Cosmopolitan Crete
Holidays in Elounda bring you a laid back vibe, with understated luxury facilities and an excellent location. Found along Crete’s north east coastline, it’s surrounded by golden sandy beaches, historic attractions and is close to beautiful Spinalonga Island. Families and couples will love the modern hotels mixed with historic architecture combined with a quiet atmosphere and proximity to Aghios Nikolaos, which is the island’s second largest town.
Spend your days on one of the beaches along the north coast, choosing from large stretches of Blue Flag status sands and smaller coves. There are lively places where you can try water sports and enjoy delicious family friendly menus, as well as lots of facilities and loungers. Quieter beaches centre around the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean and offer a chance to simply relax and soak up the sun. If you prefer to explore the history of the area there are picturesque stone windmills at the end of the bay, as well as the ruins of ancient Olous on nearby Spinalonga Island.
Elounda brings you Blue Flag beaches, wonderful architecture, upmarket bars, restaurants, and shops – and a sense of the island’s history. The town is rapidly growing, adding modern hotels and restaurants, as well as facilities for couples and families alike. The main square is a thriving, historic centre where you can pick up souvenirs and gifts or indulge in some traditional Greek cuisine, while the little harbour is home to boats and luxury yachts, as well as a further selection of bars and restaurants.
Book your luxury holiday in Elounda with Sovereign and we’ll help you create memories which last a lifetime. Each of the hotels we offer has been carefully selected for its upmarket facilities, ensuring you can simply relax.
The area around Elounda is spectacular. If you're around my age, you might remember a TV series called 'Who Pays the Ferryman?' - it was filmed around Elounda.
Every one of our hotels is handpicked and personally visited by our team
Flight time from the UK to Crete is around 4 hours.
If you're planning a trip to Heraklion (HER) from the UK, the following airports have direct flights:
Belfast (BFS), Birmingham (BHX), Bournemouth (BOH), Bristol (BRS), Cardiff (CWL), East Midlands (EMA), Edinburgh (EDI), Exeter (EXT), Glasgow (GLA), Leeds Bradford (LBA), Liverpool (LPL), London Gatwick (LGW), London Heathrow (LHR), London Luton (LTN), London Stansted (STN), Manchester (MAN), Newcastle (NCL) and Norwich (NWI).
Transfer time from Heraklion airport to Elounda is approximately 50 minutes.
The southernmost Greek island, Crete’s summers are something special. The temperatures are beach-worthy by April, climbing steadily throughout summer and peaking in July and August, when highs of 35°C are possible. Luckily, the island is prone to some cooling winds during summer that stop things getting too hot and sticky.
Currently visas are not required for UK citizens travelling to Greece.
In Greece, a service charge will be included in the bill at restaurants and bars. Much like the UK, an additional tip is not required, although is appreciated for particularly good service. It is common to round off the amount when paying cash, particularly with wait staff and taxi drivers.
The official language of Greece is Greek. English is widely spoken, too, so getting by is easy.