As a long-time visitor to Crete, Helena Lang was surprised to find an as-yet unspoiled and quieter region to visit in the south-eastern corner of this, the largest Greek island.  

Where is it? 

The seaside village of Makrigialos is about a 1.5-hour cross-country drive from Heraklion airport, tucked away on the south-eastern coast. There are no big cities or even very large towns nearby in this, the Lasithi region, and because of that there’s a quiet, languid pace to a holiday here. 

What’s the accommodation like? 

This is a stylish, family-owned boutique hotel. The main public areas are open plan with a comfortable restaurant, Kima, where there’s also a bar and open kitchen where you can watch head chef Maria and her team rustle up dinner. There’s a large garden with shaded tables and chairs between the hotel and the beach, on which there are plenty of squidgy, deluxe sun loungers for hotel guests. Our suite was modern and comfortable with a good-sized bedroom, living room area with two sofas for daytime naps, a mini-fridge, kettle and accoutrements for tea and coffee making and a good-sized wet room shower and loo. As Simpson guests, there was a stylish grey tote on hand to use as a beach bag, fluffy beach towels and crisp cotton robes too. 

What did you eat and drink? 

As it was well into October when we travelled and almost the end of the season, it did get chilly in the evening, and because of that we tended to eat dinner at the Artemis Hotel in their Kima restaurant. However, this wasn’t ordinary hotel food – it’s elevated, authentic Cretan food featuring many local ingredients and delicacies and all beautifully cooked. Our favourite dishes included a tomato salad, with a huge homegrown tomato split like a Terry’s chocolate orange and beautifully dressed; dolmades, the typical Greek starter of vine leaves rolled and stuffed with rice and herbs, and here they came with a luscious white dip made of a local cheese called xigalo. The grilled squid and grilled seabass we often chose for our main course were huge and easily fed both of us, especially when accompanied with the excellent chips, hand-cut in the kitchen and fried to perfection.  

The hotel also had an exciting little cocktail menu, and I became rather attached to the 'Cucumber Mule' – refreshing, citrussy and with a good vodka kick. The perfect sundowner after a long day exploring the region. 

At breakfast there’s a help-yourself tea and coffee station, but waiter service for a well-put-together breakfast menu that includes fresh fruit salad, Greek yogurt and honey, eggs and pastries. 

What is there to do? 

Within the little village of Markrigialos, the beach beckons. It’s a long sandy bay with safe swimming and plenty of little beachside tavernas and bars for lunchtime top ups or midafternoon cocktails. Evenings are quiet, with most people stopping off at one of the cocktail bars for a post-dinner coffee or Metaxa brandy before heading back to bed. This pace of life suited us perfectly as very often, we’d hit the road in our little hire car and explore. We found other beaches nearby including at Ferma and Achlia Bay, but best of all were the longer drives around the mountains to Pefki village for a hike in the gorge, to Zakros to explore the Bronze Age Minoan ruins and to the spooky salt flats at Xerokambos. 

Lasting memory 

Exploring Pefki, the quintessential Greek village with a warren of pedestrian-only streets snaking around whitewashed houses with their beautiful geraniums and bougainvillea, dodging the washing lines, peering through painted wooden doorways and shutters. 

Sainsbury’s magazine insider tip 

Head to Gusto, a taverna in Makrigialos, for Sunday lunch and enjoy a joint of fall-apart roast lamb with olive-oil-roasted potatoes and a crisp salad.