Lyttos Mare

Lyttos Mare is a massive, family friendly, 397-room 5-star resort on Crete’s north shore in Hersonissos, about 20 km east of Iraklion airport. Newly opened in 2021, it is an architectural marvel. It’s shaped like a massive letter omega (Ω), with the open end facing the sea.

Inside the omega is a 90-meter in diameter circular lagoon, and inside the lagoon are 5 circular islands connected by overwater walkways, housing, amongst other things, a sunken amphitheatre, a couple of restaurants, and a pool bar. Lining the inner legs of the omega are dozens of private pools. Much of the upper floor roofing are eco-friendly green roofs growing grass and trees. Seen from the air at night with the pool lights on, the resort’s design is unforgettably beautiful.

All those private pool of course equals lots and lots of rooms with private pools, one of the resort’s many selling points. It also commands 350 meters of beachfront. An all-inclusive resort, it features include a leisure and sports center, a Spa, 5 restaurants, 5 bars, a disco club, 8 common swimming pools (including one indoor heated pool and an Olympic-standard, 6 lane pool), 2 water parks (one for kids), a river pool, 18 tennis courts and a tennis academy, a small golf course and 2 small soccer pitches, a basketball court, and more.  An animation team and a teen club and lots of related activities keep the young ones active and happy.

Lyttos Mare was recently rated as the #1 Best Value of 98 5-Star Hotels in Crete.

Rooms

Rooms are comfortably spacious at Lyttos Mare, restful color schemes employing liberal use of pastel blues, exposed wood cabinetry and, in some cases, wainscoting, laminated wood flooring, impressionistic, blue-themed murals, curved or circular wall mirrors, and coffee tables and desks which complement the curved architectural scheme of the resort. As mentioned previously, a lot of rooms have private pools. Because of the beauty of this resort, you cannot find a room with a bad view. Whether it’s the pool or the sea, views are terrific.

Standard amenities include 50” flat screen satellite TV, free Wi-Fi, mini fridge, individually controlled AC, Beach towels, bathrobes, slippers, hairdryer, complimentary bottled water replenished daily, coffee and tea facilities, luxury toiletries, magnifying mirror, weight scale, and others.

Superior Double Room Sea or Pool View, or With Individual Pool

Room features a double bed, sofa bed, and beautifully appointed bathroom with huge walk-in shower. Private, furnished balcony gives you a view of the pool area, or a panorama of the sea.

Note: a version of this room can also be reserved with a 28m² individual pool.

Club Suite Pool or Sea View, or With Individual Pool

Suite has a private bathroom, a double bed, a lounge area with full-size sofa bed, and a large bathroom with walk-in shower. What you see from your furnished balcony depends on your choice of room view. You can either watch the goings on in the resort’s main pool and its restaurants, amphitheatre, and pool bar, or you can enjoy the wide-open horizon of the sea.

Note: a version of this room can also be reserved with an 18m² (195 sq. ft) individual pool. This includes both Pool View or Sea View choices.

Junior Suite Front Sea View with Individual Pool

You get the best of both worlds with this room: direct beach access, and a 33m² (355 sq. ft.) individual pool. Suite has a private bedroom, a sitting area with a sofa bed, and a beautifully tiled bathroom with large walk-in shower. Furnished terrace gives you views of the sea, and the grounds of the resort as it meets the sands of the beach.

Superior Family Rooms 4 persons (3 View Choices)

These spacious family are designed with two bedrooms. One has a double bed, whilst the other has two single beds. Baby cot available on request. Bathroom has walk-in shower. The view from the furnished balcony is up to you. You can choose from Garden View, and enjoy the pool and the resort’s superb landscaping, or a room with a Sea or Pool View, which really opens up a panorama of the turquoise waters of the  Mediterranean or of the pool, or, finally, Pool View with Individual Pool.

Superior Family Room Garden View 5 persons

Room has two bedrooms, one with a double bed, and the other with bunk beds. A sliding door separates the two rooms. Private furnished terrace gives you a nice view of the grounds.

Food and Drink

Lyttos Mare offers 5 restaurants and 3 bars for your dining and drinking pleasure.

The Main Restaurant uses seasonal,  locally-sourced ingredients as much as possible. These ingredients are used to create a variety of Mediterranean-inspired dishes including Greek salads, grilled fish and meat, and different cold and hot meals available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The location, at the side of the resort’s central lagoon, is exquisitely beautiful as well.

The Argentinian Restaurant presents fine dining at its best. It offers a high class, meat-focused dining experience. Signature dish is the Argentinian rib eye. Dine in comfort and enjoy wonderful sea panoramas as you enjoy an exceptional meal in beautiful surroundings.

At the Thymaria (Thyme) Taverna, you’ll enjoy traditional Greek fare in a traditional Greek taverna setting. This buffet-style restaurant will delight you with its various Cretan-based food choices, all freshly delivered to the resort from local farms and prepared in full view at the taverna’s slow cooking stations. This taverna by the sea will not disappoint, and you’ll leave with a satisfying sense of fullness and contentment.

The a la carte Asian Restaurant, next to the lagoon, with a view of the sea in the distance, is the perfect venue for your beloved Asian specialties. Enjoy a stunning Cretan summer sunset as you nosh on your favorite sushi creations, and other  traditional Asian favorites.

Street Food by the Beach is a seaside snack bar featuring favorite Greek and Mediterranean to go creations, such as gyros, souvlakia, even tortillas and salads. It’s the closest and most convenient answer to your child’s request as he plays in the sand by the sea, “I’m hungry, mum. Is there something to eat?”

