St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas

It’s on the peaceful eastern side of the island so there’s far less tourist traffic. The port, archaeological museum and (rumoured to be bottomless) lake of Agios Nikolaos are a mile away. Boats for Spinalonga, the leper island, leave from Elounda, which is just over six miles away. There’s private parking and plenty of shade. 

Discreet elegance meets lashings of local style in this lovely resort on a cliff with spectacular sea views: the reception area is like an old Greek house with white plastered walls and antique furnishings (including a studded wooden board once used for winnowing). Low stone walls fringed by plants and flowers lead to a warren of little lanes running down to the main pool and a small sandy beach. With its own church and Kafeneion (a traditional café), it could be a small Cretan village, but with plenty of (unobtrusive) modern touches, including an Olympic-size pool.

Most of the staff have been here for years, so service is friendly and efficient, with refreshing hand towels and a fruity cocktail served on arrival and swift check-in. It’s a sprawling property, with a smattering of boutiques (there’s even an art gallery), but there are buggies if you don’t want to walk.

The Poseidon Spa has a sizeable heated jet pool (only for guests having treatments); there's also a sauna and steam room, and several private couples suites, including one with its own small seawater pool. Treatments are with Elemis and Cinq Mondes. For total relaxation try the Sleep Recovery spa ritual (€250/£220), two hours of bliss incorporating a full body massage (including head and scalp) and a Pro Glow facial that does what it says on the tin: leaves skin looking bright and refreshed.

There are three pools – two medium-sized and one 25-metre: one overlooks the beach and the other (less crowded) is near the Minotaur restaurant. The rocky coastline is dotted with jetties and ladders descending directly into sea. There's also a small sandy cove which is better for children. 

A large cool room is home to a teens' club with table tennis and video games.

There are 135 rooms in several categories. Standard doubles are similar to Junior suites in size and amenities, with DVD players and Korres and Molton Brown sundries in bathrooms. Best in the core complex are the 30 huge suites with auto-illuminating wardrobes, shower stalls the size of many hotel bathrooms, and private saltwater infinity pools. Six three- or four-bedroom more remote seaside villas have private lidos, as do a studio and a suite. 

Grouped around the pool, a cluster of 14 two-bedroom suites – some with their own good-sized plunge pools – have spacious mezzanine bedrooms with Santorini-style domed roofs, bathrooms with tubs and walk-in showers and large terraces or private courtyards surrounded by high stone walls and planted with sweet-scented citrus trees

Opt for a sea-view unit whichever category you book – the Gulf of Mirabéllo wasn't named that for nothing.

The buffet breakfast, served on the tree-shaded pool terrace with distant seaviews, includes cold cuts, cereal, pancakes and a good choice of fruit and beverages. Hot orders are taken by the waiter (when it's busy there can be a long wait). The Minotaur restaurant serves some really tasty international fare, including sushi and sashimi from €18 (£16), sea bream grilled and served with vegetables (€32/£28) and sticky-but-delicious Peking duck (€34/£30).

The Greek Kafeneion is in a lovely spot by the church, overlooking the sea, and there’s often a bouzouki band playing classic Greek hits, including the inevitable ‘Zorba dance’ and ‘Never on a Sunday’. It serves decent Cretan mezes – try the hot meze (€29/£26) for two. A traditional lamb and potato main dish (€39/£34) cooked in a wood fired oven was tender and full of flavour, but the kokoras krasatos – rooster boiled in wine (€27/£24) was rather tough. The wine list, which has a good selection of local (Greek and Cretan) wine, includes Kechris winery’s silky subtle Tear of the Pine retsina.

Double rooms from €263 (£231) in low season; and from €579 (£511) in high season. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi.

There are three disabled rooms, buggies to get around and most rooms are on one level. Although there are ramps for pool areas, however, there is no ramp access to the beach which can only be reached via a steep flight of steps.

Yes. Pool villas and some of the suites are ideal for families, and there’s a kids' club.