Chania is a lovely town full of life and people, especially during the summer months. It is an ideal holiday destination for both Greeks and guests from other countries.
When visiting Chania the guests should visit the unique Venetian old town which lies next to the centre of the new Town and offers nice sea views, cafes, restaurants, and shops. The guests could also stay here for a few days in one of the lovely renovated Venetian buildings. The waterfront of the old town is full of cafes, restaurants and bars with a very strong sense of romanticism in the atmosphere.
Most of the sightseeing in the Chania town can be found in the old town: the fortress of Firka, the Venetian Lighthouse, the Mosque of Kioutsouk Hasan, the Neoria and the great Arsenali. In the old town the tourists can also visit three respective museums: the Archaelogical Museum, the Naval Museum and the folklore Museum.
In the outskirts of the town, on the way to the airport there is the Halepa district. Halepa is a historical suburb of Crete where many diplomatic activities have taken place. The house of Eleftherios Venizelos, one of the greatest politicians in Greece, is located here.
A little further from Halepa there is the hill of Profitis Ilias with the Tombs of Venizelos family. The small park offers gorgeous views on the Chania city, especially during the sunset. There are two lovely cafes next to the Tombs, Koukouvagia and Ostria, which you could visit for a while.
The visitors of Chania could go for swimming in one of the endless lovely sandy beaches west, east, north (area of Akrotiri), and south (at least 1 hour by car, Sfakia, Paleochora) of the city. They could also visit the remote unique sandy beaches of Chania prefecture with green-blue chrystal waters and white-pink sand (Elafonisi beach, and the Balos lagoon which is not so easily reached), or even enjoy the lovely sunset of Falassarna sandy beach.
If you are a fan of nature then the passing of the longest gorge of Europe is a must. The Samaria Gorge is located about 50 km from Chania and it leads to a lovely small village with crystal waters, Agia Roumeli. In case you also like swimming in lakes or enjoy the lakes then the lake of Kournas is worth seeing. It is located about 40 km east of Chania with many lovely tavernas with traditional food next to it.
In the Akrotiri Peninsula, about 10 km from Chania the visitor can see three of the five Monasteries of Chania: Gouverneto, Agia Triada and Gonia (Akrotiri). The Chrissoskalitissa Monastery and the Gonia Monastery (Kolymbari) worth also seeing in case you like this kind of sightseeing.
