.

For those who prefer their beaches to be relatively quiet, with powdery pink sands, a coral reef lagoon and jade seas, then look no further than Elafonisi Beach. And, near Agios Nikolaos, you’ll come across Vai Beach, which boasts silky sand, warm, clear waters and palm trees – ingredients which have regularly earned it a billing as one of Greece’s top 10 beaches.

Crete’s 650 miles’ of coastline truly does offer a beach for every taste. For families, you can head over to one of the three pebbly stretches at Agios Nikolaos, which come complete with bathing platforms and watersports. Or, check out the sand swathes at Rethymnon Beach or Sun Beach, where the entire family will be kept well occupied under the Greek sun.

To find great bargains in leather goods – most of which are of a high quality and display expert craftsmanship – head over to Leather Lane in Chania. Here, you can also look in at some of the local shops to see if you can find that perfect ceramic piece to add to your collection. And, be sure to check out the famous handicraft shops in Krista, a hillside village outside of Agios Nikolaos.

Perhaps surprisingly, the best buys in Crete are of the edible variety – from cheeses and red saffron to pots of honey. And, one of the very best places to find deals on culinary items is in Heraklion’s Central Market. This bustling place is is open every day and also has stalls selling Minoan jewellery, clothes and other souvenirs.

For high-end brands, look no further than the chic boutiques of Agios Nikolaos. And, in Rethymnon, you’ll also come across some of the top-end designer names that you would expect to see in most European capitals.

For a truly Cretan experience of nightlife, don’t miss the scenes in Chania and Heraklion, with their trendy bars and cosmopolitan clubs. Rethymnon’s Venetian Harbour is almost like a fairytale destination after dark, in the warm Greek nights. And, to enjoy an ouzo and good conversation, why not grab an outdoor table at an authentic tavern in Agios Nikolaos.

The centre of Crete’s party universe, at the moment, is the neon-lit strip of Malia, with its booming clubs and bars selling cheap drinks until the sun comes up. Agios Nikolaos, once the liveliest club scene on the island, can still hold its own, boasting tonnes of exciting drinking spots in its harbour area.

When on the island of Crete, there are certain culinary treats that you simply shouldn’t miss. Saligaria stifado is one of these taste sensations. This staple of Cretan cuisine is a hearty stew made from tomatoes, herbs, baby onions and snails.

These typically Greek favourites come in two varieties. They can either be vine leaves filled with meat and rice, or sesame-seed-covered pastries stuffed with cheese. Both types are delicious and worth at least a bite or two.

A catch-all phrase for the type of small dishes that in Spain might be known as tapas, meze are the perfect accompaniment to a glass of local wine or ouzo. Typical examples of meze include calamari, olives, crusty bread and dips, such as the fish-based taramosalata and the yoghurt-based tzadziki.

In Crete, when it comes to dessert, you can’t go wrong with baklava. These sweet delicacies are crafted from delicate filo pastry and filled with honey and nuts.

Another classic dessert on Crete is loukoumades, fritters that have been deep-fried and drenched in syrup.