Chania Department is one of the four departments of the island of Crete.
It is located in the west of Crete and has an area of 2,375 km2. The capital is the city of Chania. A very large area of the department is mountainous, so here are the Lefka Ori (the white mountains) with the Samaria gorge, the Imbros gorge and the Agia Irini gorge. The highest mountain is the Pachnes, with 2,452 meters. The steep mountain gorges lead to beautiful beaches such as Agia Roumeli and Sfakia. In the department is the only freshwater lake (Kournas lake) of Crete. Beautiful white beaches are for example Balos-Gramvoussa & Elafonisi. In the vicinity of the capital Chania are also wide sandy beaches. On the north coast of Chania the 'careta-careta' turtles come to lay their eggs.
The Chania Prefecture is a paradise for hikers. There are kilometres of hiking and mountain trails that take you everywhere in places where no car can go. There are beaches, medieval churches, deserted villages and beautiful forests etc. where you can only get on foot.
In the department of Chania it is possible to make beautiful day trips to for example:
It is located in the west of Crete and has an area of 2,375 km2. The capital is the city of Chania. A very large area of the department is mountainous, so here are the Lefka Ori (the white mountains) with the Samaria gorge, the Imbros gorge and the Agia Irini gorge. The highest mountain is the Pachnes, with 2,452 meters. The steep mountain gorges lead to beautiful beaches such as Agia Roumeli and Sfakia. In the department is the only freshwater lake (Kournas lake) of Crete. Beautiful white beaches are for example Balos-Gramvoussa & Elafonisi. In the vicinity of the capital Chania are also wide sandy beaches. On the north coast of Chania the 'careta-careta' turtles come to lay their eggs.
The Chania Prefecture is a paradise for hikers. There are kilometres of hiking and mountain trails that take you everywhere in places where no car can go. There are beaches, medieval churches, deserted villages and beautiful forests etc. where you can only get on foot.
In the department of Chania it is possible to make beautiful day trips to for example:
- Agia Roumeli: a friendly village that can only be reached by boat or on foot. The village lies at the end of the Samaria gorge south of the White Mountains (Lefka Ori). It lies in the middle of rugged Cretan nature, with steep cliffs and mountains on the Libyan sea. There is a boat connection with, among others, Sfakia, Loutro, Sougia and Paleochora. There are a number of taverns, cafes and two supermarkets. Hikers who only want to walk a short distance from the Samaria gorge, start in Agia Roumeli. Walking about half an hour away, you will find the narrowest point of the Samaria gorge and it is certainly worth seeing with your own eyes.
- Akrotiri: a peninsula east of Chania town, which forms the natural bay of Souda. Souda is one of the largest, natural ports of Greece. In the center of the peninsula is a mountain plateau with the airport of Chania. On the hill of Profitis Ilias is the family tomb of the politician Eleftherios Venizelos. From here there is a magical view to Chania city. At Akrotiri there are many monasteries, including the Gouverneto monastery, the monastery Agia Triada Tzagarolon, the monastery of Agios Ioannis Erimitis (Katholiko monastery). Near the Gouverneto monastery is a cave named Arkouda (this means bear). The cave has been given this name because of the presence of an impressive stalagmite that resembles a "bear". In this cave there is a small chapel dedicated to the Holy Mother. To the north of Akrotiri is the beautiful beach of Stavros. On the beach of Stavros, with turquoise seawater, film scenes have been shot of the successful film "Zorbas".
- Anopolis: a mountain village in the south of Crete, 84 km south of Chania city, 12 km west of Sfakia. It is accessible via Sfakia, from there is a road full of hairpin curves into the bald mountains. The tour is very beautiful and the view during the whole route is beautiful. Three kilometres away is the Aradena gorge and the iron suspension bridge.
- Aradena: is the name of a river, village and gorge in the south and is about 600 meters high. The village can only be reached via the Sfakia - Anopolis route. Walking through the canyon from the village, there are two mountain trails that lead you down. The Aradena gorge is smaller than the Samaria gorge but just as impressive because of the high steep walls and the rich flora and fauna. Very striking is the iron suspension bridge that connects both sides of the gap. It is a suspension bridge with wooden planks where cars drive. Bungee jumping can be done from the suspension bridge. The gap here is about 150 meters deep.
