Chania
Chania is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north coast of the island, about 70 km (43 mi)west of Rethymno and145 km (90 mi) west of Heraklion. The county of Chania, the most western part of Crete, is characterized by its unique beauty. With its endless sandy beaches, gorges, caves, endemic plants and animals, vast oliveand orange groves and a combination of wild landscapes and sea, it excites eventhe hardest–to–please visitor.
In the mountainous inner region, it hosts villages that have been forgotten by time, scattered churches and monasteries,towers and castles. The whole area is a particularly interesting archaeological site and a paradise for wandering around and walking. The mild Mediterranean climate (with temperatures around 12 ºC in winter and 30 ºC in summer), special Cretan diet and customs attract the majority of tourists all year round.
How to get there
Chania has a modern port with numerous and and frequent connections to Piraeus, and an international airport, that also has frequent flights from all over Greece and abroad, so that access to this very popular destination is convenient and easy.
The quickest way to access Crete is of course by plane. Chania airport is connected daily with Athens, while during the tourist season the number of flights is increased to at least four a day. The flight from Athens takes about 45 minutes. There are also flights from Thessaloniki, some of the Aegean islands and from Cyprus. Chania International Airport “Ioannis Daskaloyannis” is about 14 km from the city and its IATA code is CHQ. If you arrive by plane in Chania, you can get to the city by KTEL bus (interurban), the public bus, or by taxi – the taxi stand is located just outside the airport premises, while the route costs about 20 euros.
Souda port is the main port of Chania and one of the largest and most important in Greece. Ships depart from Piraeus either in the morning and arrive in Chania late in the afternoon, or at 20: 30-21: 00 at night, so the trip can last all night and the ship reaches Souda at about 06:00 am. There are of course high speed vessels bound to Chania, that traverse the distance in about five hours and depart from Piraeus at various hours of the day.
Info
Chania Guide (.pdf file)
Photos
