Gavdos Hotels & Villas: Where to Stay
Accommodation on Gavdos is limited and scattered by its beaches, in studios, rooms and a few small apartment blocks rather than hotels, most with a taverna attached. The golden beach of Sarakiniko holds the studios and villas of Consolas and other rooms; Agios Ioannis and Fokia have beach rooms; and the Gavdos Princess and Metochi apartments sit a little inland with sea views. The island is the southernmost land in Europe and everything arrives by boat, so it is wise to book ahead in high season.
- Main base
- Sarakiniko
- Beach rooms
- Agios Ioannis, Fokia
- Apartments
- Gavdos Princess, Metochi
- Arrival
- ferry to Karave
Staying at Sarakiniko
Sarakiniko, the long golden beach on the east coast, is the main base on Gavdos. Studios Consolas stand on the sand itself, simply decorated studios and stone villas with wooden beamed ceilings and a kitchenette — an electric kettle, a refrigerator and a coffee maker — each with a furnished balcony or veranda and an unobstructed view of the Libyan Sea. Its tavern cooks traditional Cretan dishes and fresh fish, a bakery and a buffet breakfast are on site, and a free transfer runs the five-minute drive from Karave harbour; the studios and villas, of about 35 square metres for four to five people, can be booked online. Along the same beach, the Sarakiniko rooms and villa offer new sea-view rooms and stone villas with a bathroom, kitchen, balcony and garden, well suited to families and to anyone after a quiet spot.
Beach rooms and apartments
Away from Sarakiniko, the rest of the island's rooms sit by its other beaches or a little inland. Above Agios Ioannis, the wild beach in the north, Sofia Rooms keep air-conditioned rooms with beamed ceilings and a balcony, each with a mini fridge and a private bathroom, and a restaurant of local dishes and Cretan delicacies over the sea, a ten-minute walk from the beach. At Fokia beach, Akrogiali sits on the beachfront with a garden, a terrace, a private beach area and a shuttle service. Set back with wider views, Gavdos Princess offers self-catering apartments opening to a terrace over the Libyan Sea, the mountains and the garden, each with a kitchenette, a seating area, a TV and a bathroom, with its own restaurant and a free shuttle; and Metochi Gavdos Apartments at Sgoudiana add a sun terrace, sea views, private bathrooms, an on-site restaurant and packed lunches for the many who come to hike.
Choosing a base
Where to stay on Gavdos depends on the beach you want to wake up to. Choose Sarakiniko for the golden sand, the most rooms and the easiest booking, with Consolas and its neighbours on the beach and a free transfer from the port. Pick Agios Ioannis or Fokia to be on a wilder, quieter beach with a taverna attached, or the Gavdos Princess and Metochi apartments to sit a little inland with a wider sea view and a base for walking. Wherever you stay, arrange a port pick-up: the roads are rough, buses are few, and the ferry to Karave from Chora Sfakion or Paleochora on Crete is your only way on and off the island. The beaches themselves are set out in the Gavdos beaches guide.