- Balos - Gramvoussa: probably the most appealing Cretan beach. The beach Balos is located on the peninsula Gramvoussa and is very remote, on the northwest side of the island. Balos is indeed accessible by car, but the road is unpaved and bad, it is a dirt road with many stones, which leads along this mountain and sea to this paradise. Then there is another walk down and you have to climb up again (at the end of the day). The white sand and the turquoise colored water give the Bay of Balos a heavenly appearance. From the port of Kastelli / Kissamos also organized excursions by boat to Balos depart. Today, the entire Gramvoussa area is an important nature reserve. There are more than 100 bird species here and 400 species of plants can also be found. The Mediterranean seal lives in the sea caves and the Caretta-Caretta turtle can also be found here.
- Chania city: one of the most picturesque and cozy places in Crete. Chania is the second city in terms of population on Crete (just over 100,000 people). When you come into the old city you will feel the special atmosphere. The influences of all kinds of cultures are very clearly visible. Chania is, as it were, a melting pot of civilizations. The most beautiful parts of the city are the Venetian and old port and the old town that lies partly within the old Byzantine city wall and partly within the Venetian city wall. A walk through the narrow alleys with traditional houses, monuments, shops, cafes and restaurants is a must. The Ottomans have set foot here and you can see that in many buildings, old bathhouses and mosques, which are nowadays turned into museums or shops. On the harbour there are several terraces where all kinds of taverns and restaurants sell their specialties. Old traditional buildings and mansions show that Chania was a prosperous city in the past. At the Venetian harbour are the "Neoria", which are the Venetian shipyards from the 14th to 16th century. At the entrance of the harbour there is the Fort Firka on one side and the famous lighthouse of Chania on the other. In the city there are many historical monuments such as the Holy Salvador Church of the Franciscan Monks from the 15th century, the Synagogue in the old Jewish quarter and the Mosque of Kiuchouk Hasan Pasha from 1645 on the Venetian harbour. On the covered market, the "Agora" that was built in 1913, there are more than seventy shops where mainly local products are sold.
- Elafonisi: a small island about 150 meters from the coast. Both the island and the mainland are beautiful beaches. Many find this the most beautiful beaches of Crete, so it can also be very busy here. It is an area with sand hills and the water between the island and the coast is very shallow and there are all kinds of shells here that sometimes give a certain silvery color to the sea water and the sand turns pink. On the side of the mainland is a large cedar forest that comes to the beach. Here is also a large parking lot for cars.
- Kedrodasos Beach: nearby Elafonisi is a beautiful sandy beach hidden among the pine trees.
- Chrisoskalitisa Monastery: located 5 km north of Elafonisi and named after the 90 steps (skala) which has the stairs and of which it is said that the "real" believers see a golden step (= Chrisi Skala, hence Chrisoskalitisa) when they walk up the stairs. The monastery is built on top of a rock, from above there is an excellent view to the whole area.
- Falasarna (Falasarná or Faláserna): a very popular resort on the western coast at the bay "Livadi". It has a very large sandy beach with all kinds of water sports facilities and there are sun loungers and parasols. The water has beautiful turquois-like colors. The only downside of the beach is that it is often exposed to strong winds, which makes staying at the beach sometimes uncomfortable.
- Frangokastello: a small village (150 inhabitants) and is known for the famous castle that is located here. The castle was originally called the castle of Agios Nikitas, later the local villagers changed the name to "The Castle of the Franks". Next to the castle is a sandy beach and the shallow water is very suitable for families with small children.
- Imbros: starting from the mountain village of Imbros, the famous Imbros gorge that ends at the village of Komitades begins. The length of the Imbros gorge is 8 km and can be walked within 2.5 hours. The first part of the gorge runs through a forest full of cypresses, holm oaks and maples. After about one hour of walking you enter the middle area, where a Venetian cistern (water well) is located. From here the route becomes impressive with high rocks and a narrow passage that is 2 meters wide in some places. The height of the rocks is at least 300 meters in some places.
- Kissamos (Kastelli): a quiet seaside town on the Kissamos bay. It has a boulevard where all kinds of cafes and taverns are located. It lies in the middle of olive and grape groves and most of the inhabitants are farmers. There are not that many tourists in Kissamos. In the summer months there are day cruises to the northwest of the island to the beach Balos and Gramvousa.
- Kournas: a traditional cap and is best known for the lake of the same name that is located about 5 km from here. Lake Kournas is the only natural lake in Crete and also the most southern lake in Europe with a maximum length of about 1 km and a maximum width of about 800 meters. The deepest point is about 20 meters. There are many turtles on the shores of the lake, some tavernas on the edge of the lake and there are plenty of opportunities to rent a pedal boat.
- Lefka Ori: (literally De Witte Bergen) are also called the Madares. The name Lefka Ori does not owe the mountains to the snow that can be found on the many mountain peaks.
Samari Gorge analog photo's from 1998 (digitized).