Elounda

Elounda lies on the northern shore of the Gulf of Mirabello in eastern Crete, a few kilometres north of Agios Nikolaos, and has become the island's byword for upmarket seaside luxury. Sheltered behind the Kolokytha peninsula, its calm, protected waters and gentle setting drew some of Greece's first five-star resorts from the 1970s, and the hillsides around the bay are now dotted with grand hotels, private villas and marinas. Yet at its centre Elounda keeps a small working harbour and village square, where fishing boats, tavernas and cafes give the resort a human heart.

The great sight here is Spinalonga, the fortified islet that closes the bay. Fortified by Venice in 1579, it later served as a leper colony from 1904 until 1957, one of the last in Europe, and its abandoned lanes and houses were made famous worldwide by Victoria Hislop's novel The Island. Boats cross to it from Elounda's harbour and, more quickly, from the little village of Plaka just to the north, opposite the island. Walking its silent streets, between the sea gate and the ruined dwellings, is one of the most moving experiences in Crete.

Elounda has older layers too. Beneath the shallow water on the causeway to the Kolokytha peninsula lie the submerged remains of the ancient city of Olous, its harbour and walls just visible below the surface, alongside a Venetian salt-pan landscape now popular with walkers and swimmers. The bay's clear, sheltered water makes for excellent, safe swimming, and small beaches and coves ring the shore.

Elounda is reached by road from Agios Nikolaos, itself about an hour east of Heraklion airport, and by local bus. It suits travellers seeking comfort, calm and fine views rather than nightlife or big sandy beaches, and works equally well as a romantic base or a springboard for exploring the Mirabello coast. Late spring and early autumn bring warm, settled weather without the peak-summer premium, and the light across the bay to Spinalonga is loveliest then.