We will be in Chania off our cruise ship for a day only on may 13th.. I have read all the comments in this forum about Crete and Chania but still wonder if I should take a tour from our ship that lasts 4 hours and takes us to a military cemetery, to Agia Triada Monastery, tomb of Eleftherios Venizelos, followed by a walking tour of the Old Town and a little browsing in the agora.It costs 92$ per person and we are 4. Just wondered if there other options on how to best see the town and if I need more time than 4 hours in Chania. Thanks.
Posted by
Nanaimo, BC, Canada
1441 posts
Do you know where your ship will dock. Most dock at Souda which is about 20 minutes into Chania. Several times we have seen ships anchored off Chania old town and guests being tendered in.
It might make a difference to your plans depending on where the ship is located.
Chania old town is essentially a 14 th century step back in time. There is lots to see and do. Wander the old town back alleys. You can spend hours just taking it all in. See if you can find the Turkish part of the city. Look for minarets. You can explore the fortress behind the Naval museum and walk around the harbour to the Venetian lighthouse. Enjoy a drink in a harbourside bar and look for the central market and depending on the day of the week see if there is a street market going on. You will have a full day.
If you dock at Souda just outside the harbour gates there will be city buses lined up to shuttle people to the Central Market. It will probably cost 2.50 euros per person. A couple of years ago we took a taxi into Chania town and then returned the same way. It was 10 euros per trip.
Last year we had a rental car and visited the war memorial at Souda and Agia Triada Monastry. They were both interesting and well worth the visit. The memorial is the Allied cemetery and is located where the land invasion took place. It is very moving. There were 5 Canadians buried there and we found 4 of them. Adia Triada is beautiful and has a cellar museum/wine/olive oil tasting bar. I would go back there in a second.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157674450353888
Here are images of our brief stop in Chania last year. https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157674446812148
Plus a more extensive album of all Chania has to offer.
Chania http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632117917828/
Posted by
OP
Ottawa, Canada
44 posts
Not sure where the ship docks. I will find out. Thank you for the great information and the beautiful pictures!