# Chania

A town of Venetian lanes around a harbour with a lighthouse, and two hours away, the Samaria Gorge and the lagoons of Balos and Elafonisi. You can see the old town in a day; western Crete needs four or five, and a car.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How do you get there from Spain?

By plane, almost always with a connection in Athens: from there to Chania airport (CHQ) is about a 50-minute flight. In summer seasonal direct flights appear from some Spanish cities, but they change every year: look them up before taking the connection for granted. The airport is on the Akrotiri peninsula, about 15 km away; the KTEL bus to the centre costs €2.50 and takes half an hour.

If you are coming from Athens and are in no hurry, the overnight ferry from Piraeus to Souda, the port of Chania, leaves around 22:00 and arrives at dawn, after 8 or 9 hours. It is run by Blue Star and ANEK, with seat or cabin. With a cabin you save a hotel night.

## Do I need a car?

For the town, no: the Venetian old quarter is covered on foot and there is hardly any parking inside. For western Crete, yes. Balos, Elafonisi, Falasarna or the Imbros Gorge are between one and two hours away on mountain roads, and the bus reaches few of them or runs on a timetable that doesn't let you come back late. Hire it at the airport for the excursion days and spend the town days without it.

If you don't drive, it can be done: the KTEL bus goes to Kissamos about ten times a day, the boats to Balos leave from there, and for Samaria there are early-morning buses in season and excursions with hotel pick-up.

## Samaria: ticket, times and return

The gorge is 16 km downhill from Xyloskalo, at 1,227 m, to the village of Agia Roumeli, on the sea. You can only leave from there by boat. Allow 5 to 7 hours of walking and a whole day with the transfers.

Ticket: compulsory and named, on the official NECCA portal. Get it before you go up.

Season: from May to October, depending on the water. In 2026 it opened on 19 May, and it closes without warning if there is a flood risk.

Return: boat from Agia Roumeli to Hora Sfakion or to Sougia (€17) and a bus or transfer back to Chania.

Footwear: mountain shoes with a firm sole. Sandals are no good on loose stone.

## Qué hacer
- **Walking down the Samaria Gorge, from Xyloskalo to Agia Roumeli** (6 h · 16 km · From age 12, used to walking): The route
The Samaria Gorge crosses the White Mountains from north to south, from the Omalos plateau to the Libyan Sea. It is the heart of the Samaria National Park, created in 1962, the same year the village that gives it its name was evacuated. It is a biosphere reserve and one of the last refuges of the kri-kri, the wild goat of Crete.
The path starts at Xyloskalo, on the edge of the Omalos plateau, down a staircase of wood and stone that zigzags down the slope, among pines and cypresses. It is the steepest stretch: in the first kilometres you lose most of the elevation. Then the path follows the torrent bed, crosses the water several times on walkways and stones and reaches the old village of Samaria, halfway, with stone houses, the church and a rest area.
In the second half the walls close in until the Iron Gates (Sideroportes), the narrowest passage: about 4 m wide between walls almost 300 m high. Shortly after you leave the park and walk the last 2 km, now over open ground, to the coastal village of Agia Roumeli, where the beach awaits.
Distance, time and difficulty

Distance: 13 km inside the park and about 15–16 km to Agia Roumeli.
Elevation: about 1,200 m of continuous descent from Omalos, at 1,250 m, to the sea.
Time: between 5 and 7 hours.
Difficulty: demanding. Not for technical reasons, but because of the length and the loose stone and boulder ground, which punishes the knees.

It is for people over 12 who are used to walking several hours. It is not recommended with knee or heart problems.
Season and admission
The park only opens in season and closes in winter: according to the managing body, NECCA, it is closed from 1 November 2026 to 9 April 2027. Within the season, the park may close on some days because of heavy rain or the risk of floods and rockfalls.
Admission is compulsory and is obtained as an electronic ticket, with a date, on the NECCA portal (samaria-tickets.necca.gov.gr). Trekking Hellas, which includes it in its excursion, puts it at €5; confirm the price on the portal when you buy. There are water points and rest areas with wardens along the path, but you can't camp or spend the night in the park.
How to get there and how to get back
It is a linear route, so the usual plan is to go to the start by bus and return by boat:

Outward: in season, KTEL buses leave early in the morning from Chania station for Omalos, in a little over an hour.
Descent: through the gorge to Agia Roumeli, where you can eat and swim.
Boat: Agia Roumeli has no road. ANENDYK boats leave in the afternoon for Hora Sfakion or Sougia; you have the fares on the south-coast boats page.
Return: from Hora Sfakion or Sougia, a KTEL bus to Chania; check the afternoon timetable before setting out.

