Where is the best place in Crete for a peaceful break?

Simon Calder on Crete, legroom, and flight delay and cancellation compensation

Sitting around 40 miles from Heraklion airport, Elounda can provide a serene sunbathing spot (Getty/iStock)

Q I would like to visit Crete in late August for 10 days. I haven’t been before and would like a nice beach and some peace. Where’s the best place on the island for that?

Tony N

A The largest Greek island can provide plenty of attractive answers over its 160-mile length. These are my favourites, from west to east. Chania is my favourite Cretan city (much more appealing than the island’s capital, Heraklion). While it does not have a decent beach, the Akrotiri peninsula is nearby and accessible by bus, or by a short taxi ride from the airport. The village of Stavros at the northern tip has an excellent beach and a few bars, as well as a place in movie history: the closing scene of Zorba the Greek was filmed beneath the 1,000ft-high slab of limestone that towers over the beach, with Alan Bates and Anthony Quinn dancing the Sirtaki.