Back in Crete: A family holiday with laughter, bickering, and travel tips

Back From Our Annual Summer Holiday in Crete

Well, we’re back from our annual summer holiday in Crete. This time our group was a little bigger than usual. We brought both of our daughters, our son, my mother-in-law, and my husband. Our stepson stayed behind in Norway. He simply doesn’t enjoy hot weather, and since we were going to be away for two weeks, he decided to skip this year’s trip.

After the first week, my sister-in-law, her husband, and their grandchild joined us as well. All in all, it was a wonderful holiday. But… with a big family spending two weeks together, a few minor disagreements were bound to happen. It would almost have been strange if we had managed two weeks without the occasional little discussion.

Achilles Plaza, Our Home Away From Home

We stayed at Achilles Plaza in Kato Stalos for the second time. The hotel sits right on the border between Kato Stalos and Agia Marina and is a lovely family-run apartment hotel just a short walk from the beach.

The first time we stayed there, we didn’t go on many excursions because my mother-in-law doesn’t cope very well with the heat. A cold beer or cocktail, on the other hand, disappears surprisingly quickly… So we mostly stayed around the hotel.

This visit was fairly similar, but we still managed to fit in some of our favourite excursions. We took the little tourist train, joined a boat trip to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island, rented a pedal boat on Lake Kournas, also known as Turtle Lake, and visited the Botanical Park.

All three are among Crete’s most popular excursions, and it’s easy to understand why.

To be honest, we almost always end up visiting both Lake Kournas and the Botanical Park every single time we’re in Crete. Our little guy absolutely loves both places, and they’ve become one of our family traditions.

Balos, This Time by Boat

My son and I had visited Balos before together with my brother, my sister-in-law, and her family. That time we drove all the way there by car.

This time we chose the boat trip instead.

It was a lovely experience, but I have to admit that I actually prefer visiting Balos by private boat. If we return again, that’s probably the option we’ll choose.

I also try to convince everyone to visit Elafonissi every time we’re in Crete, but unfortunately it didn’t work out this year. So Elafonissi will have to wait until our next holiday.

Coral Beach, A Big Disappointment

We spent plenty of time relaxing around the hotel again this year, but we also visited Coral Beach.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the holiday.

We’ve loved this place ever since we discovered it several years ago and have stopped by during every single holiday in Crete since then. This time the beach was absolutely packed with people, and the whole place just felt different.

The new waiter initially gave us the impression that he didn’t really want us there. As time went on, it became clear that he was simply rather exhausting to deal with.

When we first started coming here, the restaurant was run by a lovely Dutch lady who was always incredibly welcoming. There was also an employee who absolutely adored our son’s big curls and always stopped for a friendly chat. Thankfully, he was still working there, but almost everyone else had been replaced. We believe the Dutch lady’s son has now taken over the restaurant.

It will probably be quite some time before we return. That’s a little sad because this used to be one of our favourite places.

Thankfully, we discovered a new favourite.

Phaedra, Our New Favourite Spot

In Kato Stalos we discovered Phaedra, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the holiday.

There’s a swimming pool, direct access to the sea, a small bar, and a peaceful atmosphere that suited us perfectly. Exactly the kind of place where we enjoy spending a relaxing day.

The next time we’re in Crete, there’s a good chance this will become our regular spot for swimming and lunch.

The Restaurants

We absolutely love Horiatiko, so of course we had to eat there again. My mother-in-law wasn’t entirely thrilled, though. She would much rather stay within about a 150-metre radius of the hotel.

The food was every bit as amazing as we remembered.

The only difference we noticed was that the staff seemed much busier than on our previous visits. The restaurant was packed, so it’s easy to understand. They usually take time to chat with their guests, but this time they simply didn’t have the opportunity.

Meraki Was a Wonderful Surprise

We’ve walked past Meraki countless times without ever eating there. I’ve suggested trying it on several occasions, but for one reason or another, it never happened.

This year we finally gave it a try.

And what a fantastic decision that turned out to be!

I ordered the Lamb on the Spit, and it was honestly one of the best meals I had during the entire holiday. Absolutely delicious.

We visited on the Wednesday of our first week, and the food was so good that when my sister-in-law, her husband, and their grandchild arrived the following week, we brought them back there as well.

That probably says it all.

Maria’s and Mother’s Kitchen

Maria’s was perfectly nice. We enjoyed our meal, but it’s probably not somewhere we’ll spend the next year dreaming about.

Mother’s Kitchen was unfortunately a bit disappointing. We experienced several issues during our visit, which surprised us considering the restaurant has received so many excellent reviews.

Of course, even the best restaurants can have an off day, so we certainly wouldn’t rule out giving it another chance in the future.

Overall

Despite a little family bickering, a couple of restaurant experiences that didn’t quite live up to expectations, and a disappointing return to Coral Beach, this was another wonderful holiday in Crete.

We spent quality time together as a family, revisited some of our favourite places, and even discovered a few new favourites that will definitely become part of our future holidays on the island.

And perhaps that’s one of the best things about returning to a place you truly love. You always discover something new while at the same time feeling like you’re coming home.