Chania Town is probably the most beautiful town in Crete. The Old Town of Chania, with the evident Medieval style, is a wonderful place to walk around, lined up with elegant Venetian mansions.
Elounda is a beautiful simple fishing village in the North of Crete. Over the years it's attracted the worlds rich and famous with the likes of Lady Gaga, Leonardo DiCaprio and the Saudi Royal Family choosing to holiday here.
South Crete is generally a couple of °C warmer (but water temperatures are roughly similar). The east of the island, has less rain than the north and especially the north-west.
Crete has better beaches but they're spread out and it takes a fair bit of effort to see the best beaches. Santorini is small and it's easy to get around to all the popular beaches. Crete has more small traditional (non-touristy) villages. Santorini is more romantic and better suited to a honeymoon.
This means that even when the north coast is uncomfortably windy, the south coast may be calm and pleasant. The exception to this is where gorges and valleys channel the north winds, which can create areas of intense winds at certain spots along the coast. This is especially true at Frangokastello and Plakias Bay.
Weather in CreteThe hottest months are between May to October, which is the best time to go for guaranteed sunshine and minimal rainfall. The weather in Crete is mild for the most part. April and May are very pleasant with an average temperature of 24°C and lows of 12°C.