We have just come back from our first trip to Crete, and will not be going again.
We stayed at the Galeana Mare hotel Apparements, just outside the main town of Rethymon, I must say the apartments are self catering and are very basic, 2 ring hob, kettle, some plates cups and thats it no toaster iron, but they did have a hair-dryer.
The apartments are in a good spot on the beach but not many of the apartments faced the beach, however we did get moved to have a part sea view that was nice, the people there are lovely and speak English, but we were the only English in this hotel, the rest were German and Dutch, the apartments were very clean and they came in every day to empty bins and make beds towels and sheets get changed every 4 days, I can not fault the cleaning it was spot on, so our stay hear was fine but no luxury, to be had at all, as long as you are not expecting much it is good. But looking at the low cost of others this is one of the best low cost places
The beach is sandy.gravel and long, but very windy and the sea very rough.
We found the state of Crete a bit sad there was rubbish/fridge doors on the beach, not been cleaned graffiti every were, food costs and petrol costs very high 1.96 for 95 petrol, eating out not bad but cheaper then supermarket shopping and that was Lidle!, 2.5E for a pack of 6 eggs so how the Cretans eat I dont know.
We had a car and that cost 22E per day a 1.2 not to fast little thing ok for getting around.
We traveld to the south of the island a lot as Palm Bay there was lovely but a trek to get to.
Visited spinalonger good but to make sure they cram in as many tourists as possible you only get 1 hour to see and walk around and its not enough. We are not that old but we noticed that older people were having trouble sprinting round as they were watching the time to make sure their boat doesn't go
My overall sum, up is tired, tacky, not very interesting, over priced, 2.5E for a small coffee most places, 2-2.5e for a small coke what a shame, and this is all at the start of the problems it will only get worse.
the weather though first 10 days was lovely, I would not visit again, and sadly will not recomend Crete