If you go by car, leave it in Chania: if you park at Omalos, you will have to come back for it from the coast.
With a guide
If you prefer to have it organised, Trekking Hellas, an agency in Chania, runs the guided excursion with pick-up in the Chania area: €99 per person in a group (on Wednesdays) and private on any day, with park admission included. The return boat is paid separately. It requires a minimum age of 12 and walking experience.
What to bring
Mountain boots or trainers (sandals are not allowed), a reusable bottle to refill at the water points, hat, sun cream, swimwear and a towel for Agia Roumeli, and some food. Poles if you use them.
- **Boat from Kissamos to Gramvousa and the Balos lagoon** (7 h 30 · All ages): What it involves
It is a day-long boat excursion from the port of Kissamos, in western Crete, to the tip of the Gramvousa peninsula. The boat makes two stops: first at the island of Gramvousa, with its Venetian fortress on top, and then at the Balos lagoon, the tongue of white sand and shallow turquoise water that appears in almost every photo of western Crete.
The advantage of the boat is that it saves you the land access: a long dirt track along the peninsula and a walk down to the lagoon that you have to climb back up in the afternoon sun. From the sea you arrive at the foot of the beach and step off at the jetty.
Who runs it
The regular departures on large boats are by Cretan Daily Cruises, the Kissamos shipping company that operates the route with a fleet of boats of between 300 and 1,200 places, such as the Gramvousa, the Balos or the Gramvousa Express. All have an air-conditioned lounge, open decks and an on-board bar. Tickets are bought on their website or at the port.
The boat leaves mid-morning and returns in the late afternoon, after about four hours between the two stops. Resellers list departures around 10:30 and returns around 17:45, but the timetable changes with the season and the boat: confirm it when you book and arrive at the port at least 40 minutes early. The price also varies by date; check the day's fare on the shipping company's website.
What the day is like
Gramvousa. The boat docks in a cove of transparent water. If you want to go up to the fortress, which the Venetians built to watch over the entrance to the gulf, get off the boat first: it is half an hour of uphill on a stone path, with no shade, and at the top you see the peninsula and the lagoon from above. If not, stay and swim in the cove.
Balos. The long stop. You disembark at the jetty and walk across the sand to the lagoon, where the water is knee-deep for children over a good part of it. On the other side is Cape Tigani, a rocky islet joined by sand. There is very little shade: bring a parasol or something to cover up with.
When to go
Departures are seasonal, from spring to autumn, more frequent in summer. In a strong north wind the boat may cancel or change the order of the stops; the shipping company gives notice. In July and August the lagoon fills up at midday with visitors from the boats and from those who arrive overland. In June and September the water is already good and there are fewer people.
How to get to the port
The port of Kissamos (Kavonisi) is about 40 km west of Chania, about 45 minutes by car along the national road. If you are without a car, the KTEL buses from Chania to Kissamos leave from the bus station several times a day; from the Kissamos stop to the port there are still a few kilometres, so ask about the connection when you book or take a taxi. If you hire a car, see the car hire page.
What to bring
Swimwear, towel, sun cream, hat and water. Comfortable shoes if you climb to the fortress, and water shoes for the stones of the Gramvousa cove. There is a bar on board, but the food is basic: bring a sandwich if you want something better. The peninsula is a protected area: don't take away sand or shells.
- **Elafonisi beach and lagoon** (6 h · All ages · Free): What it is
Elafonisi is a small island, of 1.5 km², attached to the south-western corner of Crete, and the beach and lagoon that separate it from the coast. In good weather you cross it on foot through the water, which is very shallow in the lagoon: children walk with the water at their knees to the islet. The sand has pinkish tones at the water's edge, from the remains of pigmented microorganisms that live among the algae on the seabed and that the waves deposit on the beach.
It is a protected natural area, with dunes, sea lilies and junipers. That is why you can't take away sand or shells, or tread on the dunes and their vegetation.
What to see
The main beach and the lagoon are what you are looking for. If you cross to the island, climb to the top: there is a plaque there commemorating the Easter Sunday massacre of 1824, when Ottoman soldiers killed several hundred Greeks who had taken refuge on the island. Nearby there is also a large wooden cross for the 38 people who died in 1907 in the wreck of the Austrian steamer Imperatrix, whose wreck still lies off the cliffs.
On the other side of the island there are smaller, quieter coves that fewer people reach.
How to get there
It is about 75 km from Chania, between an hour and a half and two hours by car: along the national road towards Kissamos and then south through the mountains, with a narrow, winding final stretch. There is parking next to the beach, which fills up in July and August by mid-morning: arrive before ten. If you hire a car, see the car hire page.
Without a car, KTEL has one bus a day from Chania station: in the autumn 2026 timetable it left at 9:00 and returned from Elafonisi at 16:00. There is also a departure from Kissamos (Kasteli). Check the season's timetable before going.
When to go
From June to September the water is good and the lagoon warm. In July and August it is one of the busiest beaches in Crete: first thing and last thing it is fine, at midday it is hard to find a spot. In May and October there are far fewer people, although the water is cooler. In strong wind the crossing to the island gets difficult: cross only when the water is calm.
Facilities and swimming
In season there are sun loungers and parasols for hire on part of the main beach. Outside that area there is no shade: bring your own. Swimming in the lagoon is safe for small children because of the shallow depth; outside the lagoon, on the face open to the sea, the water gets deep sooner and there can be swell.
With children
With small children it works very well: shallow warm water, fine sand and the walk through the water to the island, which they treat as an adventure. Bring water shoes for the rocks on the island, sun cream and plenty of water, because you spend the day in the sun.
It combines with the monastery of Chrysoskalitissa, on the road in, a few kilometres away, perched on a rock above the sea.
- **Venetian harbour, the lighthouse and the Firkas fortress** (2 h · 3 km · All ages, with pushchair · Free): What it is and what you see
The Venetian harbour is the waterfront of Chania's old town: a horseshoe-shaped basin, closed by a long breakwater with the lighthouse at the tip. Around it cluster coloured Venetian and Ottoman houses, the Küçük Hasan mosque, from the Ottoman period and now an exhibition hall, and, to the east, the great vaulted sheds of the Venetian shipyards. To the west it is closed by the Firkas fortress, where the Greek flag was first raised on the island on 1 December 1913, the day of the union of Crete with Greece.
The Venetians began fortifying the city in 1538, and the harbour is what best preserves that layout. It is the walk everyone does, and rightly so: by day you see the water and the boats, and by night the lit-up facades with the lighthouse in the background.
The walk, step by step
Allow about 3 km and two hours with stops:

