My wife and I will spend about a week on crete. we want oceanfront, close to beaches and old town areas. which of the two cities do y ou recommend? tx, nick b.
Posted by
Nanaimo, BC, Canada
1375 posts
Chania has a charming old town and harbour area. There is a town beach about a 15 minute walk from the old town area.
Here is why I suggest this is the best choice.
Chania 2022. https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720299646015
Posted by
11159 posts
I would choose charming Chania over Heraklion, no contest. Chania is one of the two prettiest towns in Greece. The other is Nafplion.
The only reason to stay in Heraklion might be for one night to visit Knossos. We, however, visited Knossos as a day trip from Chania.
We spent two weeks in Chania. There is so much to see in western Crete using Chania as a base.
Posted by
2499 posts
I agree with Chania. The old town is Venetian in architecture. I kept waiting to see a canal. There is also a lot nearby to explore.
That said, I found the old town of Heraklion much nicer than I expected. We spent a pleasant afternoon there.
Posted by
Sidney, BC, Canada
891 posts
I like both cities, Heraklion for the great Archaeological Museum and its closeness to Knossos. Also a good place to stay if you want to visit some of the eastern areas of Crete. Chania’s old town area and the harbour is delightful for wandering around. I like that scattered throughout the Venetian and Ottoman area are a number of small Mycenean and Minoan excavated ruins with good signage testifying to the great age of the city. Also some interesting museums related to Crete’s maritime past and a brand new archaeological museum about which I have heard good things. Some nice beach towns outside Chania are Kalives and Almyrida.