Crete | The Best Travel Destinations

Chania - a beautiful city in Greece

Chania is the capital of the Prefecture of the same name and the second biggest town in Crete, with a population of 60.000 inhabitants. It is the administrative, economical, communications and commercial center of the Prefecture.

Access

Chania has daily sea connection with Piraeus via ferry boats. The bay of Suda that serves as the port of Hania, is the biggest and safest bay in the East Mediterranean.
The airport of Hania is located at Sternes, in Akrotiri, 14 km east of the town. Chania is connected by air to Athens but there are also several charter flights from all over Europe during the summer. At the airport are car rentals and taxis for all parts of the island.

History

Chania is built on the site of the ancient city of Kydonia. This site was inhabited from Neolithic times and through all phases of the Minoan Period. Kydonia developed into a very important center of the Minoan civilization and it was famous for its pottery workshops. During the Roman period Kydonia was an important city. Kydonia was destroyed in 828 AD by the Saracene pirates. During the Byzantine period Hania ceased to be an important city.

When the Venetians came they settled in Kastelli, the hill which commands the harbor, and they fortified it. They built there their cathedral, Santa Maria, as well as a palace, theatre and houses for their nobility. The city flourished as an economical and intellectual center. The fear of a Turkish invasion forced the Venetians to enclose the entire town with a wall and a moat.

In 1645 the Turks occupied Chania after a two months siege. In 1850 they transferred the capital of the island there. With the liberation of Crete from the Turks, in 1897, Hania became the capital of the autonomous Cretan State. In 1913, along with the rest of Crete, it was united with the rest of the Greek State.

Chania was the birth place of one of the greatest statesman of the new Hellenic Republic, Eleftherios Venizelos. Venizelos’ influence on the history of Greece was paramount, from his participation to the talks with the Ottomans that resulted to granting Crete independence in 1897, to the final union of Crete with Greece in 1913.

Tourist Attractions

Chania is one of the nicest towns in Crete, with wonderful houses, parks and squares and a well designed town-plan.

The Public Market is an impressive building, in the town center, built at the beginning of the present century (1911) and houses grocery stores, butchers’ shops, a fish market and vegetable shops.

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About Crete

Crete is an island with an exquisite 1,000 kilometer-long coastline dotted with numerous coves, bays and peninsulas, which afford a multitude of soft, sandy beaches along the beautifully blue Mediterranean Sea. After all, it’s among the finest in the world and has established Crete as one of Europe’s most popular holiday destinations. And, of course, the island’s historic importance in today’s world as the home of the Minoan civilization with important archeological finds at Knossos, Phaistos and Gortys, is evidenced by the tens of thousands of visitors to these sites each year.
However, Crete is the largest island in Greece – the fifth largest in the Mediterranean – and, within its diverse area of more than 8,000 square kilometers, there are many other jewels just waiting to be discovered by the more adventurous explorers of holiday treasures.

Tips for Crete beaches:

The sea in Crete is warm in summer and swimming is always pleasant. The water temperature is 20 C in May, rising to 26-27 C in July and gradually falling back to 20 C in November. Even in winter the water temperature does not fall below 17 degrees, so you can swim in the sea in Crete all year round.
The beaches along the north coast of Crete are usually shallower and the water is slightly warmer. There are also lifeguards on most north coast beaches.
The beaches along the south coast are less crowded. You will notice campers on some of them but officially camping is not allowed outside approved campsites. The police may ask you to leave.
Hiring two sunbeds and an umbrella costs approximately €5-6. Using them is optional. On every beach there is usually a little free space for visitors who do not wish to use the existing facilities
Strong winds blow all year round. Depending on the time of year, there are often strong south winds (in winter) or northerlies (all year round). In summer there are also the meltemia or etesian winds, seasonal northwesterlies common across the southern Aegean, which start up around 10 in the morning and die down at dusk.
The wind has a different effect on Crete beaches depending on whether these are on the north or the south coast:

Along the north coast: north winds create high waves. This may prove dangerous for inexperienced swimmers. Be careful and follow the lifeguards’ instructions.
Along the south coast: north winds here blow from the land to the sea. The sea remains calm but the sand hitting your body makes you feel like someone is trying to sandblast the skin off your body. This happens on a few days each year when the north winds are particularly strong, mainly in July and August.

The beaches unaffected by the wind are: Marathi, Kalyves, Almyrida, Plaka, Bali, Agia Pelagia, the Limanakia in Hersonissos, Loutro, Kali Limenes, Arvi, Myrtos and Makrygialos.