Mirtos Crete

Mirtos is a small village with about 600 inhabitants in the southeast of Crete. It is a place with a very good atmosphere. The locals are friendly and helpful. Mirtos is rather quiet and has only a small nightlife. There are especially many Germans, British and Dutch tourist of all ages coming to Mirtos.

A great plus of Mirtos is the long and beautiful beach. It starts in the village and goes far west. Behind the beach is a narrow road, which ends in the mini-village Tertsa (about 10 houses). In Mirtos the beach is busy in summer, the further you go away the village, the calmer it becomes. Sun loungers and umbrellas are rented, but there are also many places where you can enjoy the sand, the sun and the sea without paying for anything.

Behind the beach in the village of Mirtos is a small promenade only for pedentrians. There are, depending on the season, about 5-10 cafes and tavernas. Behind the promenade is the actual village of Mirtos. It consists of some picturesque, narrow streets, which look like a postcard picture. In the streets you can find everything you need: 2-3 small supermarkets, a baker, a butcher, a few tavernas, kafenios in old and modern style and a few souvenir shops. In the old days Mirtos was a hippie village. The hippies disappeared, the old cozy and quiet atmosphere, which attracted the hippies, is still there. Stress is a Mirtos unknown.

The climate in Mirtos is a bit warmer than in the rest of the island. Many Dutch, Germans and English, appreciate this and spend their holidays every year in Mirtos.

Hotels and other Accomodation in Mirtos

There is unfortunately no campground or hostel in Mirtos.

Hotels and pensions in Mirtos are mostly family business. Large hotels and a large number of package tourists can not be found in Mirtos due to the long transfer from Heraklion airport (about two hours). Our of saison you can choose an accommodation directly on the promenade with sea view. In the summer, the promenade is quite noisy and we recommend a room further back in the old town.

Susanna's pension (under German leadership) in nice and cheap.

Very popular is also the holiday accommodation Kastro, about 200 meters from the beach of Mirtos on the main road to Ieraepetra. Kastro has well-kept studios and apartments. However they are not so cheap in summer, 50 euros per studio you have to expect in July and August.

Likewise, the small hotel Big Blue (12 rooms) has a good reputation. Many rooms have sea view, to the beach it is only a few meters.

If you are looking for a cheap accommodation, you can go to the small Pension Nikos in the narrow streets near the church. There are simple rooms for 25 to 30 euro (very nice and helpful hosts).

Many of the accommodation options in Mirtos can be booked through Booking.com. If you want to book before you arrive in Mirtos we can recommend the Mirtos Hotel. The rooms with bathroom are ok, you are right in the center. The sea is about 70 meters away. The owner of the hotel is extremely pleaseant and knows the area. The hotel also has a good taverna with the simple name of Taverna Mirtos. Free breakfast is served for hotel guests. Depending on the season, there are rooms from about 33 Euro in the Mirtos Hotel. The WIFI worked brilliantly during our visit in early 2018.

If you are looking for an apartment in Mirtos with a kitchen, the Myrtos Paradise Studios is a good choice. The accommodation is very close to the beach.

Eating in Mirtos

You find many tavernas in Mirtos. Many serve great food.

Our favourite among the taverns is Katerina in one of the narrow streets in the center of the village. There is delicious fresh fish and other Cretan and Greek dishes. It is the favorite restaurant of many regular guests in Myrtos. The food is served with homemade bread. On request Katernina Mirtos delivers the food to your hotel.

The Taverna Platanos is a great place. Often, younger locals, old hippies or tourists play guitar and sing songs. Everyone is welcome to participate. To the music there is cheap food, cheerful atmosphere, lots of raki, wine and beer. Some tourists in Platanos use their folk and spoon as a percussion instrument to accompany the music. The Taverna Platanos Mirtos is also a good tip for all holidaymakers who are traveling on their own. It is a great place to meet people. There are Greek and many international and vegetarian dishes, such as Vegetarian Curry with a touch of India. The food tastes excellent. If you like the music, you can pay the musicians a carafe of raki or a small dish. The Platanos restaurant is located in the center of Mirtos on the street out of town. It is easy to find.

Along the promenade by the sea are several tavernas next to each other. In the Tavern Thalassa we had good food. The local fresh fish tasted excellent. As everywhere on Crete fresh fish is unfortunately not cheap anymore. Our other dish at the Thalassa restaurant, rice risotto with shrimp, was also great (just under 10 euros in 2016).

Another restaurant next to the beach of Myrtos with a good reputation is Slavakis. The prices are low, the quality and the service are outstanding. At the end of the promenade along the beach is the taverna Akti. There are delicious appetizers and main dishes from Crete. The Ca`Nova, an Italian restaurant at the beginning of the promenade, has great pizzas and italian pasta dishes.

For sweets and ice-cream Avra ​​is a good choice. They have probably the largest selection of waffles in the whole of Crete. Also delicious ice cream can be ordered at Moments. This is also the meeting point for football fans. The owner shows many international and english football games on his big TV live.

A good drink at sunset or later you get in Stonoto.

In the village the Ermione is a traditional place. It is a kafenio that has not changed much in last decades. They serve breakfast.

The Face has typical Greek fast food, you can order a Gyros-Pita or a mixed grill.

There is no disco and club in Mirtos, but some music cafes and pubs. A real nightlife you should not expect. Most holidaymakers in Mirtos are over 50 and more interested in a good tavern than in a techno club.

Other Information about Mirtos

The opening hours of shops in Mirtos are long. The supermarkets are open from early morning to at least 9 pm, even on Sundays. There are no larger supermarkets in Mirtos, the small stores are unfortunately not cheap. However the prices for basic food such as bread, local fruit and vegetables and mineral water are ok. If you want to stay longer and save money, you can go to the next bigger town Ierapetra, for example by bus. In Ierapetra there is a branch of Lidl 200 meters from the bus station.

Buses to Mirtos: Depending on the season, there are up to seven buses per day from and to Ierapetra (travel time about 25 minutes). The buses in Ierapetra often go on to Agios Nikolaos and continue to Iraklio. Some of them also stop at Iraklio airport. There were two buses daily from Mirtos via Ano Viannos to Iraklio, but they did not run in 2017 and 2018 any more. All buses stop at the main bus stop in Mirtos, about 5-10 minutes walk from the promenade. The price for a ticket one way for the bus from Mirtos to Ierapetra  is about 2.50 to 3 euros in 2024. Tickets are available from the driver. If you leave from Ierapetra, Heraklio or Agios Nikolaos bus station, you have to buy the ticket before at the counter. There are also taxis in Mirtos.

Around Mirtos: A 5 km walk or drive along the sea to the west leads to the former hippie village Tertsa. The mini-village consists only of some houses including 2-3 tavernas and rent rooms. It is one of the most peaceful places on Crete by the sea with a good beach. You can go on to same other calm villages along the sea, like Arvi, Keratokambos and Tsoutsouros.

In the mountains around Mirtos some nice walks are possible. The hike through the Sarkina Gorge is the highlight for many walkers in the area. The entire gorge is 12 km long. There is also the possibility to walk only a four kilometer long section. It is a difficult hiking tour, we recommend to book a professional tour. Tours are offered in Mirtos. There is often very much water in the Sarakina Gorge. Mirtos is generally not the best hiking holiday destination on Crete. Other places on the south coast of Crete such as Chora Sfakia, Loutro, Sougia or Plakias are better options.

The author: My name is Jorgy. I am German and I have been living in Crete for more than 10 years. I translated this article from German into English. I am not a native English speaker. When I will find a proofreader, the quality of the article will improve. If you know somebody who wants to help me, please write me an email: info@kreta-reise.info