Thanks Richard. No, we got further west than Rethymno as we hired a car and saw quite a lot of the fantastic western part of the island, although there remains more to be discovered there for us.
I was wondering about exploring the East & I don't think either Elounda or Aghios Nik fall into the category you're describing. I read glowing reports of both places but my main concern was whether travelling on the last week in Oct. is a good idea. I.e. will there be tavernas open or is this just too late in the year? The weather seems to stay very warm late in the season so thought Crete might be a good choice for a last blast of sunshine before the winter.
Any thoughts anyone