Porto Belissario
Porto Belissario is a 46-room hotel above the sea at Ferma, on the south coast between Ierapetra and Makry Gialos, and it ranks first of the 3 hotels in the village on Tripadvisor. Porto Belissario scores 9.3 on Booking.com across 510 reviews and 4.8 on Tripadvisor across 390, with 315 of those at Excellent and 4 at Poor or Terrible. Its private beach is genuinely private, and reaching it involves steps.
We have no commercial relationship with this hotel. Crete Locals earns a commission if you book through the availability links on this page, which costs you nothing and does not change what we write; both ratings were read on the date in the table.
Hotel information
| Hotel | Porto Belissario |
|---|---|
| Address | Ferma |
| Type | Airport shuttle · Beachfront |
| Style | Sea-facing hotel at Ferma, on the south coast between Ierapetra and Makry Gialos |
| Signature | A private cove of its own, sheltered from the wind, plus a pool on a panoramic terrace |
| Keys | 46 rooms; ask for a sea-facing category |
| Beach access | A staircase of 15 to 20 steps, with no umbrellas or loungers on the sand |
| Ranking | First of the 3 hotels in Ferma on Tripadvisor, which is a small field |
| Review record | 315 of 390 Tripadvisor reviews at Excellent; 4 at Poor or Terrible |
| On site | A manager present daily, and breakfast and dinner rated by half-board guests |
| Airport | Heraklion (HER) about 110 km northwest, roughly an hour and three quarters |
| Booking.com rating | 9.3/10 (510 reviews) |
| Tripadvisor rating | 4.8/5 (390 reviews) |
| CreteLocals score | 8.7/10 · read the verdict |
Booking.com and Tripadvisor scores checked on September 28, 2026.
Location
Porto Belissario is located at Ferma. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
Who Porto Belissario suits, and who should skip it
Porto Belissario suits guests who want a quiet south coast stay with a panoramic pool and a sheltered cove of their own. It suits travellers who will take half board and eat at the hotel. Anyone who cannot manage 15 to 20 steps down to the water, or who needs loungers and umbrellas on the sand, should choose a hotel with a serviced beach.
Advantages
- First of the 3 hotels in Ferma on Tripadvisor, at 4.8 across 390 reviews
- 315 of those reviews rate the stay Excellent, with 4 at Poor or Terrible
- A pool on a panoramic terrace overlooking the sea
- A small private beach that guests describe as secluded and sheltered from wind
- A manager present daily, from check-in onwards
- Breakfast and dinner both rated by guests staying half board
Disadvantages
- The private beach needs a staircase of 15 to 20 steps
- No umbrellas or loungers on that beach, per guest reports
- Ferma is a small village, so evenings out mean driving
- The south coast is a long transfer from Heraklion airport
- First of 3 hotels is a small field, so the rank flatters
- At 46 rooms there is little flexibility in peak weeks
The rooms: 46 keys facing the sea
Porto Belissario runs 46 rooms on a site that overlooks the water, and guests describe the property as very well kept. The detail that recurs is presence: the manager is there daily and involved from check-in, and the staff are described as courteous, with at least one member speaking Italian, which a reviewer notes is not a given in eastern Crete.
Ask for a sea-facing room. On a site chosen for its outlook, the view is the product, and a room facing inland at the same rate is poor value.
The private beach, and the steps to it
The beach here is unusual and the review record describes it carefully. It is small and private, reached by a staircase of 15 to 20 steps, secluded, and almost always sheltered from the wind, which on the south coast is a real advantage because that shore catches the meltemi differently from the north.
The same account notes what is missing: no umbrellas and no sun loungers on the sand. Take your own shade if you plan to spend the day down there, and use the panoramic pool terrace instead when the sun is high. Anyone with mobility limits should treat the staircase as the deciding factor.
The south coast season runs longer than the north, which is the strategic argument for staying here. Ierapetra is the warmest corner of Crete, so swimming holds up well into October, and this stretch between Ferma and Makry Gialos catches the wind differently from the exposed north shore. Boats to Chrissi island leave from Ierapetra, about 25 minutes west, and the drive east towards Makry Gialos passes a series of small coves that never fill the way the north coast beaches do.
How to get there
Fly into Heraklion airport (HER), about 110 km northwest, roughly an hour and three quarters by road via Agios Nikolaos. Sitia airport (JSH) is nearer but carries very few flights.
Hire a car for a stay on this coast, because the distances are real and Ferma is a village; the terms to check are in our car hire guide for Crete. Pre-book a transfer if you would rather not drive after the flight, using the operators in our guide to taxi and transfer services in Crete. Ierapetra, Makry Gialos and the boats to Chrissi island are all within easy reach.
The Crete Locals review
Porto Belissario earns 8.7 from us. The ratings agree closely across two solid samples, at 9.3 on 510 Booking.com reviews and 4.8 on 390 Tripadvisor ones, and the distribution is clean with only 4 reviews at the bottom.
What the hotel offers is rare on an island where most coastline is shared: a cove that belongs to the property, sheltered from the wind, reached by its own steps. Add a pool on a panoramic terrace and a manager who is visibly present, and the result is a small hotel that guests rate highly without it being expensive or fashionable.
Two honest qualifications. First of 3 hotels in Ferma is a true statement about a very small field, so judge the property against the south coast generally rather than against its village. And the beach that makes the hotel special is also the part to check before booking, because 15 to 20 steps and no shade will not suit everyone.
Book Porto Belissario for a quiet south coast week with a sea-facing room and half board, take a car, and pack your own beach shade. Book a serviced beach hotel near Ierapetra if steps or sun protection are a concern.
