Creta Maris is the ultimate all-inclusive resort experience, in Hersonissos. There is a Blue Flag beach, 16 swimming pools (I think, there are so many it is hard to check) , a waterpark, a kids club (and a teen club), and seven restaurants. There are five snack stations, ten bars, a renowned wine cellar, an open-air cinema, a spa and hammam, a fitness center, and extensive outdoor sports facilities. But with all that it still manages (on the beach side) to look like a stunning greek village with backdrops that are perfect for instagram.

We visited in October half term which was actually the last five days of the season at Creta Maris. This is important as there were some huge highlights to staying at Creta Maris at this time of year, and a couple of niggles about closures that weren’t signposted. So talk to the team when you book and find out exactly what of the incredible facilities will be open and on offer!

Location of Creta Maris

Creta Maris is only 12 miles from Heraklion airport and the resort organises free private transfers (both ways) if you book direct.

The hotel is right on the beach and walkable from Hersonissos, albeit it wasn’t the sort of place we wanted to spend any time, which is completely fine as there was SOOO much to do on resort.

Style of the Resort

This large resort is set on two sides of a quiet road, and is connected by narrow bridges. While the original 1970s-inspired facade on the non beach side of the hotel may appear dated they are due a refurb in 2025 to match the upgrade on the beach side that took place in 2023/2024. The beautiful narrow alleys with vibrant bougainvillaea, makes you feel like you’re in a long forgotten greek village, and this feeling is only enhanced by never going back to your room the same way twice and finding hidden squares shaded by centuries-old Ficus trees.

Room Options at Creta Maris

There is a huge range of accommodation to suit everyone. There are 680 rooms across two main buildings and the bungalow area, with options from a garden view room for two, to an exclusive villa offering direct beach access and a private pool (and really everything in-between).

We stayed in two interconnecting rooms in the bungalow area, right next to the small beach area. The rooms were a really decent size, had a mini bar that was full and everything was included when we arrived (although it wasn’t topped up during our stay) and had a dressing area and large bathroom. It was perfect for the three girls to have their own room (and extra bathroom) but that we could get to them through the interconnecting door (if we wanted to!)

We loved the location of our room, it felt away from the busier part of the resort around the large pools, albeit it was less then a 5 minute walk away. It was also lovely to be so close to the small beach area which was our favourite spot for most of the day, with the girls preferring the bungalows pool so they could access countless cocktails through the day.

Food & Drink at Creta Maris

All seven restaurants are part of the Creta Maris extensive all-inclusive package, though you need to book the a-la-carte restaurants in advance. We were lucky enough to try all 4 a-la-carte restaurants during our five night stay.

The quality of food on offer at all restaurants was good. You felt like it was good quality. Creta Maris prides itself on being sustainable, local, and organic and you could tell that.

Enomy and Arismari both serve buffet-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At Enomy you can eat inside or outside but you’ll need to arrive early to secure a spot on the outside deck. There is a huge amount of choice at Enomy and I can’t imagine anyone not finding something they’d love. The late night 10pm-12am snacks are also served here which was perfect on our first night when we arrived at 11pm after an evening flight. Arismari near the main pool does a smaller number of choices but is a lovely spot, and again does breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet style.

The kids favourite were the five snack bars which face out onto the main pool on the beach side serving ice creams and waffles, smoothies and even gyros (which qualified as a 12pm breakfast for our eldest most days).

The four a-la-carte restaurants are:

1. Pithos: Which specialises in traditional organic Cretan cuisine, Pithos is located next to a small bridge and pool, and felt the most local of all the restaurant options. It served good quality greek food, which wasn’t too fussy and was probably one of our favourites.
2. Alatsi: Is the seafood restaurant which until recently was adult only. It sits in a gorgeous position and I think earlier in the year, over the Summer, you’d get great views over the bay. We adults enjoyed our food here but the kids found it a bit fussy for them. They had some food and then went to the buffet to fill themselves up with ice cream and other dessert!
3. Platia: Platia is designed to resemble a lively town or village square.
4. Mademi: Located next to Alatsi and again overlooking the sea, Mademi specialises in meat, including the five perfectly cooked steaks our family had.

Each restaurant requires reservations for dinner, which can be made one day in advance or on the same day through the resort’s website, app, or at the restaurant hostess’ desk. A smart evening dress code is observed, and room numbers are required for booking.

Throughout the rest of the resort are the countless bars. There are some differences on what is served where but throughout the week you’ll work out where you can get a glass of fizz from (bungalow pool bar), where does the best cocktails (the adults only bar) and where to get the best coffee.

Children’s Activities at Creta Maris

Creta Maris Resort has loads of activities things to do for kids of all ages.

Baby Room (0–5 years old): A dedicated playroom with toys. Parental supervision is required. 

Asterias Kids Club (4–12 years old): Operated by Worldwide Kids, this club offers a range of activities, including yoga sessions, mindfulness exercises, outdoor play, interactive storytelling, and crafts inspired by Greek history and mythology. The club operates Monday to Saturday with morning, noon, and afternoon sessions. 

At 13 and 14 mine were too old for the kids club and whilst they might have tried the teens club it wasn’t open at the time of year we travelled.

Teenagers’ Club (13–17 years old): Designed for teenagers, this club features board games, outdoor sports facilities, and lessons such as water polo and football. It operates from May to September, Monday to Saturday, with morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. 

Children’s Pools: In addition to the waterpark, there are five dedicated children’s pools.

Waterpark: The resort boasts a decent sized waterpark with a variety of water slides, twisting rides, and multi-level aqua tower pools suitable for different age groups. There are lifeguards on duty but for younger ones parental supervision is required. Mine went every day for a hour and had a great time.

Other activities at Creta Maris

We aren’t hugely into organised activities on holiday as a rule, but we did really enjoy the quiz night on one of the evenings and I did yoga three times too.

We travelled the second week of most UK half terms and it was right at the end of October, beginning of November so lots of the activities had finished. Do check before booking, For us this wasn’t a major issue but if you’re booking because of these activities please do check.

They have a five-a-side football pitch, 3×3 basketball court, tennis courts, water polo, mini-golf, and boccia. The spa and indoor pool was also well used!

Would we go back to Creta Maris?

We aren’t the going back to the same place twice kind of people very often, but we all said we would happily go back to Creta Maris for another October break. The end of season quietness of the resort suited us. I loved swimming in an empty pool at 8am in the morning, I loved not having to reserve a sun bed, and the weather was kind to us. It was super easy and perfect for the kids. Having to think about absolutely nothing worked brilliantly for us at that time of year. The food was great, and the cocktails fab too. We also loved having the waterpark on site but out of sight of us on the beach side.

It’s a pretty, beautifully set out kind of place in Crete, which is actually one of my favourite places in the world! If you book it I’m sure you’ll love it.