Venetian harbour, the lighthouse and the Firkas fortress

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:

1. Start at the Küçük Hasan mosque, in the middle of the quay, facing the harbour entrance.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Come back along the breakwater and cross the whole quay westwards, among terraces, to the Firkas fortress.
5. 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.