Top 5 Things To Do in Chania Crete

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We started our Grecian vacation in Crete, an island so large that it feels like a country all its own. With so much to discover on Crete I allotted half of our 2 weeks vacation to this island. The itinerary for Crete was 2 nights in Chania, 3 nights in Loutro, and 2 nights just outside Heraklion.

Crete has a beautiful rocky landscape with massive red stone gorges and mountains covered in thyme bushes and wildflowers where their amazing honey (seriously, the best I’ve ever had) comes from. It the foothills, huge olive groves grow and the island is surrounded by the turquoise blue Cretan and Libyan seas. It’s really like no place I had ever seen before.

We arrived in Chania by plane from Athens. The city can also be accessed by ferry via the port town of Souda or by bus from most towns in Crete.

On Renting A Car in Crete:

Many people will suggest you rent a car to explore Crete. This will help get you to where you want to go on a flexible schedule. If you’re not comfortable sharing winding roads with maniacal drivers the KTEL Buses are reliable and cheap and will take you all over the island. If you choose the public transit route then it might be a good idea to stay closer to town/city centres, since taxi drivers seem to determine their fares based on how well you can pronounce efcharisto (ie. thank you in Greek). We took the same cab ride to Heraklion three different times for three significantly different rates.

My thoughts on Chania:

Chania is a beautiful city. It’s old town area has really quaint winding alleys that are great for tourists to explore. Truthfully there isn’t a whole lot to do here. Even at a slow pace you can cover most of the attractions in city in a day. That said, it’s much much more charming than Heraklion and is worth staying here at least a night if you’re visiting Crete.

Chania Old Harbour at Sunset

Chania Old Harbour

Top 5 Things To Do in Chania Crete

1) Get Lost in Old Town

Even with a map it is easy to become completely lost in the small, winding pedestrian streets of Old Town Chania. Squeeze your way through the narrow “streets” that are more like alleys and discover shops, restaurants, and churches that date back hundreds of years.

The old town has the feel of being in Venice, which is no surprise since it was established by the Venetians.

How to Get There:

Take a cab or the bus from Souda (the port for large ferry vessels) or the Chania airport. Buses run regularly.

Tips:

If you can find it the Etz Hayyim Synagogue is worth a visit. Look for a small alley halfway up Kondylaki. The small Jewish community in this section of Chania were rounded up in 1944 and deported to concentration camps but the entire community perished when the ship taking them to mainland Europe was mistakenly sunken by an Allied torpedo. The Etz Hayyim synagogue was rebuilt in the 1990s after being placed on the 100 Most Endangered Monuments List due to the ransacking of the Ghetto after the deportation of the Jews.

2) The Lighthouse

The oldest lighthouse in Greece is located in Chania’s old harbour. Originally constructed by the Venetians in the sixteenth century, part of it collapsed and was rebuilt in the 1800s in an Islamic style by the Egyptians to whom the Turks ceded rule over Crete at the time.

How to Get There:

Walk east along the old harbour toward the breakwater. Climb the wall all the way out to the lighthouse for some great photos of the sea and the harbour.

3) Minoan Ship Replica

Located in one of the old arsenals that is part of the Nautical Museum of Crete, there is an exact replica of a Minoan ship (built with replica Minoan tools) that was actually rowed all the way to Athens for the 2004 Olympics.

How to Get There:

Walk to the the far end of the harbour, on the way to the breakwall and the lighthouse. Peek your head into the open arsenals – you’ll see the ship right away- or look for a small sign beside the entrance indicating “Nautical Museum”.

4) Eat at To Karnagio

One of our favourite meals in Greece was from this restaurant located in a “square” (actually it’s a parking lot). You can get a better view at many restaurants on the Old Harbour, but the traditional Cretan food here is fantastic. We had tender oven-roasted lamb, delicious octopus, and stuffed zucchini flowers which were the best thing I ate the whole trip!

The complimentary 4oz bottle of ice cold raki (Cretan moonshine) is a great way to finish off this delicious meal.

How to Get There:

There are multiple restaurants lining the old harbour walk past them all in the direction of the new harbour. To Karnagio is nestled in a square that serves as a parking lot, just past the old harbour.

Tips:

Order the oven roasted lamb. It is tender and delicious. If stuffed zucchini flowers are available then get those too!

5) Hike the Samaria Gorge

(source)

Matt and I skipped this one in favour of hiking some loops near Loutro, but the Samaria Gorge is extremely popular with tourists.

The 16km, 6-hour descent from Omalos at 1250 meters to Agia Roumeli at sea level takes visitors through a narrow and steep-sided gorge that provides spectacular natural scenery. The hike can also be done in the reverse direction (ie. uphill) but the last 3km to Omalos are very strenuous.

How to Get There:

Buses run daily from Chania to Omalos (about 1h trip)

Hike down to Agia Roumeli and take the ferry from here to Chora Sfakion. A bus will take you back to Chania from Chora Sfakion.

Tips:

Good running shoes or hiking boots are required.

If you’re going the more common all-downhill route from Omalos, it may be prudent to bring hiking poles if you have bad knees.

The entrance fee to Samaria Gorge National Park is €5.

The gorge is extremely popular with tourists in the summer. If you go, you may be fighting crowds.

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• Travelling to Heraklion Crete