Start at the Küçük Hasan mosque, in the middle of the quay, facing the harbour entrance.
Go east along the quay and pass the Venetian shipyards, on the quiet side of the harbour. This part has fewer terraces and more locals.
Carry on along the breakwater to the lighthouse. It is a long stretch of flat stone over the sea, with no shade, with the whole city behind you.
Come back along the breakwater and cross the whole quay westwards, among terraces, to the Firkas fortress.
Look in at Firkas: at the entrance is the Maritime Museum of Crete, and from the walls you see the harbour from the other side. Check its hours and price at the entrance.

Finish by getting lost in the streets behind: the Splantzia district, to the east, with the church of St Rocco, is the quietest area of the old town.
When to go
First thing in the morning or at sunset. In the morning the harbour is empty and the light is soft. As the sun goes down the quay fills with people strolling and with terraces, and it is the time for photos of the lighthouse. At midday in July and August the breakwater doesn't have a single tree: avoid it. In a strong north sea, don't walk on the breakwater.
How to get there and park
If you are staying in the old town, everything is on foot. If you arrive by car, don't try to go in: the old town has no room to park. You have the car parks on the parking outside the old town page, five minutes' walk from the quay. The KTEL bus station is ten minutes' walk away.
Price, with children and accessibility
The walk is free. The quay and the breakwater are flat and can be done with a pushchair or wheelchair, although the breakwater surface has joints and level changes in places. With small children, keep an eye on them on the breakwater: it has no railing on the water side. The streets of the old town have steps in places.
Eating and sleeping at the harbour
The quayside terraces have the view and the prices that come with the view. For a special dinner on the quiet side, Salis has a short menu and a long wine list; for breakfast, the bougatsa at Bougatsa Iordanis. To sleep by the water, the Porto Veneziano is on the eastern basin, and the Casa Delfino has a rooftop with a view of the harbour.
- **Nea Chora beach** (3 h · All ages · Free): What it is
Nea Chora is Chania's urban beach: a long sandy beach, with some rocky areas, a kilometre west of the centre, along Akti Papanikoli Street. It takes its name from the Nea Chora district, outside the walls, which lives facing the sea, with tavernas along the promenade. Opposite lies the islet of Lazaretta.
It is not the beach for a day trip, but the one you have to hand when you don't want to take the car: a swim in the late afternoon, a morning with small children or a while before a fish dinner.
How to get there
On foot from the Venetian harbour it is about 15 minutes: you leave the harbour by the Firkas fortress side and follow the coast west, leaving the walls on your left. City buses also come. If you come by car, the old town has no room to park: see the parking outside the old town page and finish the stretch on foot.
The beach and swimming
The water is usually calm and the entry is shallow, so it works well with small children, always with supervision. The beach has a blue flag, a lifeguard in season, showers and an area of sun loungers and parasols for hire, as well as some shade from trees. Access is by a paved street and can be reached in a wheelchair.
In summer it fills up, especially at weekends and in the afternoon, when Chania residents come down for a swim. First thing in the morning there is plenty of room.
If you want something quieter, at the western end the beach reaches the mouth of the Kladissos river: a footbridge takes you to Kladissos beach, with fewer people.
Where to eat
The Nea Chora promenade is full of tavernas, mostly fish, with tables looking out to sea, as well as cafés and beach bars. It is the area where locals go to eat fish, away from the harbour terraces. Every summer the neighbourhood also holds a sardine festival, with music, dancing and free fish.
If you prefer to eat in the old town, To Maridaki, in Splantzia, serves fish grilled, fried or stewed.
When to go
From June to September the water is good for swimming. In May and October the sand is pleasant and the water feels cool. At sunset the beach faces west and it is the time with the most atmosphere on the promenade.
Where to sleep nearby
