Chania, Crete (Χανιά)
We rode an intercity bus from Heraklion to Chania. It took about 3 hours, and was a comfortable ride. The hotel I had booked was only a block and a half from the bus station so it was an easy walk.
We stayed at Diana Rooms at 33 Partheniou Kelaidi Str, Chania Town. I’ll admit I was a little concerned by the dusty reception area (it is directly on the street), but the rooms were very clean, and the host, Diana was truly lovely. She also has a pretty garden in which you can sit. I would definitely stay there again! These are some of the beautiful plants from her garden.
My friend Caroline and I spent the first afternoon checking out the local neighbourhood, looking for somewhere to eat, and admiring some art - both modern and older. Chania is a very walkable town, and we soon got our bearings to the ancient city and the way to the harbour and back.
We only had 2 1/2 days in Chania, and one was spent on the all-day tour to Balos and Gramvousa (previous post). Chania really is a centre point for traveling within the northwestern part of Crete. I hope to return to see more of the area.
On our last day in Chania we really explored the old town and the harbour. Again (as I’m writing this I’m still on vacation in Egypt) I will probably leave this post with just photos, although I have provided some links to further information with some of my photos.
![Trimartiri Cathedral [1]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62363d1da110bb73864a5bf7/1761147251646-EN0S3NXT5EEJ925FHBNI/20250928_180644+trimartiri+cathedral.jpg)
The port of Chania - with the vaulted shipyards visible in the centre.
Crete is not like the rest of Greece. It has its own charm, and is quite laid back. I’ve built many new, great memories here.
From Chania, we took a ferry to Piraeus - next stop Athens!
If interested in Crete, you can also check out my posts about Heraklion and Knossos.
Feel free to ask questions or leave (polite) comments below. Cheers!
[1] I got the name of this church from JamieChanceTravels - “There has been a church or temple in this approximate spot since the 11th century and construction of the cathedral we see now was finished in 1860.” from the post 13 Wonderful Things to Do in Chania, Crete. This Greek Orthodox church is also known as the Presentation of the Virgin Mary Holy Metropolitan Church from Wikipedia.
