Elounda and Plaka – Villa Holidays in Crete

The most exclusive hotels in Crete are found in the low-key location of Elounda, on the clear turquoise waters of a lagoon that’s said to be home to a mermaid goddess. She’s not the lagoon’s only secret – on days when the waters are calm you can see the walls of the lost city of Olos beneath the waves.

There’s a slow pace of life here, so some may wonder why it has attracted the crème de la crème of luxury hotels, but the views across Mirabello Bay to the Sitia Mountains are enough to justify the choice.

The town has a large village square lined with cafés, restaurants and shops, while a bank, post office and bakery are all nearby.  Two windmill towers, missing their blades, stand by the causeway to Spinalonga and if you look carefully you’ll find a dolphin-filled mosaic a short walk away, that’s all that remains of a ruined Byzantine basilica.

Spinalonga Island lies at the entrance of Elounda Bay and boat trips run out to it half-hourly in peak season.  Its Venetian fortress was once a refuge for Christians fleeing from the Turks, before it became a leper colony known as the ‘Isle of Tears’.

The quiet hamlet of Plaka lies just five kilometres to the north. Little more than just a cluster of classically Greek whitewashed houses with blue shutters nestling on a pebbled cove, Plaka is home to some surprisingly good fish tavernas. Elounda locals come to Plaka to get away from it all and enjoy the small, uncrowded beaches.  Guests who like to take the road less travelled will enjoy Plaka’s simple delights.