If you want the beach at your door, the Ammos Hotel is facing a sandy beach west of the town, although further from the old town. To sleep in the old town and walk down to Nea Chora, the Casa Delfino is a stroll away.
- **Chania Archaeological Museum, in Chalepa** (1 h 30 · From age 8 · General admission €15, reduced €8): What it is and what you see
The Chania Archaeological Museum brings together what has been found across the whole regional unit of Chania and on the island of Gavdos: about 4,100 pieces ranging from the Palaeolithic to Roman times, up to the 4th century AD. Since 16 April 2022 it has occupied a new building in the Chalepa district, east of the old town, of glass, metal and ceramic, with an inner atrium that lets in natural light. It used to be in the Venetian church of St Francis, in the old town.
The exhibition is spread over two floors:

Ground floor: three large halls that tell the story of western Crete by theme. Prehistoric settlements, historic cities, social and administrative organisation, religion, war, trade, daily life and the way of burying the dead.
Upper floor: a good part of the collection of Konstantinos, Marika and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, mostly pieces of Cretan origin, from the 4th millennium BC to the 3rd century AD.

Upstairs is also the café, with a panoramic view, and on the ground floor the museum shop.
Opening hours and price
It opens from 8:30 to 15:30 every day except Tuesdays, when it is closed. The museum asks you to leave 20 minutes before closing, so go in at 14:30 at the latest if you want to see it calmly.
General admission costs €15 and reduced €8. It is bought at the ticket office or through the official state ticketing system, tickets.hh.gr. It is free for everyone on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October and the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March. As in all state museums, EU citizens under 25 get in free with ID.
How to get there and park
It is at 15 Skra Street, in Chalepa. From the Venetian harbour it is a long walk east, or a few minutes by car or taxi. Unlike the centre, parking here is easy: the museum has a free 40-space car park in its courtyard, with two reserved for people with disabilities.
By city bus, the museum recommends line 11, stop 492 (Venizelos House), and lines 18 and 23 also leave you nearby. You have routes and timetables at chaniabus.gr.
How long
Allow an hour and a half to go round both floors without hurrying. With children or short of time, an hour for the ground floor is enough. It is a good plan for the hottest hours, when the beach and the harbour are scorching.
Accessibility, with children and rules
The museum is accessible: lifts to all floors, two free manual wheelchairs and tactile pieces with Braille labels. You can take photos without flash with an amateur camera.
With children from about eight years old it works well, because the halls are organised by easy-to-follow themes, such as war, trade or daily life, and not by dates.
Afterwards
In Chalepa, a step from the museum, is Venizelos House, that of the Cretan politician who gives his name to the bus stop. To go back to the centre, walk down to the sea and along the coast to the Venetian harbour. For lunch in the old town, Tamam serves Greek cooking with Ottoman influences in a former Venetian bathhouse.
- **Imbros Gorge, from Imbros to Komitades** (3 h · 8 km · From age 10 · Admission €5): The route
The Imbros Gorge is a ravine on the southern side of the White Mountains that drops from the Askifou plateau towards the coast of Sfakia. It is the short alternative to Samaria: half the distance, no boat back and open almost all year.
You start in the village of Imbros (or Nimbros), at about 780 m, at the southern end of the Askifou plateau. The entrance to the gorge is next to the road, and that is where you pay. From there the path goes down the dry bed of the torrent, between walls that gradually close in, to the village of Komitades, near the sea. It is about 8 km on foot and 650 m of continuous descent, gentle almost all the way.
The most spectacular part is the middle stretch, where the walls come together leaving a passage 1.60 m wide. Further down the valley opens out, olive trees appear and you will see the Libyan Sea in the distance before you reach Komitades.
The gorge's mule track was for centuries the only way between Chania and Hora Sfakion before the road, and in 1941 thousands of British soldiers used it to reach the coast and be evacuated to Egypt.
Distance, time and difficulty

