Chania is a city on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. It’s known for its 14th-century Venetian harbor, narrow streets and waterfront restaurants.

I have visited Chania 3 times. From where I live the distance is very short and the price is quite cheap! We got a direct Ryanair flight to Chania from Paphos which cost us around 65 Euros return. When you arrive at Chania airport, if you’re a group it’s worth taking a taxi to the center which is around 15 EUR or take the bus which is around 2 EUR.

Stay

We stayed at the Kasteli Studios & Apartments in the 3 bedroom house. It was wonderful. The house was clean and cozy. It’s a nice traditional place with a garden, an amazing place to sit and relax since it’s quite. Better to stay here than any other luxury hotel. The owner, Mr. Alexis welcomed us and provided us with drinks and fruit. He also answered any questions we had regarding the place and provided us information about places we can visit. Our rooms were cleaned and tidied every day. The location of Kasteli Studios is near the port and the Chania center; you only need to walk 2-3 minutes to get to the old port. I would totally recommend the place and will come back for sure when we are in Chania again. I also stayed at Elia Daliani Suites right in the center however during the night the street is very noisy due to the fact that there’s a lot of bars in the same street.



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Eat & Drink

Every morning we had breakfast in Aroma at the old port. You can get a coffee and a ham & cheese sandwich for 3-4 EUR. The best food we had in Chania was at Tamam and Ta Chalkina. We visited Tamam, near the old port, during lunchtime. I would totally recommend you to go there if you are in Chania and have the Tamam salad and the Iranian rice, awesome tastes. Both restaurants provide you with a nice atmosphere and great food.

Some other places we visited for food & drink include:

Tips on drink & food – don’t forget to try: rakomelo, raki, staka, ntakos salad and kalitsounia.

Explore the Old City

Although being in Chania for just a few days I loved walking around the Old City. From where we stayed we could easily reach the Venetian port. At the end of Agios Markos street, we arrive at Akti Enoseos from where you can see the lighthouse. Moving on you’ll get to see a Muslim mosque which is a principal characteristic of the port apart from the lighthouse. From there you can find a lot of cafes, bars, restaurants, clubs and shops. Moving further up the tiny street behind the port you will find the Municipal Market and the Stivanadika road which is considered one of the most popular tourist roads. There are a lot of tiny, stoned pedestrian streets where you can walk and find some small shops which sell traditional things.

Beaches

There’s many beaches to go around Chania area, starting from Chrysi Akti (Golden Beach) which is near the old town and Agia Marina beach is one of the locals’ favorite Chania Beaches. An amazing beach to go to and spend the day is Balos Beach. I have a dedicated post on that which I’d like you to read and have a look at the photos. Other beaches you should visit include Elafonisi, characterized by its crystal clear waters and golden sand. Glyka Nera is an isolated beach located 4 km west of Sfakia and 75km south of Chania.

What is love about Chania is the Old Venetian Harbour, the old port, the narrow shopping streets and the waterfront restaurants & bars. 

If you would like to read more information about Chania and its history visit explorecrete. ALternatively, for more Things To Do, restaurants to visit and places to see visit Chania Trip Advisor with all the latest news, reviews and photos by other travellers.

Don’t forget to read my post regarding the top reasons you should visit Chania.

Photos from my Trip to Chania