Momi Slow Living Hotel
Crete · Greece
Momi Slow Living Hotel sits in Korakia village above Hersonissos, a renovated 91-room property where a garden setting and multiple pools do most of the talking. It opened in 2023.
Hotels in Crete
Crete rewards travellers who want more than a beach week: Minoan ruins at Knossos, gorges that cut through the White Mountains, and villages where lunch still means whatever came off the grill that morning. The island runs long east to west, so its coasts differ sharply — the north busier and better connected, the south quieter and turned toward the Libyan Sea.
Where you stay here shapes the trip. The stretch near Agia Pelagia and Rethymno suits travellers who want beach access with an old town or archaeological site within reach, while Chania's harbour area draws those after Venetian streets and a strong dining scene on foot. The south coast, around Plakias or Agia Galini, moves slower and attracts people happy to trade nightlife for gorge walks and empty coves. We look for hotels with a clear sense of place — architecture that responds to the coastline or hillside it sits on, kitchens that take Cretan produce seriously, and enough distance from the main resort strips to feel like a considered choice rather than a default.
Updated July 2026
Good to know
May, June and September offer warm sea temperatures, long daylight and thinner crowds than midsummer. July and August are hottest and busiest, especially on the north coast. April and October suit walkers heading into the Samaria Gorge or the Lasithi plateau, with cooler evenings.
Fly into Heraklion or Chania airport, both with direct European connections in season; ferries run overnight from Piraeus. A hire car is the practical way to reach beaches, gorges and villages beyond the main resort towns, as bus routes thin out inland.
Choose Agia Pelagia or the coast near Rethymno for quieter beach access with an old town nearby; Chania's harbour for Venetian architecture and dining; the southern coast around Plakias for a slower, less developed pace and access to the Libyan Sea.
Seven to ten days allows one coastal base plus day trips to a gorge, an inland village and an archaeological site such as Knossos. A shorter four- or five-day stay works well if you're anchoring to one resort area.
Cretan cooking leans on olive oil, wild greens, goat and lamb, and dishes like dakos and gamopilafo; villages inland often serve better value than coastal resort strips. Raki is offered after most meals as a digestif, usually on the house.
Many resort hotels, particularly larger beachfront properties, close for winter and reopen around April, running through October. Chania and Heraklion town hotels tend to stay open year-round, serving business and off-season travellers.
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