# Venetian harbour, the lighthouse and the Firkas fortress

What to do en Chania · Chania

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/things-to-do/venetian-harbour-lighthouse · Revisado: 2026-11-12

- Duración: 2 h
- Para quién: All ages, with pushchair

A 3 km walk along Chania's Venetian quay, the breakwater to the lighthouse and the Firkas fortress. Free, flat and with no shade at midday.

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.

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 35.5193, 24.0167

## Cerca de aquí

- [Casa Delfino](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/where-to-stay/casa-delfino), a 202 m
- [Salis](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/where-to-eat/salis), a 355 m
- [Tamam](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/where-to-eat/tamam), a 357 m
- [To Maridaki](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/where-to-eat/to-maridaki), a 541 m
- [Porto Veneziano](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/where-to-stay/porto-veneziano), a 544 m
- [Splanzia Boutique Hotel](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/where-to-stay/splanzia-boutique-hotel), a 569 m
- [Bougatsa Iordanis](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/where-to-eat/iordanis-bougatsa), a 646 m
- [Nea Chora beach](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/things-to-do/nea-chora-beach), a 1.0 km

## Consejos

### Go to the lighthouse first thing
The breakwater is empty and the light is soft on the facades.

### Come back at night without the breakwater
The lit-up quay is just as enjoyable without going all the way to the lighthouse.

### Eat away from the quay
In the streets behind there are tavernas with fewer people than on the harbour terraces.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take to walk the harbour and the lighthouse?
About two hours with stops for the 3 km there and back, from the quay to the lighthouse and the Firkas fortress.

### When is the best time to go?
First thing or at sunset. At midday in summer the breakwater has no shade.

### Can you go with a pushchair?
Yes. The quay and the breakwater are flat, although the breakwater has no shade or railing.

Destino: [Chania](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania.md)