By Crete

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Set 25 km from Heraklion (where you can fly into from London and other airports in the UK), Creta Maris sits on its own sweep of private Blue Flag beachfront. While the lively resort town of Hersonissos boasts plenty of nightlife and family-friendly activities such as play parks, waterparks and beautiful beaches, you’ll find little reason to leave the resort, as everything you could possibly need is there.

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First opened 50 years ago, the resort has undergone many renovations, including works that have been ongoing since 2022. The large entryway to the hotel opens out onto the seafront with the largest pool set back from the beach, along with a collection of the all-inclusive restaurants, bars and snack stations (salad and fruit bar, juice and smoothie bar) and the spa.

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The main hotel contains older-style rooms (some of which are being renovated) and the bungalow zone is designed in the style of a traditional Cretan village, with white-washed little houses that all feel very private – impressive, considering how densely packed these bungalows actually are. Cobbled streets, archways, town square style meeting places with pools, bars and eateries, along with ancient olive trees, tumbling bougainvillaea and roaming cats, add to the charm.

Staff are available at all times to help with requests and the welcome at reception is warm and familial. Golf buggies will whip you around the resort when you first arrive to save you from carrying bags to the further away bungalow zones. There is a Creta Maris app where you can book tables at restaurants and see the schedule of activities for the day. This felt a little too much like holiday admin for me, but with this many people staying at the resort I understood the need.

In both parts of the main hotel and the bungalow zone, the 679 rooms and suites, from deluxe pool-front suites to connecting family rooms, bungalows and one Premium Private Pool Villa have a private terrace or balcony. You can book rooms with views over the gardens and Cretan mountains, the resort pools, or the sparkling Aegean Sea.

Most room categories were built in the 1980s and 1990s and, decor-wise, it shows. While perfectly comfortable, clean and well-maintained, the style is dated, but there are plans in place to update man of the categories. In all rooms you’ll find a fridge stocked with water, juices, half bottles of wine, beers and mini bottles of spirits (all included in your inclusive rate and refilled should you ask), double/king or two single beds pushed together, showers stocked with local Greek-brand products and cool stone floors, mosquito screens on windows and doors and plenty of wardrobe space. The bungalows all have outside space with tables and chairs.

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Organic vegetables, fruits and herbs are grown in the hotel’s vast gardens and are used to part supply the resort’s seven restaurants. Estia, Arismari and Enomy are the buffet-style spots where you can feast on traditional Greek dishes and international favoutites from dawn until dusk. Pithos serves organic, hearty Cretan dishes in a taverna-style setting, Platia serves Greek mezze and has a setting modelled on a village square with a Byzantine-inspired church, Alatsi and Mademi have arguably the best setting overlooking the ocean and serve Aegean-caught fish and traditional Greek meat barbecue dishes such as slow-cooked lamb, respectively.

Five all-day snack bars exist for in between mealtimes, and are handy with children who haven’t yet adjusted to the two-hour time difference. There’s a salad and a fruit bar, a smoothie station, pool and waterpark bars and a coffee and sweet treats cafe.

The 10 bars offer a variety of drinks (most included in the price, while you can expect to pay a little extra for fine wines and spirits). The nicest setting is Adama Terrace Bar but be sure to arrive early if you want to nab a spot while the sun sets.

So. Many. Facilities. Including… a five-a-side football pitch, basketball court, tennis courts, water polo, mini-golf, boccia courts, 17 swimming pools, a waterpark with flumes and a toddler splash zone and beach watersports will keep all the family occupied all day long.

While there are plenty of pools around the resort, we found it near impossible to get a spot under an umbrella at the main pool after 8.30am, and despite there being signs everywhere warning people against leaving their towels to reserve a spot, this seemed not to be adhered to by guests. The beach area also felt very compact, with only a few inches separating each sun lounger. Further into the resort there were more spaces available at other pools and we never had to queue for restaurants or eateries.

Entertainment-wise, there’s an open-air cinema, live stage performances and pop-up musicians throughout the resort that keep things lively come sundown. There’s also a spa with a hammam, sauna and hydrotherapy area and treatment rooms where therapists use the resort’s own-brand products, and a fitness centre.

Ramps throughout the resort and accessible rooms and villas offer flexible options for those with reduced mobility.

No pets allowed, with the exception of trained assistance animals.

Check in from 3pm; Check out before 11am.

From family rooms designed to accommodate up to six guests to a wide variety of family-friendly amenities and facilities, the resort was built with families in mind. There are five children’s pools, including heated indoor and outdoor options, a 4,000 square metre waterpark, the Terra area, which is home to a kids’ and a teens’ club, and a family restaurant with a specially crafted menu by a child nutrition expert, including the Sweet & Ice Cream corner for a special treat.

Best thing: Having everything you could possibly need close at hand.

Perfect for: A family sunshine or a multigenerational break

Not right for: Couples seeking a quieter break or families who prefer small-scale hotels

Instagram from: The bar overlooking the beach

Address: Dimokratias, Chersonisos 700 14, Greece

Phone: +30 2897 027000

Website: www.cretamaris.gr