Things to do in Souda and Akrotiri

Souda is the port where the overnight ferries from Piraeus dock, a crossing of roughly 9 hours, and it works better as an arrival point than a destination in its own right. On its shore sits the Commonwealth war cemetery, tied to the Battle of Crete that began on 20 May 1941, the first invasion carried out mainly by airborne troops; the German cemetery is a separate site further west at Maleme.

The Akrotiri peninsula, a 15 to 20 minute drive from Chania, holds a scatter of working monasteries and quiet coastal roads rather than any headline beach or nightlife strip.

A rental car is the practical way to cover it, since the KTEL coach network is really only useful further along the north coast between Chania and Agios Nikolaos, and there is no organised boat trip or water sport based here.