Crete: 3 cities to explore

During my recent trip to Crete I spent time in 3 different cities; Chania, Rethymno and Heraklion. Each city is a little different and has a different atmosphere although the Venetian influence is definitely apparent in all of them.

Arriving in Chania

I arrived at Chania airport and took a bus into the city. It’s easy and the bus station is right in the center. Chania isn’t too big and you can walk anywhere you want to go. So after checking in, I went on an exploratory stroll. Along the coast I found a really pleasant breeze and I just sat for a while staring out over the water, taking it all in. “I’m here. I’m really here. On Crete.” There is a long promenade along the water and it’s great for a pre- or post-dinner stroll as well.

Part of the old town is the Venetian harbor. You can walk all the way over the wall to the beautiful lighthouse. The walls are crumbling a bit, but you get to see the city from a different point of view. My timing at the hottest time of day was a bit off, but it was nice to see the small sail boats going off on an adventure. On one end of the promenade you can find the maritime museum. I managed to visit it just before I left the city. There are a lot of miniature ships, a collection of fish and some items relating to everything maritime. One room was even created to resemble the deck of a Greek destroyer.

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I loved staying in Chania. It was the perfect base to explore the West side of Crete and a great place to come home to in the evenings. The old town has some bigger shopping streets with smaller side streets filled with shops and little restaurants. There are big restaurants on the waterfront, but the smaller ones had so much more character. They’d just have a few tables and chairs in the tiny pedestrian streets.

I had great Greek meals at Tamam and Palazzo al mare. Another Greek specialty you have to try is bougatsa. I was told about an old bougatsa shop called Iordanis and decided to make it my breakfast. They do the original one with cheese, but also have a vegan variety made with semolina. Delicious! Besides this I really enjoyed the round, bagel-like breads they have at the bakeries. You can get different varieties. Honey was my favorite.

Although I loved the old town, I made sure to explore the area around it as well. I walked towards the municipal park Kepos Chanion. It has some animals, a gigantic tree and lots of benches in the shade. On my way there I stumbled upon the cutest street. Kornarou street has a lot of street art all in the same style. I kept going to Paralia Koum Kapi, with is a good swimming spot with some restaurants along the promenade. There is not really a beach, so people just come for a quick swim. For a beach experience I walked to Nea Chora, on the other side of the old town, where a lot of hotels are located.

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On to Rethymno

Rethymno turned out to be an adorable maze of tiny streets. You think you’ve seen it all and then you find another street you missed before. There are a few busier streets filled with shops and restaurants, but also many smaller ones where you barely see a soul.

At the end of the old town is the big Fortezza, a fortress from the time the Venetians were on Crete. It’s pretty big and the views over the city and sea are very nice. It’s open in the evenings as well, so if you’re lucky you can watch the sunset from here. On the terrain are a few buildings you can see, and you can still enter the churches and the mosque.

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The people at my hostel said I’d spent most of my time in the old town, but it’s worth walking along the coast too. Rethymno is a very popular holiday destination and there are many hotels along the coast. The beach is very long and the further you get from the city, the more space you’ll find. A lot of hotel and restaurant owners have sunbeds on the beach and if you keep walking for a while you’ll find beds you can use for free as long as you order a drink. For 2 nights I stayed at a campground about 3km away from the center. The beach there was practically empty and there were some turtle nests. Nearby I had a very nice meal at Vatania. Besides that I loved the short trip to the Myli gorge.

From Rethymno you can also do trips to the South Coast and if you have a car there are some really cool sights in the hilly inland.

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Finishing in Heraklion

At first Heraklion seemed a bit dull compared to the other 2 cities I’d seen. Driving into the city I wasn’t impressed with the architecture. It was just like any big, busy city. The old center has an open top bus that drives out to the attractions, but you can walk to most of them and I wasn’t super impressed with the sights.

One must-visit is the archeological museum. It’s the only place where I had to stand in line during my holiday. With the Corona rules only so many people can be in a room at the same time. It didn’t take too long though and they’d organised it pretty well. The museum houses all the finds from the archeological sites of the Minoan civilization. I visited Knossos from Heraklion, but found that I learned much more from the museum. There is a lot of art from that time and although a lot of things are similar (lots of vases and jewelry), there are some really interesting pieces that show a little bit what the Minoan culture was about.

The charm of Heraklion is trying to blend into the local life. Wandering through the street of the center I found lots of hidden squares and small street where the atmosphere got lively in the evening. There are a lot of great, cozy restaurants. I had lunch in a place called The Home, that looked too adorable. It was very quiet, but when I walked passed in the evening it was packed. At night I went for dinner with two girls from the hostel. We found a little street filled with small tables and chairs. It seemed like the place to be for the younger Cretans. The menu was basic and we ordered some dishes and drinks to share.

I honestly didn’t really know how to fill my time in Heraklion besides wandering around. I ended up walking along the coastline towards the Pankritiko stadium, which was a very pleasant walk. A long beach called Amoudara starts at the stadium. Compared to some of the other beaches I’d seen it was pretty basic, but at least I got to refresh and say my goodbyes to the beautiful sea.

Heraklion is worth a visit, but a short stay will do. Perhaps it would have been better to start here.

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