Distance: about 8 km from Imbros to Komitades.
Elevation: 650 m of descent, almost no climbs.
Time: between 2 and 3 and a half hours, depending on pace and stops.
Difficulty: moderate. The ground is loose stone and boulders for a good part of the way: it tires ankles and knees more than legs.

You don't need mountain experience, but you do need to be used to walking and wear thick-soled shoes with good grip. It is a route that children from about ten years old who are used to walking manage well.
Admission and season
Admission cost €5 in 2026 and is paid at the start. The gorge is passable all year, except in heavy rain or snow: the torrent bed becomes a watercourse. If it has rained a lot or there is a storm warning, don't go in. In high summer start first thing, because the walls only give shade in the narrow stretch and the last third is in the sun.
How to get there and how to get back
Imbros is an hour by car from Chania, along the Vrysses road and the Askifou plateau towards Hora Sfakion. You can park next to the entrance at Imbros.
As it is a linear route, the return is the problem. At Komitades taxis wait to take walkers up to Imbros to collect their car. Another option is to leave your car at Komitades, take a taxi to Imbros and walk down to it. Without a car, the KTEL buses from Chania to Hora Sfakion pass through Imbros: check timetables at the bus station, because in low season there are few departures.
Water, shade and what to bring
Don't count on springs along the way: carry at least a litre and a half of water per person. Hat, sun cream and something to eat. When you finish, a few kilometres from Komitades is Hora Sfakion, with a beach and the port for the south-coast boats.
You can take a dog down, but bring water for it and watch out for hot stones in summer.
- **Cretan cooking class on a farm in Stylos** (5 h · All ages · Desde 80 € per person): What it involves
It is a Cretan cooking class of about five hours at Veggera, a family farm in Stylos, a village in the Apokoronas valley, east of Chania. It isn't only cooking: the day begins with a visit to the stable, where you watch the animals being milked, continues with the hands-on class in the farm's kitchen and ends with the meal you have prepared, at the long table, with wine, cheese and live Cretan music.
The class is given in English, with an apron and utensils for each participant and fresh ingredients from the farm. The menu changes with the season. Among the dishes prepared are the Cretan salad, dakos (barley rusk with tomato and cheese), kalitsounia (cheese pastries), gemista (stuffed vegetables), boureki and lamb with potatoes from the wood oven.
What is included and how much it costs
The published price is from €80 per person. It includes the class, the ingredients, the visit to the stable with the milking, a wine and cheese tasting, the full meal with live music, coffee, lemonade and tsikoudia, the Cretan spirit, as well as a souvenir from the farm. Taxes and service are included.
It does not include the transfer from the hotel, which the farm offers at extra cost, nor souvenir photos or videos. The website does not publish a price for children: ask when you book.
Group, age and booking
Groups are of up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to cook. The farm accepts participants from one year old: when the children tire of kneading, they go off to the stable.
You book on the Veggera website. The page does not publish the days or the start time: they give them to you when you book, or by phone (+30 6984 231 745) and email. In high season book ahead, because the groups are small.
How to get there
Stylos is about half an hour by car from Chania, east along the national road and then inland through the Apokoronas valley. If you go in a hire car, see the car hire page; bear in mind there is wine and tsikoudia with the meal. If you don't want to drive, ask for the farm's transfer when you book.
What to bring
Sun cream and a hat for the stable visit, which is outdoors, and comfortable clothes that can get dirty. Wear closed shoes if your children are going to be with the animals. Tell them about allergies and intolerances when you book: Cretan cooking uses a lot of cheese, flour and oil.
How to fit it in
Five hours with a meal take up a long half day: do the class on a day without another excursion. In the evening, back in Chania, the light plan is a stroll around the Venetian harbour and lighthouse. For another day of local produce, the Manousakis winery, in Vatolakkos, shows you Cretan wine.
- **Visit and tasting at the Manousakis winery, in Vatolakkos** (1 h 30 · Free visit; tasting and lunch according to the menu): What it involves
Manousakis Winery is a family winery in Vatolakkos, a village among olive trees south-west of Chania, at the foot of the White Mountains. Its wines are sold under the Nostos brand. The visit has two parts that you can combine: a free guided tour of the winery, and a tasting or lunch on the terrace, which are paid for separately according to the menu.
The tour shows the winemaking and the barrel room, and ends on the tasting terrace, surrounded by trees, from where you see the mountains. The kitchen of the winery's taverna serves Cretan dishes designed to go with the wines, and adapts to special diets if you tell them beforehand.
Hours and season
The guided visits leave at 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00, depending on the season, and you can sign up for the one you prefer. It is closed on Sundays.

