The Best Hotels in Crete

"Crete's glorious beaches are difficult to resist, but if you want to experience a slice of the island's more authentic charms head inland to Kapsaliana, a stone-built village buried in olive groves and sweet-scented citrus orchards a few miles from 16th-century Arkadi, one of the island's best-known monasteries. As patient as the ant in Aesop’s fable, the resort’s architect-owner Myron Toupogianis has been buying houses in the village since the 1970s and restoring them as rooms and suites linked by a warren of cobbled paths and original features. Think lofty timber-beamed ceilings, writing desks made from the giant pitted stone wheels of an olive press and beds handcrafted from sweet-scented olive wood – along with plenty of modern extras, including plump beds and walk-in showers. This beautifully restored village centres on a raised terrace where traditional Cretan-inspired breakfasts and dinners are served beneath the perfumed shade of citrus trees. Price: from $215 per nightAddress: Καψαλιανά 741 50, Greece"