The Grand Escape
Destinations · Head-to-head

Crete vs Malé Atolls

Crete and Malé Atolls, side by side: live travel advisories, our resort catalog's real guest data, and each destination's honest weather picture — everything you need to break the tie.

Crete guide · Malé Atolls guide · How we score

By the numbers

CreteMalé Atolls
U.S. travel advisoryLevel 1: Exercise Normal PrecautionsLevel 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Resorts in our catalog45
Average guest rating★ 4.6★ 4.7
Nightly rates$300–$800+/night$500–$800+/night
Adults-only resorts2 of 40 of 5
Hurricane exposureNo hurricane seasonNo hurricane season
Rainy seasonNovember–FebruaryMay–November (southwest monsoon), wettest September–November
Sweet spotJune and September; July–August is hottest and busiestJanuary–March
Best forFood-driven beach trips, history day trips, long seasonsFirst Maldives trips, shorter stays, red-eye arrivals
SeasonMay–October; June and September are the sweet spotsJanuary–March driest; May–November is the wetter monsoon

Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country.

On the map

Map of Crete resorts
Crete
Map of Malé Atolls resorts
Malé Atolls

Weather, month by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Crete — high °F606164697683858581746862
Malé Atolls — high °F868788888786868686868686
Crete — rain (in)3.53.02.21.00.60.10.10.10.82.72.33.0
Malé Atolls — rain (in)4.52.02.95.28.56.55.86.99.68.79.19.0

Approximate climate normals for Crete (north coast) and Malé — planning guidance, not a forecast.

Where you'd actually stay

Best of Crete

  1. 1.Grecotel Caramel Boutique Resort — Rethymno, Crete, Greece · ★ 4.8
  2. 2.Ikos Kissamos — Kissamos, Crete, Greece · ★ 4.6
  3. 3.TUI BLUE Atlantica Crete — Agia Pelagia, Crete, Greece · ★ 4.6

Chains here: Grecotel · Ikos Resorts · TUI BLUE

Full Crete guide

Best of Malé Atolls

  1. 1.Club Med Kani — North Malé Atoll, Maldives · ★ 4.8
  2. 2.Gili Lankanfushi — North Malé Atoll, Maldives · ★ 4.8
  3. 3.Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort — South Malé Atoll, Maldives · ★ 4.7

Chains here: Club Med · Gili Lankanfushi · Anantara

Full Malé Atolls guide

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