Travel Eye on Chania (Crete, Greece)

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Overview:

Chania is built on the site of an ancient Minoan city and the capital of Crete until the 1970s, Chania is the island's second largest town with a resident population of around 140,000; its main centre measures about 2 mls by 1½ mls with sprawling residential suburbs rising uphill to the rear of town.

It is generally hailed as one of the most charming Cretan resorts, it has a rich history encompassing Byzantine, Arabian, Venetian and Turkish occupations. This inheritance is reflected in many of the buildings in the Old Town, which fans out along the sea front north of the cruciform-shaped market hall and is loosely divided into Venetian, Turkish and Jewish quarters.

Here you can find medieval structures, mosques and minarets alongside later colonial or neoclassical architecture. A Venetian/Egyptian lighthouse guards the entrance to the long, picturesque harbour with its abundance of fine restaurants and cafes, a focal point for visitors from morning to late into the evening.

This resort suits most groups and ages, particularly those seeking a genuine taste of the Cretan way of life and its history as well as relaxation, superb scenery, sun and sea. It is a good base from which to undertake individual travel, with your own means of transport.

The accommodation here offers a good choice of hotels, with the larger cross-section of hotels and self-catering apartments found in the resort areas outside and mainly west of town.

Locality:

Chania is situated on the north west coast of Crete. (it is 42 mls NW of Rethymnon. 10 mls W of Chania airport; 90 mls NW of Heraklion airport). It is on the Gulf, and in the prefecture, of Chania, surrounded by countryside and some of the island's most fertile agricultural land, with the stunning grandeur of the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) as a backdrop; the mountains have snow on the upper reaches for half the year.

Entertainment/Activities/Things To Do:

There are a few small sandy bays just west of the town centre, then mainly long stretches of sand and pebble running for many miles. They offer generally good bathing and are easily reached by the coastal bus service. Hotels and apartment blocks have their own sunbeds and parasols, and usually a snack bar which is open to the public. A few hotels have low-key water sports such as pedalloes and windsurfing.

There are many small supermarkets and food stores as well as the main municipal market hall and an old Turkish marketplace, both offering a wide range of goods including local produce. Halidon Street is home to the more touristy shops, while the larger hotels offer quality jewellery and clothing. For leather goods, including the famous high-legged boots, make your way to Odos Skridlof ("Leather Lane") to watch the leather workers in action.

During the daytime activities include exploring the town, including naval and archaeological museums, city archives, mosques, Greek Orthodox churches and the old Venetian ramparts and arsenals. Or spend it walking in the public gardens or around the harbour to the lighthouse, on the beach, or swimming and water sports (windsurfing, sailing, water-skiing).

The nightlife here offers a few discos, bars and many restaurants with live music, the liveliest area being around the harbour front, with a couple of cinemas and an open-air theatre.

For food you are spoilt for choice, from the harbour fish specialists to local tavernas and hotel-based options.