Where to Stay on Iraklia: Rooms, Studios and Hotels

Maistrali sits in a panoramic spot 700 metres from the two main beaches of Iraklia, Livadi and Agios Georgios, with simple but comfortable studios that each have a kitchenette, a bathroom and a balcony looking over the village and the bay down to the harbour. A good breakfast of coffee, fresh bread, eggs and Greek yoghurt with honey is served, and the owner Nikos gives a warm welcome - we stayed here and recommend both the room and the island.

Villa Zografos stands on a hillside between the port of Agios Georgios and the Chora of Panagia, with a sea view and a 4,000 square-metre garden holding 5 double rooms and one family room. Each room has a private veranda with sea view, air conditioning, TV, fridge, coffee maker and hairdryer; the garden has a barbecue kiosk and telescopes for star-viewing evenings, with free parking and Livadi beach 700 metres away.

Speires Hotel is a newly built Cycladic-style complex on a hill in Agios Georgios, decorated in white tones with air-conditioned rooms and suites, most with private balconies and Aegean Sea views, satellite LCD TV, mini fridge and kettle. Its restaurant serves home-cooked specialities and there is a shaded veranda over the sea; the sandy beach and port are 800 metres away, the Venetian Castle of Iraklia 2 kilometers, with free on-site parking.

Agnantema offers 9 rooms for 2 to 3 people, each with air conditioning, a TV, a fridge and a big veranda looking over the sunset, the sea and the village of Agios Georgios. It sits in a quiet, cool spot near the centre of the village, 500 metres from the port and beach of Agios Georgios and 500 metres from Livadi beach, with plenty of parking and free transport to the village of Panagia.

Villa Aeolus occupies the highest position in the village of Agios Georgios, above the port, with large, tastefully furnished rooms with air conditioning, TV and fridge, and verandas that look out over the sea and the surrounding islands. The complex has a cafe-pizza restaurant where you can take breakfast or a full supper facing the Cycladic sunset.

Angelos Rooms has been welcoming guests since 1986, built in traditional Cycladic style in the centre of Agios Georgios. The renovated rooms include air conditioning, a television, a fridge and a bathroom, and the shops of the village and the beach of Agios Georgios are just 100 metres away along the paved back streets.

Sunset Rooms is a small complex of 4 rooms in a quiet spot 500 metres from the port and beach of Agios Georgios, with a big garden and a large veranda facing the settlement and the sunset. Each room has air conditioning, a TV, a fridge and a bathroom, there is a shared kitchen, and books and magazines are kept on the veranda for guests to relax with.

Alexandra Rooms lies a short distance from the beaches of Livadi and Agios Georgios, with 4 rooms that each have a private bathroom, a TV and air conditioning, plus a communal kitchen. The rooms are surrounded by a flower garden and a terrace with a view over the port.

Panorama Iraklia's is a comfortable retreat in Agios Georgios village, created as an escape from the city while respecting the natural environment and the culture of the island.

Sohoro Rooms sits in a 400 square-metre plot of vineyard and olive trees, 180 metres from the beach of Agios Georgios, with rooms that each have a private bathroom, a fridge and a veranda, plus parking and transport to and from the port. Local Iraklia products such as honey and cheese made by Fani Gavala are offered to guests, and it is open all year.

Dimitris Rooms consists of 6 studios for 2 to 4 people, each with a fully equipped private kitchen, a fridge, verandas, a garden and plenty of parking. The studios are in a quiet, cool spot near the centre of Agios Georgios, 500 metres from its port and beach and 500 metres from Livadi beach, with free transport to the village of Panagia.

Villa Glafkos offers four stylish studios built around a pretty courtyard, closer to a boutique hotel than to basic rooms, and once photographed for a Conde Nast Traveller feature on the Small Cyclades (July 2005).

Studios Niriides brings together quiet, Cycladic light and a crystal-clear sea in four tastefully decorated studios, each equipped with a kitchen, a fridge, a TV and air conditioning - named for the four Nereids said to have made the island their home.

Venetiko Studios is a set of 4 new apartments between the village of Agios Georgios and Livadi beach, each with a fully equipped kitchen, air conditioning, hot water, a TV and a private balcony with a great sea view.

Marietta's Rooms sits right on Livadi beach, with the sea at the doorstep. Each room has air conditioning, a fridge and a private bathroom, there is a shared kitchen for preparing breakfast or dinner, and you can step straight from your room into the clear water.