Global Gary

We visited Crete for a family wedding, spending the first week in Crete’s second-largest city, Chania, in north-west Crete.  Chania has a picture-perfect Venetian harbour surrounded by a beautiful old town. We went in May and it was very busy.  We suspect that in the height of summer it could be uncomfortably popular. 

Magnificent 7 // Chania, Crete

1. Wander through the Venetian harbour
2. Walk the seawall to the Lighthouse
3. Explore the Old Town 
4. Discover the riches of the Archaeological Museum of Chania
5. Sample a beach or two 
6. Roam further afield
7. Take to the water 

Getting there –

We flew BA to Iraklion and hired a car to drive to Chania. The BA flight was fine – around four hours.  Iraklion airport is relatively small and the passport and arrivals areas were busy.  Our bags did not take too long to arrive and we were on our way. 

We had booked car hire online in the UK with a company we had never heard of.  Finding our provider was a challenge, but when we got our car, all was forgotten. 

The drive from Iraklion to Chania was a breeze (road signs sometimes use the Greek Xavia).  It took two hours and was incredibly scenic. It was a good road, mainly single-lane with passing lanes.  It seemed customary to move over into the hard shoulder when someone wanted to overtake, which was fine.  We stopped at a Shell garage for coffee halfway there and the café was nice, well-stocked, with good coffee and restrooms that were much better than those at the airport.  Parking in Chania, with the number of one-way streets, can be a challenge, however we managed to find parking relatively close to the hotel we were staying in. 

Where we stayed –

We stayed at the Hyperion City Hotel. Our room was very good, it had a large balcony with a partial sea view and was spacious and modern. The location was excellent – a short walk to the seafront, east of the harbour and Old Town. A welcome drink was included as well as water and a small bottle of wine in the room.  Breakfast was good and had all the things you would expect from a buffet.  The staff were friendly and informative. 

To eat and drink –

Finding a place to eat was not a problem. Rather than list all the restaurants we ate at, the two that stood out for us were Blue, a family-run restaurant with magnificent views, further to the east away from the harbour / Old Town, and Thalos, situated in the ruins of an old church in the Old Town. Atmospheric with great food.  I would recommend the Cretan salads. Enough for two to share.

Magnificent 7

1. Wander through the Venetian harbour

Chania’s picturesque Venetian harbour is a must see. Although busy it was a delight to walk around. There are monuments and restored centuries-old buildings. There is a small mosque dating back to the 17^th Century that is now an art gallery.  Near the mosque are the arsenals where Venetian galleys were repaired. The harbour has lots of places to sit, have coffee and people watch and is particularly buzzing at night. 

2. Walk the seawall to the Lighthouse

The seawall that leads to the lighthouse is one of the best ways to get an overview of the port and the old town over the lagoon. Parts of the wall are narrow and there is a high and low path.  The lower path is much safer, particularly if the seawall is very crowded. There are places to stop and take pictures on the way.  The lighthouse is not open to the public.

3. Explore the Old Town   

We highly recommend exploring the narrow alleyways behind the Venetian harbour.  Remains of the Byzantine city wall can be seen and walked around.  There are areas of excavations with descriptions in English which are interesting. Old neighbourhoods such as the Jewish Quarter, the Turkish Quarter, Nea Chora and Koum Kapi show the development of Chania and we found that locals were happy to talk about the history of the area.  There is also a plethora of tavernas and tourist shops to explore.

4. Discover the riches of the Archaeological Museum of Chania    

The museum focuses on the history of Western Crete.  It is housed in a light and airy modern building with excellent descriptions of artefacts in the first gallery, coinage and trade in the second gallery and aspects of everyday life in the third gallery.  We found that we could browse through the galleries and find descriptions of items that piqued our interest. There is a lot to see and a couple of hours is about as much as we can take in, so being able to browse so easily was fab. It also had a first floor café with a stunning sea view. 

5. Sample a beach or two

We took day trips to two beaches in different parts of western Crete.  

