Crete Recommendations, Quiet Authentic Area😀

Hello We're planning a trip to a Greek island with my partner in early September, We are flying to Chania, doing a week here, then we are looking for somewhere quieter where we can get a villa/tiny house for a week.

We're looking for a quiet and less touristy city or town where we could just relax by the water with good food. We would really like to have the Greek experience in an authentic place with uncrowded beaches. Here's the list of the things we are looking for:

We will be hiring a car.

Criteria:

Great beaches, we can drive if needed.

Greek authentic food, few options for food and drink.

It's completely okay if we won't get to see any historical sites, as we're looking to get a chill vibe on this second week.

As this will be our first time here and Crete is quite large, I do not know what to choose. I did some research on the sub, but it seems there are plenty of options. So any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.