Phaea Blue

On a hillside just outside Plaka, a short drive up the coast from Elounda, this boutique resort trades beach-club bustle for something quieter. Rooms, suites, and bungalows lean into pale nautical tones and locally made art, with marble bathrooms and furnished balconies. The concierge books cooking lessons, classic car drives, and sailing excursions, and one guest experience has you picking produce with the chef before sitting down at a communal table.