Until 10 October: Monday to Saturday, from 12:00 to 20:00.
From 12 October to 14 November: from 12:00 to 18:00.
From 16 November 2026 until April 2027: visits and tastings by appointment only.

Allow an hour and a half for the visit with an unhurried tasting, and more if you stay for lunch.
Price and booking
The winery visit is free. The tasting and the lunch are paid for according to the winery's menu, which publishes the prices of the tastings and the wines on its website. You book on the website: a single booking covers visit, tasting and lunch. If the system has no space, the winery takes bookings by phone (+30 28210 78787) or by email.
How to get there
Vatolakkos is about 20 minutes by car from Chania. Put the winery's address into your satnav, Vatolakkos 73005; the website links its location on the map. If you hire a car, see the car hire page, and bear in mind that on a tasting someone has to drive back.
If you don't want to drive, the winery offers a transfer service through Uncharted Escapes, a local company that also organises off-road routes through the vineyards. Ask for it when you book.
Who it suits
For anyone who wants to get to know Cretan wine over an unhurried afternoon, with food and scenery. The winery does not publish rules for children, but the terrace and the tree-filled surroundings make a family visit easy; minors don't taste.
It works as a loose mid-afternoon from the town, for example the day before an early start for the Samaria Gorge. For dinner back in Chania, To Maridaki, in Splantzia, serves fish and sharing plates.
Other activities at the winery
The winery works with other companies that run activities on the same site, also Monday to Saturday: Uncharted Escapes' off-road routes, an outdoor dinner with wine from Chania Wine Tours and an ancient-Greek-inspired jewellery workshop from Wild Rock Co. They are booked through the winery's website.

## Dónde comer
- **To Maridaki** (Restaurant, Chania, €€). Qué pedir: grilled cuttlefish with kritharaki, fried cod and whatever has arrived from the market that morning.
- **Tamam** (Restaurant, Chania, €€). Qué pedir: Greek stewed dishes with a touch of the East and a Cretan wine from the list.
- **Salis** (Restaurant, Chania, €€€€). Qué pedir: the seasonal menu with produce from small Cretan producers, and a wine from its long list.
- **Bougatsa Iordanis** (Bakery, Chania, €). Qué pedir: Chania pichtogalo bougatsa with sugar, or the sweet custard one with cinnamon.

## By car: Car for the west, on foot around the town
What you do most here is outside the town: Balos, Elafonisi, Imbros, the wineries. With a car you do two excursions in a day; without one, one.
Presupuesto orientativo: 110–160 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Splanzia Boutique Hotel** (Small hotel): A restored Venetian building on the quiet streets behind the harbour, twenty metres from Splantzia square. Two rooms connect, useful with children over 3. It has no lift.
- **Porto Veneziano** (Hotel): On the eastern basin of the harbour, ten minutes' walk from the old town. It has room to park, something rare in the centre, and triple rooms. The area is noisy at night in summer.
- **Ammos Hotel** (Small hotel): A design hotel facing a sandy beach west of the town, with the beach on foot and the old town ten minutes by car. It works well with children: you go down to the sand without crossing any roads.
- **Domes Noruz Chania** (Spa hotel): An Autograph Collection resort on Agioi Apostoloi beach, with suites with plunge pools, three pools, a spa and a signature fish restaurant. Adults only; reopens on 22 April 2027.
### Servicios
- **Souda port: ferry to Piraeus**: Blue Star and ANEK · departure for Piraeus around 22:00 · about 9 h · seat or cabin
- **South-coast boats (ANENDYK)**: Agia Roumeli – Hora Sfakion or Sougia, the Samaria exit · €17 · also Loutro (€14) and Paleochora
- **Car hire**: At the airport and in town · book ahead for July and August
- **Parking outside the old town**: There is no room inside the walls · municipal car parks on the edge of the old town, 5 min on foot

