Chania area Holidays

from £ 261 pp

Holidays to the Chania area of Greece revolve around the beach, but there’s a gorge to hike and ruins to explore when you want a break from the sand.

Blue Flag beaches

Set on Crete’s north coast, the Chania region knows how to score brownie points. For starters, it offers up more beaches than you can count on two hands. The stretches of sand range from the Blue Flag beauties in Agioi Apostoloi and Gerani to the chic bar-lined strip in Agia Marina.

Chania Town

Chania Town has its finger in a few pies. Its old town is full of ancient architecture, including historical Venetian mansions and Turkish hammams. Its covered market is often touted as one of the best places to buy local produce in Greece. And its harbour area has a cosmopolitan after-dark scene.

Sightseeing

Exploring Crete is easy when you’re anchored in Chania. In fact, the sightseeing opportunities begin before you even step outside the region. The village of Maleme, for example, is the site of Crete’s most famous World War Two battle. A little further afield, you’ll find the Samaria Gorge, where you can trace your way around 18 miles worth of walking trails.

At a glance

Walk the length of Maleme Beach
Shop for fat olives and syrupy olive oil in Chania’s market
Hike through the Samaria Gorge

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Beach hopping

Chania’s beach stock is high. This segment of Crete’s north-east coast has everything from small, bustling beaches to long, semi-empty ones. And lots come with Blue Flag status. Beach-hopping is easy, as well. A blue bus runs between Kalamaki and Chania Town, stopping at a number of hot spots on the coast.
The big beach

You get more than a mile of sand at Maleme Beach. There are small swatches of umbrellas and parasols along the length of the beach, but most of the sand is uncluttered. As you walk further west, the crowds diffuse and you’re left sharing the sand with just a few green trees.
The secret beach

Chania’s beaches are all gems, but they’re not hidden. All the stretches of sand on Crete’s north coast are popular. But Tavronitis Beach, half an hour’s drive from Chania Town, is one of the quieter bays. The sand here is mixed with pebbles and there are a couple of tavernas to one side. What’s more, the whole place is set against a backdrop of the mountains of the Kissamos peninsula.

Bargain Buys

The covered market on Mousouron Street in Chania Town has local produce coming out of its ears. Fresh olive oil, locally-made cheeses, thyme honey and bottles of raki are all available here for a song. It’s open Monday to Saturday between 8am and 1.30pm and later from 5pm to 8pm. There’s a little family-run supermarket on Maleme Roumaton Road in Maleme, which offers similar stock.
Mid-Range Buys

Skridolf Street in Chania Town is known as leatherworkers’ lane, thanks to the number of leather shops that show their face here. You can pick up handmade handbags, purses, shoes and sandals for between 30 and 100 euros. Chania Town is your best bet for clothing and electrical items, too – the shops in most beach resorts are limited to food and beach supplies.
Designer Buys

Jewellery shops are part of the furniture in Chania. It’s common for goldsmiths to design and make their own pieces from scratch, and they’ll set you back anything from 100 euros to a couple of thousand. You’ll find some of the best shops on Chalidon Street near the harbour in Chania Town.

Laid-back evenings

Chania Town doesn’t scrimp on traditional restaurants. The low-lit old town takes the lion’s share of the best ones. If you need a starting point, you can’t go far wrong with Zambellou Street. In Agia Marina, the sun provides the evening entertainment. Watch it set from one of the tavernas that line the beach. In Maleme, after-dinner drinks are served up in the cafes on Maleme Beach Road. Anyone looking for more than a frothy coffee, though, should catch a taxi to neighbouring Platanias.
Lively evenings

The old harbour has the monopoly on Chania Town’s nightlife scene. Head to Kondilaki Street and Soumerli Street to find live music joints and cocktail bars, or make your way to Enetiki Tafros Street to find clubs hosting live DJ sets. If you’re in Platanias, the after-hours action is none too shabby, either. There’s a good choice of cocktail bars and clubs in the centre of town.

Cretan pilaf

This hunger-busting dish is so popular in Crete that newly-weds choose to have it at their wedding breakfasts. It’s made by boiling rice in stock and mixing it with butter. Depending where you are in Crete, you’ll get different meat or vegetables in the dish. In Chania, it’s traditional to include chicken and lamb.
Boureki

You might be able to buy boureki all over Crete, but nowhere does the dish quite like Chania. On this part of the island, the vegetarian dish of potatoes, courgettes and cheese is wrapped in filo pastry and served as a packed parcel on top of fresh Greek salad.
taka

This dish looks a bit like porridge, but its appearance is deceiving. The recipe is complex, but the basic ingredients are goats’ milk and flour. It tends to be served piping hot as a side dish in restaurants, but some Chania locals like to spread it on bread or pour it over their chips.
Fennel

Fennel grows wild in the Chania area, so it’s a regular on seasonal menus. Two fennel recipes that crop up a lot are octopus with fennel and red wine sauce, and cuttlefish with fennel and mint. Fennel pies called marathopites are a popular fast food, too.
Tsikoudia

In most Cretan villages, there’s a local who is licenced to produce tsikoudia. The clear spirit is made from the skins of grapes and it’s knock-your-socks-off alcoholic. Most locals keep a bottle on ice in their freezer, and sip it slowly with dinner.

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Chania area Holidays

Blue Flag beaches

Chania Town

Sightseeing

At a glance

Destinations in Chania Area

Top Destinations

Top things to See and Do in Chania area

Beach hopping

The big beach

The secret beach

Bargain Buys

Mid-Range Buys

Designer Buys

Laid-back evenings

Lively evenings

Cretan pilaf

Boureki

taka

Fennel

Tsikoudia

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