This half term we were lucky enough to be invited to the stunning island of Crete to stay at the beautiful Kalyves Beach Hotel. We paid for our flights ourselves but everything once there was covered by the hotel.

Getting to Kalyves, Crete.

We flew from Gatwick to Chania with Easyjet. The flight time was 3 and a half hours. Transfer time to the hotel from the airport was 30 minutes by taxi on a scenic coastal drive.

Accommodation at Kalyves Beach Hotel.

The hotel is split into two halves with a quiet road in the middle. There are a variety of room types at Kalyves Beach Hotel, some interconnecting, which is perfect for families with older children like ours. There were tea and coffee facilities in the room and a fridge.

Facilities at Kalyves Beach Hotel.

There are two outdoor pools, one on either side and an indoor pool and games room with pool table and ping pong. There is also a large indoor communal area by reception with plenty of comfortable seating and tables, perfect to sit and play games. The beach bar has a lot of outdoor seating and there is entertainment there most evenings, including an excellent Greek night with speciality dishes and dancing. I must mention the exceptional care my son got when he developed tonsillitis on holiday, the staff organised for a doctor to come as soon as the surgery was open and he visited in the room, and prescribed antibiotics which we picked up in the pharmacy opposite the hotel. Everyone spoke excellent English which meant that we could understand all the medical instructions.

The Beach at Kalyves.

There are two halves of the beach at Kalyves Beach Hotel, separated by a lovely wide river. The river is very cold though, which means that the sea is warmer if you sit on the beach to the right of the jetty. The river runs down the side of the hotel and we loved sitting by it for our meals on the hotel’s outdoor terrace, listening to the geese and ducks. There was also plenty of indoor seating but we preferred to be outside, even when it was chilly!

The Weather on Crete in October.

We were so lucky with the weather during our half term stay at Kalyves beach Hotel, there were some scorching hot days, real bikini days and we definitely needed suncream most days. Some of the mornings and evenings were a bit chilly but at most we needed a cardigan or light jumper. I was very surprised as I didn’t realise it was possible to get such nice weather just a short flight from the UK.

The Food at Kalyves Beach Hotel.

I was so impressed with the food at Kalyves Beach Hotel. It was a huge buffet for each meal, breakfast was an enormous choice of cereals, yoghurt, honey and fruit with a vast selection of cheeses salad and bread and pastries and cooked items like bacon and eggs.

Lunch and dinner were fairly similar with lots of bread, salads, amazing tzatziki and cooked items, which varied daily. At dinner there was also an enormous meze style selection. My favourite bit was that there were loads of vegetarian options, most of the salads were vegetarian and there was a dedicated ‘vegetarian corner’ on the hot food buffet. And the puddings could have their own category! The baklava is a must try.

There were also snacks by the pool bar twice a day, and lots and lots of ice cream. The kids were in heaven!

The children’s verdict on Kalyves Beach Hotel

Fab- U – Lous! My dream hotel. Awesome, best hotel ever.

Favourite bits: the pools, the sea and the food. The friendly receptionists and making lots of friends.

Kalyves Beach Hotel is closed from November 1st for renovation work over the winter but reopens for spring with some fantastic discount offers on their website. They also have a sister hotel Kiani Beach Resort just up the road which is larger and has more amenities, including the kid’s club, but we also loved the smaller, cosier feel of Kalyves Beach Hotel. Watch all my stories from the stay by clicking here.

Stay tuned for my follow up: Excursions from Kalyves Beach Hotel.