Porto Belissario

The location of the small hotel is exceptionally beautiful. Guests can enjoy a breathtaking view of the sea. The property is small and extremely well-maintained, with cleanliness that is second to none. The rooms match the description provided. The entire area is very quiet. The service is excellent and very caring. **Food and Drink** We booked half-board, and it was satisfactory. There is a small buffet both in the morning and in the evening. **Morning:** There is a selection of oatmeal and various cereals, dried fruits, different types of bread, water and honeydew melon, apples, and oranges. Additionally, there are cookies, small cakes, croissants, English breakfast options, tomatoes, cucumbers, jams, honey, and three types of quark. **Evening:** Often the same fish, then meat, and three other side dishes, as well as a salad buffet and various small desserts, including melon. We also visited the neighboring taverna a few times. Excellent food and a stunning view (Thea - 3 minutes on foot). **Hotel Facilities** Porto Bellissario Hotel also offers massage treatments, which are good (provided by an external vendor). The pool is absolutely adequate. **Do I need a rental car?** Yes, highly recommended. **Beach** There is a very small beach area that can be accessed via stairs. The seawater is wonderful. The beach itself is narrow and small but sufficient. Typical beach vacationers might be disappointed, but this is something to be aware of when traveling in this region of Crete. The loungers by the pool are good and adequate. **Overall** During our stay, there were many families, yet it was quiet and very pleasant. The guests were mainly from Poland, France, Germany, and Switzerland. **Surroundings** Initially, the area above the road between Ierapetra and Ferma doesn't look great. There are small tavernas and mini-markets, but no charming village. Not appealing. However, if you head to the beaches, it's good. And if you have a renta

The location is good - not in the touristy part of the island. There are a few hotels around, but the nearby town feels very authentic. There are very nice, simple, restaurants there. Walking and the town and eating with the locals just feels real here. You don't feel like a tourist. The way down to the beach is very beautiful. We enjoyed spending the 5 minutes to get to and from the beach. But be warned - it's some pretty steep and winding stairs, so not good for baby strollers or people with disabilities. Otherwise it is not hard, and a very picturesque walk. The beach is very natural and minimalistic, but we liked it very much because of that. No sunbeds, no bars. Just go down there, sit on the warm sand, swim in the beautiful sea, climb on the rocks - enjoy the nature. We visited early in the season, so there were very few people too. Most of the time we had the whole beach to ourselves! Everyone in the staff is very friendly. We stayed only a few nights but can remember all those friendly faces. It feels like you are a real guest there, not just another client to be served. Even the construction workers seemed nice (there was a bit of renovation happening). The owners are personally there, involved in the business. Had a chance to chat with the a little too. Interesting people. Good, real, down-to-earth business. We liked it. Breakfast and dinner are good. The selection is not overwhelming (the kitchen area is not very big), which I see as a big positive, but some people maybe might think it is too little. There are enough different dishes to keep it interesting and at the same time, if you plan it right, you can try almost every dish for each meal. And everything was good, without exception. Oh and the views from the room - the mountains or the sea, really can't go wrong either way, it's beautiful wherever you look. So overall, very positive experience. Recommend, would stay again.

This is a small treasure. The hotel is immaculately well maintained, very clean. The staff is extremely friendly and professional. The weather in October is mild, not too warm or too windy. Perfect sea temperature. The beach is very clean and natural. Mostly sand. Perfect for families with children. The breakfast on its own could be a reason to book this hotel. We didn’t book for half board, but ended up eating dinner for most of our stay. The dinner is open buffet with quite a few options for salad, soup, main courses, and dessert.

Exceptionally tasty food, super nice and friendly staff, clean rooms, nice inner yard with swimming pool. Each room has a balcony, fridge, and private bathroom. This hotel also has a cozy private beach between cliffs, and at night you see a lot of stars. Swimming in the sea in the end of October is still good. Also, this place is outside of a noisy city so it's very cozy.

As we just wanted to had some calm days at the seaside, the hotel was perfect. The sandy beach was very nice, clear water (snorkeling possible), only few other people at the beach, the tavern next to the hotel (not belonging to the hotel), which can be accessed from the beach by stairs, provides good food, if you want to have something for lunch, and has a great view. The view from hotel is also great (from the pool and the sunbeds, but also from the rooms with sea view or the restaurant's terrace). Next big point: The staff is very nice. They provide a familiar atmoshpere and we felt welcomed. Breakfast and dinner (both buffet) were not extraordinary, but good and totally fitting for a smaller hotel like this. If you want to do some hiking tours, see towns or historical sites, you should rent a car, as no POI are directly situated near the hotel. But for us it was a very nice and we definitely enjoyed our stay there.