Getting out of the UK just as winter is coming is such a win. So, we were so excited to be going to Crete in October in search of some sun. We arrived at Manchester Airport, checked in our luggage and then went to the Aspire Lounge for some drinks and nibbles before our flight to Heraklion, Crete.
As we were on an evening flight, we got to our hotel in Hersonissos around midnight, so were just ready to crash. But they had left us a cold packed lunch, which was such a nice touch and meant we didn’t go to bed hungry after all the restaurants had closed.
Day 1 – a cooking class with Maria
We woke up and had breakfast at our hotel – Akasha Beach Hotel and Spa – then we were picked up by a private transfer for this farm to fork cooking class we’d booked with First Choice Experiences.
The cooking class was a 40-minute drive from our hotel or two hours by public transport at a cute local honey farm. When we arrived, we met Maria, the chef. She showed us all the homemade jams, honeys and sweets that they produce on the farm – we got to taste them all and they were delicious, but our fave was the Cretan vanilla jam! We then went to pick the vegetables and herbs required to make our dishes from their allotment. We got our aprons on, made four local dishes and they were all amazing. We sat down with Maria and got to eat our tasty creations at the end, too. It tasted even better knowing we’d made it ourselves and we even got a certificate to prove it.
On our way back to the hotel, we headed to Coffee Island for an iced coffeechino and relaxed at the pool before getting ready for dinner. We just had dinner at the hotel tonight and then sat and shared some wine in one of the hotel’s many lounge areas for a chill one after a big day.
Day 2 – beach bars and happy hour
This morning, we started with a session at the hotel’s gym before having an alfresco breakfast. We laid by the pool for a couple of hours and spent some time editing yesterday’s content – the grind never stops.
We then got ready and headed out to a local beach club called King Scorpio, which is a five-minute walk from the hotel. We shared a bottle of Prosecco and a pizza – the service was incredible, and the views were just insane. Everything was very reasonably priced, too! We then went for a walk along the coast and stumbled across a bar called Tropical Stories and they had a 2-for-1 happy hour on – what perfect timing? Our favourite was the frozen strawberry daiquiri. We then got a chicken gyros – when in Greece – and sat on the beach for an early dinner before walking back to the hotel.
Day 3 – hotel visits and a lil drive
Today, we had a couple of hotel tours booked in, so we had breakfast at the hotel and then set off to Abaton Island Resort and Spa to capture some content. It was just a 25-minute walk from our hotel, and it was so dreamy – they even gave us a bag and hat each to say thank you for visiting them. If you love luxury five-star vibes, you have to look this one up. The sunset views are unreal, and they have an Elemis® spa.
We then had a bit of free time, so headed back to the hotel for a coffee and chilled by the pool again to edit our content before checking out the Faedra Beach hotel in Amoudara. This one was over an hour away by public transport or a 45-minute drive, but it’s closer to the capital of Heraklion, so we thought we’d make the most of it and hire a car from Panavia Trust Car Rental. We paid €55 for a cute yellow Fiat 500 convertible and then we had it for a whole 24 hours. We arrived at the hotel and met the owner who showed us around – their restaurant spot had lovely mountain views and it’s near a Blue Flag beach. Then, it was back to our place for dinner.
Day 4 – last-min sightseeing and home time
This was our final day, so we wanted to get in some more pool time after breakfast and read our books before going for a walk. We headed for a viewpoint with dreamy sea views and visited Ravdoucha beach for a dip in the sea. We also fit in a stop at Agios Nikolaos Church, which is a cute traditional church that was perfect for some aesthetic pictures. Then, it was time to pack and check out, but we still had our car, so we drove to Anissaras and saw Agios Giorgos Chapel – another gorg church perched on a cliff edge and soaked up some more sea views.
Finally, we handed the car hire back and headed to the airport to catch our flight. Even though the holiday blues were starting to hit, we’d booked an airport lounge again, so it was nice to have another little treat before it was all properly over – deffo a top tip of ours!
If @usntheworld’s trip sounds like a bit of you, have a look at our Greece holidays and you can find all their picks on our Insiders Hub.
Keep an eye out for the ‘Insider pick’ tag when you’re browsing our best deals and in your holiday search results, too.
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Author: @usntheworld
Last updated: 23/04/2025
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