Chania

Understand

thumb|Kastelli district Chania and the long row of beach resorts stretching 20 km west along the beaches of the Chania Bay is a well visited destination for Scandinavian charter trips. Chania is an attractive destination for sightseeing and shopping for many tourists. There are plenty of opportunities for eating and drinking at Greek tavernas and modern cafés that are open into the night.

The old town is centred around the harbour, a maze of alleys and houses that stood for hundreds of years, were rebuilt, ruined and rebuilt again with details from different epochs. Old Town is full of souvenir, art and crafts shops. The new quarters house the regular span of shops, where you can find most of your needs for hiking and other adventures. The beaches begin not far from Old Town, the nearest one being Nea Hora, a 1-km walk from the west end of Old Town.

Get in

thumb|Centre of Mediterranean Architecture

Get around

Chania is highly walkable.

A car is not recommended for getting around town. Parking is difficult, and regulations are enforced with tickets. There are no cars permitted at all in much of the old town.

The public bus is clean, efficient, frequent and cheap (€2 or less), and a great option to get to neighboring beaches other than Nea Chora. Card and phone taps accepted.

If you are on Crete to see the 'real Crete', as opposed to the night clubs, then visiting the villages of the island is a must. All Cretan culture can be seen, heard and tasted in the villages. The Cretans at work or at leisure will always welcome visitors and show you how to do things the correct way. All villages have a central kafenion (coffee shop) which is where all people eventually end up. The kafenion, apart from being a place to meet friends for a coffee, raki or a game of tavli (backgammon), is used as the main information centre of the village. Be aware, however, that the kafenion is still very much a male dominion and women are generally not welcome inside (as opposed to a cafeteria or regular cafe). Most villages have war memorials and the locals will willingly fill in any missing information. Gavalohori has a wonderful folklore museum where much about village life can be learned.

See

thumb|The 14th-century Agios Nikolaos Church thumb|Minoan ruins of Kydonia Stroll around old town and old Venetian harbour. The Archaeological Museum of Hania, Skra Street 15, has unfortunately been moved out of the city center, but buses 11, 28 and 23 will take you there. It is well worth a visit. Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed on Tuesdays. 6 Eur, 3 Euro reduced ticket. Samaria Gorge is an easy and popular day trip from here. The beautiful Elafonissi beach is reachable by bus (one per day, 09:00, €11 each way). KTEL company. Visit the beautiful Balos beach from the nearby town of Kissamos, which can be reached by bus. Chania was once known as Kydonia, and remains of the ancient Minoan town are excavated in the Kastelli region around the harbour. This is one of six Minoan Palatial Centres to be listed as a world heritage site.

Buy

Olives, olive oil and honey are some of the many products of excellent quality in Chania.

Eat

As is the case throughout Greece, any food preference can be satisfied in Chania restaurants, which tend to have diverse, delicious options on most every menu.

thumb|Janissaries Mosque (Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque) and surrounding buildings Mpourakis in Kounoupidiana presents delicious traditional cuisine. From Kounoupidiana centre take the road on the right go towards Stavros, 100 m on the right side. Mike's in Maleme, 17 km west from Chania. Home-style cooking . Pinaleon in El.Venizelou. Good tavern which serves tasty Cretan cuisine.

Sleep

thumb|Chania Harbour at night Chania and environs has a range of accommodation ranging from hostels to 5-star hotels. The historical backstreets by the old harbour in Chania are full of old Venetian houses that have been renovated into hotels, some of which are very well priced with a unique atmosphere, friendly proprietors and, obviously, an excellent location. However, most of these are not advertised online, so unless you are going at the peak season (June–August), consider not making a reservation and shopping for accommodation once there.

Go next

Within reach of a day-trip, but worth longer, are Rethymno (the most charming old town on the island) and Heraklion, the capital city of Crete. To the west, Kissamos is a nice small town.