The occupancy jump here is the first thing I'd flag — up nearly 16 points year-on-year, which sounds dramatic until you clock that it's landed at 24%. That's still thin. Crete's a seasonal beast; the island essentially runs hot for four months and then the bookings fall off a cliff, so that median is dragged down hard by the quiet shoulder period. Eighteen thousand active listings is a serious supply glut for a market running at that fill rate, and at €99 a night you're not pricing your way out of trouble. Greece's short-let registration requirements are tightening, which adds friction but does thin the amateur end of the supply over time. If you're buying here, you need a crystal-clear view of your seasonal cash flow — don't let a strong August paper over a very quiet November.
Year-over-year performance
Compared to the closest snapshot from approximately 12 months ago, the Crete short-term rental market has shifted in measurable ways. Occupancy among active listings is up 0 points, while the median daily rate is up 21.2 percent.
Looking further back: three years ago, occupancy was 0 points lower. Two years ago, 0 points lower.
When Crete Airbnbs perform best
Occupancy in Crete peaks in January at 59% and bottoms out in June at 43%, a 16-point swing across the year. Price the peak, defend the shoulder months with minimum-stay rules, and budget the trough as empty.
| Month | Occupancy | Median nightly rate |
|---|---|---|
| January | 59% | — |
| February | 58% | — |
| March | 55% | — |
| April | 45% | — |
| May | 43% | — |
| June | 43% | — |
| July | 45% | — |
| August | 45% | — |
| September | 45% | — |
| October | 51% | — |
| November | 49% | — |
| December | 57% | — |
Looking ahead, 45% of the next 30 nights are already booked across the market, 49% of the next 60 and 52% of the next 90 (as of 2026-10-18).
How Crete compares to Greece
Benchmarked against 4 other Greece markets we track, Crete's metrics tell a clear story.
What kind of Airbnbs are in Crete?
Of the 18,525 active operating listings, 93.2% are entire homes (vs private rooms), and 53.4% are operated by Airbnb Superhosts.
Top neighborhoods in Crete
The 24 neighborhoods we track range from established tourist hotspots to emerging investment zones. Here are the 10 strongest by median annual revenue per listing, led by Μυλοποτάμου at £5,141 a year.
| Neighborhood | Listings | Occupancy | Annual revenue | RevPAR | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Μυλοποτάμου | 514 | 8.2% | £5,141 | £14 | +0 pts YoY |
| Χανίων | 4,515 | 11% | £4,463 | £12 | +0 pts YoY |
| Ρεθύμνης | 2,181 | 8.2% | £4,402 | £12 | +0 pts YoY |
| Αποκορώνου | 1,211 | 8.2% | £4,128 | £11 | +0 pts YoY |
| Πλατανιά | 909 | 8.8% | £4,029 | £11 | +0.6 pts YoY |
| Κισσάμου | 1,027 | 9.9% | £3,970 | £11 | +0 pts YoY |
| Μαλεβιζίου | 823 | 8.2% | £3,749 | £10 | +0 pts YoY |
| Αγίου Βασιλείου | 830 | 8.2% | £3,473 | £10 | +0 pts YoY |
| Καντάνου - Σέλινου | 300 | 9.9% | £3,315 | £9 | +1.1 pts YoY |
| Ηρακλείου | 1,394 | 9.9% | £3,152 | £9 | +0 pts YoY |
Frequently asked questions
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