|
Chania, Crete
Though Chania is a modern city the interior is a labyrynth of old Venetian houses that you can wander around with only an occasional reminder of the twentieth century. The port is actually in Souda Bay, but there are buses and taxis available to take you right into the city. The bus will leave you at the market place near the old town. There are hotels all over the city but the ones overlooking the harbor are probably where you want to be even if the nightlife below can get a little noisy. If you don't see yourself as being one of the people making the noise then you may want to find a quieter place further back or ask your travel agent what they suggest.
|
 |
As for what to do in Chania it's a case of passing the day until the sun goes down and the lights of the cafes, restaurants and bars around the harbor come on and life begins. Like most harbor towns the expensive cafes have taken the best spots on the waterfront and the cheaper and more traditional restaurants are on the fringes and the back streets.
There are also some interesting non-traditional restaurants scattered around the old town which you will come across in your wanderings. Most of the bars, discos and nightclubs are located in the inner harbor. For traditional Greek music in a traditional Greek setting try the Café Kriti at 22 Kalergon, the next street up parallel to the inner harbor.
The beaches are to the west and for a town beach they are quiet pleasant, but can fill up in the summer. Restaurants line the waterfront so you can enjoy a good meal by the sea after toasting in the sun. But, for adventurous travelers to be in Crete without a car is like being in Manhattan without a wallet. Your days should be spent exploring the island. If you came to lay out on the beach and watch people you should be at Elounda beach or Ag Nik.
Antiquities in this area include Phalassarna with its Cyclopean walls, tombs and sculptures carved out of stone, the ancient city of Aptera, about 15kms from Hania south of Souda, where there is a Roman theatre with enormous vaulted cisterns, a temple of Demeter and the Cyclopean walls.
From the Byzantine era there is the Monastery of Our Lady of the Angels or Gouvernetou with an impressive facade, the Rotonda of Archangel Michael with mosaic floors and frescoes and the Agia Triada monastery with a fine gate built in 1632.
Many people base themselves in Chania for visiting the Samaria Gorge.
|
