Chania Holidays

from £ 380 pp

Holidays to Chania deliver the whole package of golden beaches, a historic old town and stress-free daytrips.

Mountains of appeal

Sitting on the north-west crest of Greece's largest island Crete, Chania's the island's second-largest city. On top of an old town stuffed with Venetian buildings, it's got a buzzing waterfront and a fistful of Blue Flag beaches.

Historic highlights

The old town has history to spare, with a 14th-century harbour and a 16th-century lighthouse, plus reminders of the Venetian, Egyptian and Ottoman conquests of this pretty Greek port dotted throughout. There's still a thriving market culture, and the narrow streets are jammed with tiny trinket shops and tempting food stalls.

Dramatic drops

If you can bear to tear yourself away from the sea and sand, the nearby gorge at Theriso – a 30-minute drive from Chania – will reward you with impressive drops and lush foliage. Further inland is the Samaria Gorge, a protected biodiversity site, where you can hit 28 kilometres' worth of walking trails.

At a glance

Spend a sunny day on a Blue Flag award-winning beach
Wander through Chania Town and hunt for souvenirs
Explore the area's natural caves and gorges

Bargain Buys

The covered market in Mousouron Street in Chania has local produce coming out of its ears. Fresh olive oil, locally-made cheeses, thyme-flavoured honey and bottles of raki are all available for a song. It’s open Monday to Saturday between 8am and 1.30pm, and later from 5pm to 8pm. In Agia Marina, meanwhile, you can stock up on similar items in the souvenir shops on Main Street.
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. Pick up handmade handbags, purses, shoes and sandals for between 30 and 100 euros. Skridolf leads on to Halidon Street – one of Chania’s busiest – which stretches down to the harbour. The little shops here sell take-homes like Cretan honey and chunky ceramics.
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 items will 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. While you’re here, pop in to the Cretan House Folklore Museum – the shop inside sells handmade rugs and delicate embroidery if you’re after an extra-special souvenir.

Laid-back evenings

Chania doesn’t scrimp on the traditional restaurants. The low-lit old town takes the lion’s share of the best ones, though. If you need a starting point, you can’t go far wrong with Zambellou Street. In Maleme, after-dinner drinks are served up in the cafés on Maleme Beach Road and there’s a similar scene in the centre of Gerani village. Anyone looking for more than a frothy coffee, though, should catch a taxi to the bars and clubs in neighbouring Platanias.
Lively evenings

The old harbour has the monopoly on Chania’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. The sleepy-looking village of Agia Marina is a bit of a dark horse when it comes to after-hours action. You’ll find cocktail bars and karaoke joins beside the beach and on Main Road.

Cretan Pilaf

This hunger-busting dish is so popular in Crete that newlyweds have it at their wedding breakfast. It’s made by boiling rice in stock and mixing it with butter. Depending on 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.
Staka

This dish looks a bit like porridge, but its appearance is deceiving. Its 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’s 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.

SIMILAR DESTINATIONS

Where we go in Chania

Kriti Hotel

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Kedrissos Hotel

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Chania Holidays

Mountains of appeal

Historic highlights

Dramatic drops

At a glance

Top things to See and Do in Chania

Bargain Buys

Mid-Range Buys

Designer Buys

Laid-back evenings

Lively evenings

Cretan Pilaf

Boureki

Staka

Fennel

Tsikoudia

SIMILAR DESTINATIONS

Where we go in Chania

Kriti Hotel

Kedrissos Hotel

Popular holidays

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