## Car-free: City on foot, excursions by bus and boat
Sleep inside the old town or at the harbour and get around with KTEL. Samaria and Balos can be done without a car; Elafonisi and Imbros are better with an organised excursion.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Casa Delfino** (Small hotel): A mansion from 1835 on a street in the old town, with a cobbled courtyard, a spa and a rooftop with views of the harbour for sunset. From the door you can walk to everything.
- **Splanzia Boutique Hotel** (Small hotel): A restored Venetian building on the quiet streets behind the harbour, twenty metres from Splantzia square. Two rooms connect, useful with children over 3. It has no lift.
- **Porto Veneziano** (Hotel): On the eastern basin of the harbour, ten minutes' walk from the old town. It has room to park, something rare in the centre, and triple rooms. The area is noisy at night in summer.
### Servicios
- **From the airport to the centre**: KTEL bus to the central station · about €2.50 · 20 to 30 min · timetables at e-ktel.com
- **KTEL bus station**: Kydonias and Kelaidi streets · Kissamos several times a day, about €5 · Omalos for Samaria early in the morning in season
- **Souda port: ferry to Piraeus**: Blue Star and ANEK · departure for Piraeus around 22:00 · about 9 h · seat or cabin
- **South-coast boats (ANENDYK)**: Agia Roumeli – Hora Sfakion or Sougia, the Samaria exit · €17 · also Loutro (€14) and Paleochora

## Luxury: A Venetian mansion or a suite with a pool on the beach
Two ways to do it: the town, in a mansion in the old town with a spa, or the beach, in an adults-only resort ten minutes away.
Presupuesto orientativo: 300–600 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Casa Delfino** (Small hotel): A mansion from 1835 on a street in the old town, with a cobbled courtyard, a spa and a rooftop with views of the harbour for sunset. From the door you can walk to everything.
- **Domes Noruz Chania** (Spa hotel): An Autograph Collection resort on Agioi Apostoloi beach, with suites with plunge pools, three pools, a spa and a signature fish restaurant. Adults only; reopens on 22 April 2027.
### Servicios
- **From the airport to the centre**: KTEL bus to the central station · about €2.50 · 20 to 30 min · timetables at e-ktel.com

## By plane: Fly to Chania and Drive from the Airport
Chania has its own airport (CHQ) on the Akrotiri peninsula, about 15 km from the city. From Spain the usual way is to fly to Athens and connect, about 50 minutes of flight; in summer seasonal direct flights to Crete appear, mostly to Heraklion, but they change every year. For the city the KTEL bus to the centre is enough; for Balos, Elafonisi or the gorges, pick up a car at the airport itself.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Casa Delfino** (Small hotel): A mansion from 1835 on a street in the old town, with a cobbled courtyard, a spa and a rooftop with views of the harbour for sunset. From the door you can walk to everything.
- **Splanzia Boutique Hotel** (Small hotel): A restored Venetian building on the quiet streets behind the harbour, twenty metres from Splantzia square. Two rooms connect, useful with children over 3. It has no lift.
- **Porto Veneziano** (Hotel): On the eastern basin of the harbour, ten minutes' walk from the old town. It has room to park, something rare in the centre, and triple rooms. The area is noisy at night in summer.
- **Ammos Hotel** (Small hotel): A design hotel facing a sandy beach west of the town, with the beach on foot and the old town ten minutes by car. It works well with children: you go down to the sand without crossing any roads.
- **Domes Noruz Chania** (Spa hotel): An Autograph Collection resort on Agioi Apostoloi beach, with suites with plunge pools, three pools, a spa and a signature fish restaurant. Adults only; reopens on 22 April 2027.
### Servicios
- **From the airport to the centre**: KTEL bus to the central station · about €2.50 · 20 to 30 min · timetables at e-ktel.com
- **Car hire**: At the airport and in town · book ahead for July and August

## With young children: Beaches that stay shallow and a car-free harbour

With children under six, Chania works with mornings on the beach and afternoons at the harbour. Samaria and Balos on foot are for another trip.

