CAYO EXCLUSIVE RESORT AND SPA

My wife and I stayed at the Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa on the Greek island of Crete, next to the city of Plaka, from June 5th through the 12th, 2026. We loved every minute of it! We had a room with a pool, which was great. It really was something we loved having during our stay. The accommodations were very nice! Our reservation was half-board. They do not offer all-inclusive. Breakfast and dinner were included. We ate dinner at the resort, but did eat at restaurants in Plaka, Elounda, and Agios Nikolaos for lunch. The food in those cities was always fresh and, I have to say, ALWAYS very good! Fresh seafood was incredible. Great vegetarian/vegan options were available at every restaurant we went to. I was really surprised at how good breakfast and dinner at the resort were. So much to choose from, and everything was of the best quality. Whatever you do, stop by the spa at the resort for a massage! You have to meet Konstantina! She is the spa's manager and an amazing and fascinating person we were lucky enough to meet there, and hope to see again on our next trip back. My wife and I had a massage given by Alma. Alma was, to be honest, one of the best, if not the best masseuse I have ever had. Truly professional. She asked if there were any specific areas of concern that she wanted me to tell her about. I told her the left side of my neck was an area that needed some attention. She concentrated on that area and absolutely gave me relief from soreness and stiffness that I had not felt in quite a while. The entire massage left me completely relaxed and feeling so much better than when I came in. Ask for Alma when you go to the spa, and you must go to the spa! I highly recommend a boat trip to the island of Spinalonga. An incredible experience. The trip also included a trip to the secluded Kolokytha Beach for about 90 minutes of swimming and relaxation before you get back on board for lunch and a trip back to Elounda, where the trip originates. You can get off the boat at Elounda and take a rent-a-car or a taxi back to Cayo Resort, or stay on the boat for a trip to Agios Nikolaos, where you are free to explore that beautiful port city. You had to provide your own transportation back to the Cayo Resort from Agios Nikolaos, as that is where the boat trip officially ends. Bottom line, I would highly recommend a stay at this beautiful and fairly new resort next to the town of Plaka on the island of Crete. Great service, great food, beautiful scenery in a truly beautiful place.

Stayed for a week and was an incredible experience. Had pre-booked a meal to be served in our suite and arranged flowers before the visit. Concierge service were very helpful. Presentation and preparation of the patio area was amazing by George and his service for the meal was excellent. The meal itself was off a very high standard. The couple of lunches we had were good and a wide variety and selection for breakfast. Meal at Kelari was a highlight of the week. Very relaxing and peaceful resort. Shuttle service to the beach was very useful. Service on the beach again was great. We had an executive room which was very spacious and well furnished. Never a problem getting a sunbed by the main pools if we wanted one. The whole resort is well designed and offers lots of privacy and seclusion. Rooms are not over looked. Architecture and landscaping is very thoughtful and fits in well to the natural environment. Look forward to returning.

From the moment we arrived we knew we had picked a great place for our holiday. We were welcomed with a strawberry lemonade and waited in the Emerald Bar for a few minutes while the staff completed the check in formalities. A member of the team then took us up to our room (via the funicular railway/lift!) pointing out key facilities on the way. The room was perfect, impeccably clean, nicely decorated with due aspect doors anto the balcony and private pool area. From this excellent start we had the perfect week. You can never tire of the views down to Plaka and Spinalonga. The private pool was perfect (and slightly warmer than I expected) and we never needed to use the hotel pools, although they did look wonderful. Breakfast at Ambrosia each morning was perfect with good choices and good quality on offer, served by friendly staff. We ate out in Plaka most of the time, although a small and quiet village it does have some excellent tavernas, particularly at the far and of the village from Cayo. The walk down to the village was a pleasant 10 minute stroll although a little more challenging walking back up due to the hill, especially on a full stomach. We did attend the Cretan evening buffet, eat lunch and Sage and Thyme on one occasion and use the Emerald Bar for a nightcap a couple of times. Food and drink was always good quality and served by friendly and efficient staff. Room cleaning was done well with the minimum of fuss and water was replenished daily. All the staff we encountered were smiling and engaging. Our one small disappointment was with the Cayo Beach club, although not fans of beaches in general the beach club did look a little cramped. We did eat lunch there one day but unfortunately neither the menu options, quality and service quite matched that up the hill and the main resort. It didn’t spoil our holiday though, we just opted not to use the beach club again. Our week flew by with many happy memories of a truly relaxing week at Cayo. We like to explore different places each time we holiday, but Cayo is definitely one of a small number which I would be more than happy to return to on the future.

Spacious modern room with impeccable decor. Design choices through the hotel from the rooms to the pools to the gardens and gyms were all impeccable. Outstanding service. Amazing beach club. Perfect location. Views are magnificent. Sensational breakfast buffet. Would absolutely come back!