General
If you decide to spend your holidays in Chania, we highly recommend some lovely areas and sightseeings where you can experience the beauties of the area as much as possible and enjoy relaxation combined with new experiences.
• An amazing experience in itself is the city of Chania, with dozens of monuments, museums, sights such as the municipal market where you will find all the traditional goods of the Cretan land, the beautiful Venetian harbour , the Firka fortress with the naval museum and of course the lighthouse where is the most characteristic landscape of the city.
Kournas Lake is the ideal place for an afternoon walk or a daytrip nearby. Many people like to have an afternoon picnic there. The landscape is lovely and relaxing, whether you want to go for a walk in the countryside, swim or ride a pedalo on the lake.
There are two springs on the southeast bank, one of which, the Mati or Amati (“eye”) as the locals call it, is visible in late summer. The lake is fed by streams from the nearby mountains and hills, whose underground courses are interrupted by the local bedrock on the way to the sea.
Upon return, go through the tourist resort of Georgioupolis for a walk by the sea, in an exceptional landscape, but also known for its great food.
Other places to visit in the area are the villages of Vrysses, Vamos, but also the touristic Village of Almyrida.
One of the most beautiful beaches in Greece, Elafonissi. The exotic beauty of the area, with sand dunes, cedars, white lilies, black rocks, the rare species of animals and birds that live there, the crystal clear waters and the white golden sand, create a real work of art. The beach is about 75 km away from Chania and to reach it you will cross the mainland of Chania, an overgrown area with beautiful traditional villages and natural heritage sightseeing.
The Monastery of Panagia Chrysoskalitissa, a whitewashed monastery, built high up on a large rock of 35 meters high with a breathtaking view of the Libyan Sea, is located before Elafonisi.
Northwest of the Chania is still one of the exotic beaches of Chania, Balos. It is one of those landscapes that one person sees once in their life. A large rock on the surface of the sea defines a sandy lagoon with turquoise waters. If you choose to visit Balo , prepare for about one-hour driving on a relatively easy road and then downhill from the path, about a quarter of an hour. Another way to travel and visit Balos, is to board on one of the boats that make daily cruises, combining a visit to the beach of the island of Gramvousa and Kissamos.
The famous Samaria Gorge, where walkers from all over the world come to Chania especially for this experience, usually starting from the Omalos Plateau in the White Mountains, in the Xyloskalo area (1,200 m altitude) and ending at the seaside village of Agia Roumeli in the south of the prefecture Chania.
The Samaria Gorge is the largest in Greece, with a length of 18 km and its duration lasts from 4 to 7 hours, depending on the experience and the strength of the hikers. There , the wild goats of Crete, Kri – Kri, live.
The village of Sfakia and Fragokastelo.
Explore the history and the legend of the impressive fortress of Frangokastelos, built around 1300 AD during the Venetian domination.
There, you enjoy the beautiful turquoise sea water and golden beach and find traditional family tavern to enjoy delicious homemade meals.
The exotic beauty of the area, with sand dunes, cedars, white lilies, black rocks, rare species of animals and birds that live there.