### What works best
Elafonisi: knee-deep water for many metres

Nea Chora beach, ten minutes' walk from the harbour

The harbour walk to the lighthouse, flat and suitable for pushchairs

### Sleep
A beach hotel to the west, such as Ammos: sand without crossing roads

In the old town, a triple room with a lift or on the ground floor

### Eat
Bougatsa for breakfast: sweet, hot and to share

Tavernas on the Nea Chora promenade, with the beach in front

### Bear in mind
In July and August, at midday, the sun shows no mercy: beach until 12 and a nap

The old town has steps and cobbles: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair

Elafonisi and Balos have hardly any shade: bring a parasol

### Qué hacer with young children
- Elafonisi beach and lagoon
- Venetian harbour, the lighthouse and the Firkas fortress
- Nea Chora beach

## As a family: A boat, a lagoon and a gorge to suit them

With children of various ages, alternate a long excursion day with a town and beach one. Imbros is the gorge everyone can manage; Samaria, only those who already walk.

### What works best
The boat to Gramvousa and Balos: the fort for the older ones, the lagoon for everyone

Elafonisi, with the shallow lagoon and the islet

The Imbros Gorge: 8 km downhill, no boat back

The cooking class on a farm in Stylos, with animals

### Sleep
Splanzia, with connecting rooms, from age 3

Porto Veneziano, with triples and parking

### Eat
To Maridaki, with sharing plates

Tamam, for dinner in a former Turkish bath

### Bear in mind
Samaria is from about age 12 and for those used to walking

The boats to Balos get bumpy with the afternoon meltemi

The archaeological museum closes on Tuesdays and at 15:30

### Qué hacer as a family
- Boat from Kissamos to Gramvousa and the Balos lagoon
- Elafonisi beach and lagoon
- Venetian harbour, the lighthouse and the Firkas fortress
- Nea Chora beach
- Chania Archaeological Museum, in Chalepa
- Imbros Gorge, from Imbros to Komitades
- Cretan cooking class on a farm in Stylos

## With teenagers: Samaria is the challenge they take home

Sixteen kilometres downhill and a swim in the sea at the end: Samaria is what a teenager talks about on getting back. The rest of the trip can go at their pace.

### What works best
The Samaria Gorge, guided or on your own, from age 12

The Imbros Gorge, if you want to try something shorter first

The Venetian fort at Gramvousa, on the boat to Balos

The cooking class: they take away a recipe and eat a lot

### Sleep
In the old town, so they can stroll alone around the harbour in the evening

A beach hotel with a pool if the trip is for relaxing

### Eat
Fish and sharing plates at To Maridaki

Bougatsa mid-morning after a late start

### Bear in mind
Samaria means an early start: the bus leaves before dawn

Proper mountain footwear: with smooth trainers they slip

At the harbour, at night, there is atmosphere and some noise

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Walking down the Samaria Gorge, from Xyloskalo to Agia Roumeli
- Boat from Kissamos to Gramvousa and the Balos lagoon
- Chania Archaeological Museum, in Chalepa
- Imbros Gorge, from Imbros to Komitades
- Cretan cooking class on a farm in Stylos

## Consejos

### Get up early for Balos and Elafonisi
At 9 there is room on the sand; at 12, excursion buses. In August the difference is enormous.

### Samaria on a weekday and with the first bus
The hotel groups arrive mid-morning. Starting at 7:30 means walking down in the shade.

### Leave the car outside the old town
Inside the walls there is no room. Park in the municipal car parks next to the walls and walk in.

### Have bougatsa for breakfast
Hot pastry with fresh Chania cheese and sugar. It is eaten in the morning, and by midday there is none left.

### Allow for the meltemi
In July and August a north wind blows in the afternoon. It stirs up the sea on the crossing to Balos and on the north-coast beaches: the south is usually calmer.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do I need in Chania?
Four or five. One for the town, one for Samaria, one for Balos and another for Elafonisi or Imbros. With three you have to choose between Balos and Elafonisi.

### Can you do Samaria with children?
From about 12 years old and if they already walk long routes. It is 16 km downhill over loose stone: for the little ones, Imbros or the beaches.

### How do you get to Balos without a car?
By KTEL bus to Kissamos and from there on the Cretan Daily Cruises boat, which stops at Gramvousa and Balos. With a car you can also arrive by a dirt track and walk down.

### Which beach is better with small children, Balos or Elafonisi?
Elafonisi: the water stays knee-deep for many metres and you can drive up to the sand. Balos is reached on foot downhill or by boat, and there is no shade.

### Is it very hot in summer?
In July and August maximums go above 30 °C in town and more in the south. In Samaria the heat bites on the last stretch, by the sea. June and September are kinder and the sea is already warm.

### What closes in winter?
The Samaria Gorge, from November to April; the boats to Balos; and many beach hotels. The town, its tavernas and the archaeological museum stay open.

### Can you get to the Cyclades from Chania?
Not directly. The fast boats to Santorini leave from Heraklion, about 140 km by road. To Athens there is a daily ferry from Souda.