Many people, it seems, come to Crete to see Knossos, or hike the Samaria Gorge, or rent a car to visit little villages and ruins. Not us. We needed to sit by the sea, with our toes in the sand, and let the stresses of the past few years drift away. And on this, our first visit to Crete, we found the perfect way to do that.
Chania
We arrived on the evening of September 5, 2022, after a flight from Denver-Munich-Athens-Chania. A taxi had been sent to meet us and take us to our hotel, the lovely Elia Palazzo on Theotokopolous Street.
We had booked a Superior Room with balcony overlooking the street. Bountiful breakfast included. Highly recommend both the hotel and the location. €122/ night. We booked six nights here, intending a day trip for an olive oil/wine tasting. And a trip to Balos Beach. But we learned that both would require hours on buses. And we were enjoying just wandering around Chania. So we skipped them without regret (nothing had been pre-booked).
Restaurants in Chania: Favorite was Colombo Kitchen & Bar, down a little alley. Amphora was good. Our worst experience, in all of Crete, was at Taman. This highly-recommended place served us an almost inedible meal. .. and afterward, the waiter held out his iPad and asked for a tip! Only our second night there, we were not sure if this was standard. So we tipped 10%, and immediately regretted it, and were never asked for a tip anywhere else in Crete.
Paleochora
Crete has a series of little villages along the southern coast, linked by ferries. This was the key to our car-free trip. So we took a 2-hour bus to the first one, Paleochora. We had booked the Aris Hotel, €111 per night including breakfast. Unable to get a sea-view room, we chose a small double room with a patio. It was fine.
A block from the hotel is a taverna called Methexis. Fabulous food. Across the street is a small rocky beach with sunbeds and umbrellas. Another small beach is north of town. And the main lovely long sandy beach is on the west side. We aren’t sitting-on-the-beach people but we love walking in the sand or just watching the sea with a frappe or an Alpha.We had planned to take a day trip to Elafonissi from here, but it was very windy and the hotel clerk said it wouldn’t be a good day. So we skipped it.
At night, the main street in Paleochora is closed off; restaurants and bars move tables into the street. There are lots of little lights. Feels like a party. We made the short walk downtown each evening for a nightcap to enjoy the activity.
Sougia
After three nights, we hopped our first ferry -- a lovely 45-minute trip to Sougia along the Libyan sea.
In Sougia we stayed at Oceanis, €80/night for a two bedroom apartment with balcony overlooking the courtyard and sea. We didn’t need two bedrooms but loved having the extra space. It’s very basic. But clean and comfortable. No breakfast, but there are plenty of restaurants nearby. And a bakery around the corner where my husband would pick up huge fresh croissants every morning.
We had four nights here and could have happily stayed longer. Nothing to do, really, but take walks, or read books, or swim, or just contemplate the sea. The beach was rocky and lined with tavernas, each with sunbeds.There are also two tavernas west of town (near the clothing optional beach) with comfy chairs where you can eat, read, and hang out.
The Oceanis courtyard was a great place to chat with other guests. I met a lady from Austria who had spent the entire month of September here for the past 20 years! Another lady was writing a book. Something about Crete (and especially Sougia) being the center of the energy of the world because Zeus and Hera were born here? All I know is that I have never felt more relaxed in my life.
Sougia has wonderful restaurants -- the best food we had in Crete. We will definitely be returning.