Will you be flying in to Chania or Heraklion?

Hi Judith, I'm flexible on airport at this point. Rethimno and Plakias look nice. The most important thing is nice beach in non touristy area. Also good walking nearby. The idea us to wake up to sea each day rather than to lie on the beach. Some of the beaches that came up didn't look so good. Thanks

I'm not sure that I would describe the town of Rethymno as being non-touristy - it has a population of some 40,000 people and even Plakias is quite developed. Personally, I preferred the smaller places further west towards Chania such as Kalyves and Almeryda and I would think that you are more likely to find somewhere quieter with a beach almost on the doorstep if you looked in that direction. It's a good area for walking as well with the White Mountains close by.

I think most places that have a nice beach will be somewhat touristy. I have only visited Plakias on a day out and it seemed attractive with a good beach. Many of the resorts on the north coast are quite large and are very touristy. Rethimno is a working town as well as a tourist resort, nice beach and a long sea front area to the many hotels and apartments and may suit your needs. Almyrida near Chania (also well worth a visit) a small holiday resort is quite nice, nice beaches and restaurants . We have stayed there in an apartment, sadly without a sea view, and there is no main road running through the resort. Nearby Kalives is even less of a tourist centre, more of a working village with beaches. We also visited Stavros which is just a few miles from Chania, the very small resort didn't seem touristy at all there was a beautiful beach and a lagoon as well as the sea, though I suspect it may be extremely quiet.

In May this year we flew into Chania and stayed for two nights in the small village of Panormo, not far along the coast east from Rethimno, about a mile from the main coastal highway, so very quiet with a harbour, a couple of beaches and some nice restaurants and in a good position for visits to the south , east and western areas of the island. We then drove to the very far east basing ourselves near the town of Sitia, an almost totally unspoilt area of the island. Not a lot of facilities but some great restaurants and beaches.

Thank you both. These points give me a bit more focus. I will zone in on Stavros, Almyrida as well as Sitia.

Sorry Sma I missed your post, I see you have already mentioned Almyrida and Kalives. I must have been typing my post when you posted yours.

No need to worry, Judith, there's never any harm in someone receiving info from more than one member :-)