Aghia Marina Holidays

The village of Aghia Marina nestles on the northwest coast of Crete. It’s quiet and relaxed during the day – all sandy beach and characterful tavernas – and has a nice little buzz at night. It’s joined at the hip to its slightly livelier neighbour, Platanias, and is in easy reach of Chania, with its historic harbour and designer shops.

Aghia Marina rolls out a 2.5-kilometre beach, and it never gets really crowded, even in high season. It’s Blue Flag, with plenty of sunloungers and parasols, and there are seafront tavernas on hand. You won’t go short on watersports either, with an impressive line-up that takes in everything from snorkelling and pedalos to jet-skis.

Just up from the seafront, there’s the old village of Pano Aghia Marina. The picturesque square is the sort of place you can linger over authentic Greek dishes at an ivy-clad taverna. Keep walking and you’ll pass grazing sheep on your way up the hill, where the views over the orange plains are quite something.

Crete’s former capital, Chania, is just a 20-minute bus ride away. The centrepiece of this city has to be the Venetian-style harbour ringed with restaurants, cafés and ouzo bars. There’s a huge amount of history at the waterfront, too – including a Turkish mosque, a 17th-century fortress and a lighthouse that juts out to sea. When you’re done here, the old town’s cathedral and shops await.