Chania

Chania (Greek Χανιά, also transliterated Hania or even Khania) is a beautiful port town on the northwest coast of Crete, with an atmosphere reflecting its Venetian and Turkish past. Highly livable spot.

Understand
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.

Climate
Summer season (April to October) is hot and dry with clear skies. Dry, hot days are often relieved by a seasonal breeze from the north, Meltemi. There are occasional heat waves. Winters are mild with relatively little rain and rare frosts but with a high level of humidity that drops the relative temperature.

By plane


There are several daily flights from Athens, via Aegean Airlines and Olympic Airlines. From April to early November, there are many direct charter flights to Chania from the UK, Germany, Scandinavia and other European countries. You can get to the city by taxi (€25, about a 20 minutes drive) or city bus (€2.50, service every 30-60 minutes).

By ferry
Ferry services from Athens (Piraeus port) to Chania (Hania) anchor at the nearby port of Souda. Daily ferries, one ordinary with ANEK and one fast catamaran with Hellenic Seaways.

By bus
Chania is connected to the rest of Crete by regular bus lines operated by the KTEL company. The coaches are modern, comfortable and air-conditioned. Fare is reasonable. Public transportation is fairly frequent and timetables trustworthy. Bus services along the north coast and towards the south coast are excellent, reliable, frequent and cheap. The centrally located bus station offers luggage storage lockers.

By car
Highway E75 (A90) goes along the north coast of Crete from Heraklion to Kissamos. It goes by the southern outskirts of the town. The old road, that still has the name 90, is parallel to the highway and is the main road through all the small resorts west of Chania.

Hiring a car is easy with the usual documentation (a standard EU driving licence is fine.) Get prior permission in writing from the rental company if you plan to take the car away on a ferry.

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 euros 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

 * 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.
 * 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.

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.


 * 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.
 * Pinaleon in El.Venizelou. Good tavern which serves tasty Cretan cuisine.

Sleep
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.

Chania city

 * Hotel Helena - Lovely hotel, €35/n for a single and €55/n for a double. A very friendly and chatty proprietor who was always available to provide advice or assistance. Just two streets down from the seafront.
 * Hotel Helena - Lovely hotel, €35/n for a single and €55/n for a double. A very friendly and chatty proprietor who was always available to provide advice or assistance. Just two streets down from the seafront.

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.