Beach & History Holiday Recommendations

[FordkuGK]

Thinking about holiday for 2026.
Just got back from Rome, which was great, but wife and son #1 missed the beach.
So looking for something that provides both...
Crete comes up in search, but not really clear what hotels / resorts are really good for sightseeing too.

So, anybody had a nice holiday in recent years that provided a good combination of beach and warm, calm seas, with historic sightseeing, culture etc?

If going in Greece direction then a May half-term week might be a good idea. Will consider anywhere, as we are not very well travelled.

Needs to be relatively cheap though ... ideally no more than £2.5k for the week.

Have considered 2 hotels if that works, eg 3 days in town, then taxi/coach to a hotel on the beach etc. But not sure if we really want that ... and will probably limit hotel options.

[FinleyRrr]

I stayed there recently and liked how easy it was to unwind after a long day. Being in a hotel near orchard road made it simple to pop out for food or shopping without dealing with long rides. The pool and garden areas were a nice break from the city buzz, and the mix of dining options kept things simple when I didn’t feel like heading out