Bars

The resort’s Pool Bar, on a circular island in the Lyttos Mare Lagoon, serves the needs of sun bathers and others in the immediate vicinity. The resort’s expert mixologists prepare inventive concoctions for your drinking pleasure as you lounge in the sun, soaking up the rays, or cool off in one of the nearby pools. Mixed drinks, soft drinks, beer, coffee, tea and snacks are all available at the Pool Bar.

The Lobby Bar is at the hub of most activities at Lyttos Mare. Its floor to ceiling glass panels let in the crystal clear Cretan sunlight, which is indirect due to the bar’s high ceilings. This is the ideal place to sip an aperitif as you wait at this popular meeting point for a friend or loved on. The bar overlooks the lagoon, and, in the distance, the ever-beautiful waters of the Mediterranean.

The Rainbow Bar is so named because of its proximity to the beach and its unobstructed views of the stunning summer sunsets of Crete. This all-day bar is the perfect place to kick back, enjoy the sand and sea of the beach, and wait for that magical hour when the sun disappears over the horizon.

Spa and Wellness

Lyttos Mare Spa will take care of every physical need you have for bodily rejuvenation, dermatological revitalization, bodily care from the top of your head to your toenails, and general detoxification not only of toxins accumulated during the difficult working months in the city with all its stresses, but ‘spiritual detoxification’ as well, as your mind, body and soul relax as you commit yourself into the hands of the spa’s expert therapists.

The 1500m² (16,000+ sq. ft) spa facility has it all: massage therapy cabins, saunas, steam baths, hammam, heated swimming pool, and a fully equipped exercise centre. Many of the body and facial treatments are holistic and water-based. Peruse the menu in expert consultation with the spa’s trained therapists and prepare yourself for a life-changing treatment regimen.

There is a long list of available therapies and treatments available including Cretan Massage, Anti-stress massages, Black Lava, Deep Tissue, Trace Mineral Detoxification, Bronzing Experience, Bright Face, Men’s Face, Calm Sea Relaxing, Ancient Greek Olympic Game massage among others. Kids are included as well, with treatments such as Strawberry, Chocolate and Banana spa therapies are available for their pleasure.

The Gym facilities are state of the art, and offer a wide variety of equipment and methods to either get in, or stay in shape. In addition to free weights and machines, yoga, Pilates, and aqua zumba are all on offer. There are all kinds of personal and group programs available, and a top-notch  team of fitness experts and advisors to help you craft your own exercise program.

Activities

There are lots of activities options available at Lyttos Mare, if laying around in the sun and swimming gets a little repetitive. Activities can be had both indoors and outdoors.

The Lyttos Tennis Academy has 7 hard courts and 12 clay courts for your use. Certified pro tennis instructors are available for one-on-one coaching sessions on site, to up your game, or learn the basics. Whether you just want an informal, friendly match, or are more serious about getting some solid professional instruction, the Lyttos Tennis Academy is ideal for tennis buffs.

There are 2 soccer pitches available for matches and for training. Pitches are illuminated at night, when the air is cooler, for evening matches and practices. Trained staff organizes daily matches, and the resort’s animation team is available to organize soccer activities for the young ones.

In addition to this, there are the variety of exercise regimens available in the Fitness Center, as well as organized beach activities on offer.

Fun for Kids

Lyttos Mare’s animation team organizes creative and interesting activities for youngsters of all age groups. Themed activities take place every week for two categories of young ones: 4-12 years old, and 13-17 years old.

The Lyttopia Playground and Kids Club are available for unique, fun-filled activities suitable for the whole family. The playground occupies a full 2 acres of land, providing endless opportunities for fun, supervised, safe activities. There are bridges and ropes to climb, musical games, educational installations, swimming and tennis lessons, animation team-supervised treasure hunts, make up sessions, and movies under the stars.

Other activities include tons of activities during the day, and a Mini Disco during the evenings.

During meal times, kids supervision is available so mum and dad can grab a little alone time together.

The Lyttopia Water Park, next to the beach, has 8 water slides, a large water toy installation, water-themed games, and a snack bar are all available for your enjoyment. Take a float trip down the lazy river pool, or watch the smaller kids play in the designated pool play area.

In the Area

There are lots of places to go in the vicinity of Lyttos Mare, thanks to its location in the Hersonissos area of Crete. Crete’s capital, Heraklion, is less than a half hour away to the west, and a beehive of activity for the entire island. Whether it’s night clubs or historical sites, Heraklion has it all.

Closer to home, the immediate area around Lyttos Mare has a lot to offer. Known as Hersonissos, it was originally settled by the Minoans some 4,600 years ago, making it one of the oldest continually settled regions in the world. There are a lot of archeological sites in this area, if this is a point of interest for you. Lyttos, for which the resort is named, was a nearby inland city, and one of Crete’s most important settlements during Roman times. There are lots of really nice beaches in the area as well, if you’d like a different look to the resort’s beach.

Aquaworld Aquarium, in Hersonissos 300 m inland from the New York Beach club, just east of the harbor, a natural history museum, was founded in 1995, is an aquarium and reptile rescue center. It features snakes, lizards, and tortoises which can be safely fed and handled by visitors and children. It is one of only 3 aquariums in Greece. It also displays a variety of local marine life in aquariums.

There are a lot of day trips and boat cruises you can take to see the wider area of Crete, and, of course there is the must-see ancient city of Knossos, just inland a few kilometers from Heraklion, about a half hour from Lyttos Mare.

All in all, Lyttos Mare makes for an ideal vacation location, and the resort itself will give you a memory-making holiday.

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