My husband and I are heading to Crete at the end of Aug/early Sept.
We're looking for advice on locations that are as authentic as possible and to skip ultra touristy spots.
We would like to mix beaches, mountains, the prettiest spots, and experience the best local food/meals.
We'll have 10-12 nights and while we know the island is large, we don't want any single night stays if we can avoid them.
Where are the "not to miss" spots on the island given what we enjoy?

TIA!

I only spent 2 nights and most of 3 days on Crete, which was not enough time. If I had given myself more time, I would have seen the Samaria gorge and Rethymno. In general I don't make decisions on where to travel to based on how crowded or uncrowded the place typically is.

I have difficulty with the term “authentic,” but would suggest that Heraklion, while a city, is not as heavily touristed, or as dependent on tourism, as many parts of Crete. Excellent local food, but I’m not sure it meets your other criteria. And although it is heavily touristed, I found Chania absolutely wonderful. It’s beautiful and has restaurants that offer memorably delicious foods.

If you haven’t already consulted them, the Michelin Green and Rough Guide are excellent resources for Crete. They should help you find the places that best suit YOUR interests. Or you might find some useful information in my trip report. The section on Crete begins with post # 48: With Gratitude for a Glorious Solo Month in Greece

The Lonely Planet guide to Crete may be worth looking at, although the copy I looked at was shorter than the Rough Guide, but my trip was in October 2018. Yes Heraklion is a good city, even though it is often underrated. I saw a retaining wall instead of a beach and much of the place was destroyed in the Battle of Crete in World War II. So, the medieval street layout is still present, there is a fancy looking city hall, the restored Koules Venetian fortress, Knossis partially restored ancient site, an archaeology museum that occupied me for at least 3 hours, a not-often little history museum with a 3-dimensional model of the old city......

The Lonely Planet Guide is not as good as the Rough Guide or the Michelin Green. I used all three (and a few others) and so am in a position to compare.

Thank you for your recommendations.
After doing more research I think we'll plan to visit Heraklion but it might be more "city" than we want for our base.
We're going to start in Chania and then looking at possibly Loutro or Hora Sfakion for a night or 2 (possibly breaking my wish for no 1-nighters) and then possibly Agios Nikoloas or Sitia. Also thinking about Rhethymno. Any input here?
I'm torn between wanting less touristy but also wanting energy and not too quiet while being really pretty with cute shops and great restaurants with ambiance.
Hoping not to hear too much English, but that might difficult.
I might start another chain with this question with the new header.

See my response on your new thread:
Crete Itinerary help needed- Rethymno, Sitia, or Agios Nikolaos? Hora Sfakion?