Crete Island Travel Forum

semi inactive grandparents (like sun, reading & photography)
daughter/son in law - more active, but will beach & read for days on end
2 16 month old twins.
Any ideas? villas or apartments? Baby sitting help? Beaches? Can you swim in May?
Good internet site to start? ssuming there is one better than this!!)

You need to be close to ALL even if you have a car.
Get a car other wise you will be stuck in one place.
Weather in May can play tricks on you, so if you have a car you can take the whole family and go to the city (there is few nice cities in Crete) or you may just spend half day doing car trips (kids like to sleep in the car).

Get a place close to the beach. If you need a babysitting help than preferably at least 4 star (that is still affordable) hotel with the pool and the kids club.

From my experience I can recomend you http://www.santamarina-hotel.gr/catalog.asp?id=1&lang=en
My mother went to that place and I have been few times in the town of Agia Marina.
Town is in close proximity to Chania (the most majestic town on Crete) and also Chania Airport (second arpport on Crete-my favorite airport).
There is a lot going on on this stretch of the beaches for 3 generations.

Another great town is the town of Bali. It is tiny little place lost between the mountains, with few crescent beaches. It is the most family oriented town on Crete. Everybody there has babies.
Downside is, that there is nothing to do aside if the beach and restaurants....and being that the town is located smack between Rethymno and HEraklio you must drive everywhere ...however if you argue it maybe a great base for a daily trips to the ruins, museums etc.
See my pages, as we go there often and we keep everything up to date.

My mother went in last week of May to Crete and there were few days good for swiming. The rest needed some kind of long sleve for evenings and morning walks.
She enjoyed the weather as she is not a big fan of hit.

There are so many possibilities. If you are someone who prefers to avoid the more built up/package tour type places then you need to be wary of some of the bigger resorts - these tend to be on the North Coast. The rather sprawling resorts tend to peter out towards the far ends of the island with the area around Sitia in the East and Kastelli Kissamos in the far West being lovely and retaining a local, non-touristy feel. However, there are still possibilities in between: Bali is one good suggestion.

If you prefer to base ourself in a city like Chania and Rethymnon it is better to base yourself in the attractive old town rather than the sprawling resorts around them. Incidentally, Agios Nikolaos is no longer the package-tour type place it once was in 70s and 80s - it makes for a very good family base, I've stayed there myself a couple times and I am but again I would stay in the town rather than in the enormous hotel-complexes nearby.

Paleochora in the far south west is a good mix of a destination with something for everyone. The sea is warmer there - though it is possible to swim in Crete in May. The weather, as described above, is unpredictable, but should be mostly fine, with some windy (or even very windy days) .
Check out people's pages on this site. I know someone who travels with several generations and often books places through Simply Crete - these are usually restored village houses. Sometimes car hire is included in the price (the villas are often a bit off the beaten track but usually in friendly villages) and you could get some bargains in May. http://simplycreteholidays.co.uk/
You could also look at http://www.explorecrete.com/
http://www.cretetravel.com/
http://www.interkriti.org/ (this last one has an excellent forum)

Hello Jerry, from an ex-Fairfield County-ite; moved to Philly 4 years ago and still miss being close to the water!

Listen, are you really STUCK on Crete?? I love love love it, but with your family configuration at present, I would advise saving Crete for another trip. FOr right now, I know a place that is ideal for toddlers in May... and it has enough scenery and antiquities to keep anybody happy, with lots of 'lolling" opportunities for the more laid-back members of the party. It's St. George Beach (Ag. Giorgios Beach) on NAXOS island. I've been to Greece 7 times since 1999, and Naxos is the ONLY spot that has been on my itinerary every time.

Here are a few reasons it's perfect for you:

1 -- Sandy beach, shallow (so water warms up earlier than elsewhere...I have swum at this beach as early as May 10); there are plenty of "apartment-type" units facing right on the sand, so a child could nap in room, parent could sun on patio and keep eye on other child digging a hole.

NOTE: You may read in Guidebooks that this beach gets crowded but that is in July-August. In May it's just nicely sprinkled with unclothed scandinavian tots. The Swedes and Norwegians LOVE this beach.

2- No need to rent a car every day, because this beach is directly adjacent to Naxos town, so with strollers you could take the tots to see a lot--- yachts in harbor, ferries in & out etc. Beach has playgrounds as well. For the grown-ups, Naxos town is a warren of windy, maze-y lanes going up to a stunning tower at the top of the town (with a museum full of Cycladic idol figurines).

3 - You can walk in minutes to the harborside cafes and restaurants at night & dine while kids toddle around and then snooze in their strollers -- i see it happening every May. This also means you do not always have to be getting in and out of a car, with carseats & Stuff. Close to town attractions yet St. George is v. quiet at night for sleeping.

4 - Conversely when/if you DO want to see the rest of the island, rent a car for a day or two...and you'll be blown away by the ruins and the vistas! Huge marble statues abandoned in orchards, a 5thC BC temple on a hill, mountain villages, marble quarries, sheep, goats, Minoan & Mycenean ruins... more more more. For the photogs in your gang, here's a slide show by friends of mine - they, like me have also been to Crete 3-4 times, but Naxos is our first love: see why:
http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/552001505EYxVYT

Airfield is 20 minutes from beach and Olympica Air is 50 minutes to Athens --only 1-2 flights daily. PLenty of internet cafes and many hotels even the small family-run places have free internet lobby hook-ups now.

A couple of websites with typical St. George Apt.hotels pictured are:

http://www.thegreektravel.com/naxos/hotels.html
http://www.naxos-island-greece.com/naxos-hotels/naxos-hotels.html

The small family hotels often have the kitchenette units so u can feed the kids when they are hungry. PRices are VERY reasonable -- 35-50 per unit... and the grandparents can have a next-door unit, more privacy than a villa.

THis is the answer if you need a place ON a beach, not "near", or it turns into endless to-and-fro, not relaxing. I have been there (Mother of 2), I know!

Forgot to say, with family hotels like this, you will have no problem picking up baby-sitting help, they love children and have lots of relatives to "sit" just ask as you check in. BTW, Hotels will pick you up at airport or seaport on request.