4.9out of 5 on Google
Crete· Χανιά
Chania & the west
The Venetian harbour, the Samaria gorge and the lagoons of the far west — Balos and Elafonissi. The prettiest base on the island, and the furthest from Heraklion airport.
- 🏛️ 6 attractions
- 🏖️ 6 beaches
- 🍽️ 8 restaurants & tavernas
- 🛏️ 4 where to stay
- 🍸 5 beach clubs & nightlife
- Beaches
- Culture
- Hiking
Chania town is the reason most people fall for Crete: a Venetian harbour with a lighthouse at the end of the mole, lanes of Ottoman and Venetian houses behind it, and a food scene that takes itself seriously. It works as a base because the west is compact — Balos and Elafonissi are both day trips, and the Samaria gorge bus leaves before dawn from the bus station.
The trade-off is distance. Chania has its own airport, but if you fly into Heraklion you are two and a half hours away by road. Rent a car: the beaches that make the west famous are not on a bus route.
🏛️ Chania & the west
Attractions · Chania & the west
🏖️ Chania & the west
Beaches · Chania & the west
🍽️ Chania & the west
Restaurants & tavernas · Chania & the west
🛏️ Chania & the west
Where to stay · Chania & the west
🍸 Chania & the west
Beach clubs & nightlife · Chania & the west
5.0out of 5 on Google
4.8out of 5 on Google
4.8out of 5 on Google
4.7out of 5 on Google
4.5out of 5 on Googlebeach club
Almira Beach Bar Restaurant Chania
Agia Marina1,328 reviews€€€€
Beach club
Closed · opens 09:00
Hotels on the map · Chania & the west
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, studios and villas — so you can judge the distance to the beach, the port or the village from here rather than guess from an address.
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Tours and day trips from here
Boat trips, guided tours of the ancient sites and tickets bookable ahead — free cancellation on most.
- Balos lagoon & GramvousaThe boat from Kissamos avoids the long dirt road to Balos and adds the Venetian fortress on Gramvousa.See boat trips →
- Samaria Gorge hikeA long, all-day downhill walk to the Libyan Sea, open only in the warm season. Organised trips solve the logistics at both ends, including the boat out.See guided tours →
- Knossos, skip the lineThe Minoan palace outside Heraklion is busiest mid-morning; a guide makes sense of the partial reconstructions.Check tickets →
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Where to stay
The other parts of Crete
- RethymnoA Venetian old town with a Fortezza above it and a long sandy beach running east from the edge of the centre. The middle of the island, so nothing is far.7 attractions · 13 beaches · 8 restaurants & tavernas · 11 where to stay · 3 beach clubs & nightlife
- Heraklion & KnossosThe island's capital and its airport, with Knossos on the edge of town and the Archaeological Museum that holds everything found there.7 attractions · 6 beaches · 6 restaurants & tavernas · 7 where to stay · 3 beach clubs & nightlife
- Lasithi & the eastAgios Nikolaos and Elounda on the Mirabello gulf, the palm forest at Vai, and the emptiest roads on Crete once you pass Sitia.4 attractions · 7 beaches · 4 restaurants & tavernas · 4 where to stay · 3 beach clubs & nightlife
Before you go
Car hire from local firmsIsland rental companies rather than the international desks — usually cheaper, often with full insurance and no card deposit. On Crete, Kefalonia or Naxos a car is what gets you to the beaches the buses do not reach.Compare local cars →Scooter, ATV & bike hireThe classic island runabout for coves and hilltop villages. Wear the helmet, check what the insurance excludes, and be honest about gravel roads — they are where most rental accidents happen.Find a scooter →Car hire, budgetAn aggregator that tends to surface the lowest headline prices. Read the fuel, insurance and ferry clauses — many contracts do not allow the car on a boat.Compare prices →
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