We spent a day driving to and exploring Elafonisi beach.  This is about 90 minutes from Chania by car.  The drive was just as much a highlight as the beach.  The first part of the drive was on an excellent motorway, then came the Cretan mountains.  Hairpin bends, quaint villages, and fabulous views.  There are lookouts to stop at as well as tavernas if you want a break. There was a tunnel to go through which was a highlight (yes, I am easily pleased). There are sheer drops on the side of the road and speed is not your friend.  I loved the drive. 

Elafonisi beach is famous for its pink sand, although in reality there are only tinges of pink near the water’s edge. Most of the sand is yellow/white. The pink hue in the sand at Elafonisi Beach is made up of tiny pieces of shells. The water is clear with the Cretan mountains visible behind you.  There were sun loungers and lifeguard stations (no lifeguards on our visit in May). Clean toilets are available for €1 per visit. If you cross the lagoon there is a stretch of sand and nature reserve which is less busy than the main beach.   

The beach is free to enter, but there is limited free parking.  There was plentiful paid parking when we visited (€5 per car). The beach was relatively busy on an overcast May day.  I suspect it will be packed in the summer. 

The second beach we visited was Falassarna beach on the west coast.  This was an easy 60-minute drive from Chania.  This beach felt more relaxed than Elafonisi beach. Falassarna’s main beach is “Pahia Ammos” and is one of five adjacent beaches.  There was free parking, great public amenities – free showers and toilets, and a good café restaurant.  There were lots of sun beds and umbrellas and a lovely sandy beach.  The waves were good for body surfing. We preferred this beach to Elafonisi.

6. Roam further afield

The neighbourhoods of Tabakaria and Chalipa are worth visiting.  Tabakaria is to the east of the city and was famous for its tanneries. The disused buildings are being developed and we had a fabulous meal at Thalassina Ageri.  Great views and not on the well-worn tourist track.  Chalipa is an historic neighbourhood popular with diplomats in the early 20^th Century.  Walking away from the old town down some of the larger streets of modern Chania is where locals go for breakfast/coffee etc.

7. Take to the water 

Hmm, we took a Sea Adventures tour. This makes the magnificent seven as a proxy for water tours/activities.  We hired a boat and skipper for a 4-hour tour of two islands.  A major disappointment in that we never set foot on either island and there was no commentary/history at all.  It was a fast journey to the first island and the boat sat there for two hours. There were a number of other boats doing the same and in the end we jumped into the water to swim to pass the time. 

We do recommend taking to the water.  Just be clear as to what you are getting.  We were told that we would be able to walk around the islands.  It didn’t happen. 

Of Note

• When hiring a car, go for a brand you have heard of and pay the extra. 
• Take a credit card.  I did not and it caused a problem as the deposit you pay when hiring a car cannot be put on a debit card.  I had to pay an extra €200 for insurance I did not need that covered everything.  Probably even alien abductions!  
• ATMs have a £3.95 service charge irrespective of the amount of money taken out. 

• At most restaurants at both lunch and dinner you are presented with a local sweet delicacy and some fiery raki.  These are great, but the raki is very strong! 
• Day trips to various other parts of Crete are offered.  Be aware of the distances and time on the coaches and at the destination.  For example, a day trip to Knossos would mean about 4-5 hours on a coach for the round trip with a couple of hours at Knossos.  Not something we would do. 
• Two of the most popular day trips from Chania, which we did not have time to experience were hiking the Samaria Gorge and visiting the beach at Balos.  We were looking at a relaxing week in a beautiful Cretan city and our trips to Elafonisi and Falassarna beaches were as much travelling as we wanted to do. 
• The Maritime Museum of Crete in the Venetian Harbour was somewhere we were planning to visit, but we ran out of time.  It is worth considering. 
• The tap water is safe to drink and most restaurants will provide it if you ask. 

Fun Fact 

Over 6000 Greek words are used in English today.