Things to do in Chania

Chania is Crete's second city and the capital of the westernmost of the island's four regional units, and it is the town most visitors picture when they think of Crete. Its Venetian old town wraps the harbour in narrow stone lanes built for walking, not driving, so leave the car at a paid lot outside the walls.

It runs on Eastern European Time, an hour ahead of Paris or Rome, worth checking before booking a bus or ferry.

Chania is a base, not a beach resort: the closest sand at Platanias and Agia Marina is a short drive out, Souda and Akrotiri sit just beside it, Balos, Gramvousa and Elafonissi lie west along the coast, and the Samaria gorge trailhead at Omalos is under two hours south. There is no train and no ski lift anywhere on Crete.