Grecotel Caramel Boutique Resort ★★★★★

At the Caramel Boutique Hotel Resort, everything looks good enough to eat, from the delicious sea views and the white meringue-like tented canopies in the garden to the cocktail-blue of the pool and the vanilla ice cream shades of the villas. Made to feel like a traditional Cretan village, with an added luxurious twist, the hotel simply oozes luscious charm.

Enter your elegant private suite and you’ll see that it’s just as delectable as the exterior - lustrous and chic, with that definite Cretan touch in the blue and white patterned tiles on the floors and ornate patterns on the sheets and pillows. Spacious and comfortable, there’s also a slight hint of 19th-century glamour in the antique wooden furniture, lamps and oil paintings.

Beach cabanas, lily-pad designer sun loungers and day beds surround the vast landscaped pool, where you can partake in morning gymnastics or aqua-aerobics to get you feeling invigorated and ready to start the day. Those who feel like an active morning after a sumptuous breakfast at the Caramel Restaurant can choose from a range of water sports available such as canoeing, pedal boats or dive lessons, while those who just want to chill can choose between the large seawater pool and hot tub or the sandy stretch of private beach.

And if you want a bit of pampering and time to yourself at the spa, you’ll find plenty of options to occupy the kids. Children are treated like celebrities here with kids clubs from three years old to teens offering a range of arts and crafts sessions, games, cinema times and the Tasty Corner, where they can eat and drink kid-friendly snacks for free throughout the day. For lunch, how about fresco dining by the pool at the Gourmet à la carte Restaurant?

When you’ve had your fill of pools, beach and food, head into nearby Rethymno, Crete’s third largest town. Here you can spend the afternoon experiencing old world charm while wandering the cobbled streets of the old town and visiting the famous Fortezza Castle, the town’s 16th-century landmark.

Back at the hotel, relax on your private balcony and catch up on some holiday reading before heading out for your evening meal. Select from the colourful ambience at the Caramel Mediterranean buffet restaurant or something a little more typically Cretan at the nearby Agreco Farm. This 40-hectare estate, just outside Rethymno, offers simple organic produce, grown using centuries-old farming methods. With a backdrop of the beautiful stone villa and orchards of fruit and wildflowers, enjoy a sumptuous six-course menu of traditional Cretan dishes at the farm’s Taverna. Guests can also decide to dine at any of the Grecohotels’ restaurants dotted around the island.

Everything about the Caramel Boutique Hotel Resort makes for a mouth-watering and scrumptious Caramel Cretan break.