The city of Chania attracts a lot of tourists due to its impressive monuments and sights however the real, authentic atmosphere of the region and its people can only be found outside the city.
In the villages of Chania, where the traditions in behavior, in the kitchen, in the everyday life are kept literally, every visitor can feel what makes Chania such a special region of Greece!
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Kolymbari
Kolymbari is a beatiful seaside town, 23 kilometers west of Chania that combines green hillsides with olive trees and vineyards, while the long sandy beach of Kolymbarios stretches in front of the town.
In Kolymbari you will see the Orthodox Academy of Crete and the Monastery of Gonia dating back to 1662, while from the small harbor you can visit the Rodos Cape with its imposing rocky shores and the small, calm creeks.
Topolia
At an altitude of 280 meters, 47 kilometers from Chania, you will find Topolia, in a green landscape, from where the gorge of Topolia starts. T
he small, traditional houses of the village, with the rocky roofs, the narrow streets as well as the traditional taverns that serve delicacies of Cretan cuisine, will make you understand very well why Topolia are gaining more and more fanatical visitors.
Fres
A village built at the foot of Lefka Ori, at an altitude of 220 meters, Fres welcomes you with a spring of gurgling water and old plane trees.
Olives and vineyards make up the surroundings, while Evangelistria, the large church of the village, is a preserved monument and houses the icon of Panagia, work of Evangelist Loukas.
In Fres there is also a Gallery and Folklore Museum housed in Manousaka Mansion where you can see the family trees of 95 families of the village, from the 19th century until today.
Georgioupolis
Georgioupolis is one of the summer resorts of Chania, built in a landscape of exceptional beauty, as two rivers flow into the long, sandy beach.
It is located 40 kilometers northeast of Chania, while restaurants, taverns and cafes are concetrated in the main square. A walk in the white chapel of St. Nicholas that lies in the sea will offer you tranquility as well as an unsurpassed background for your photos!
Vafes
Vafes is the only village in the prefecture of Chania, which has been entirely declared an historical preserved monument since 1997 due to its significant, magnificent architecture and history.
Buildings from the Venetian period, with strong Venetian influence, bring you the atmosphere of the era.
In Vafes is the church of the Holy Apostles with the gilded iconostasis and the domes, the old stone vaulted warehouses. In two of these, the priest of the village has gathered a small collection of 18th-century images.
Mournies
Mournies are located four kilometers south of the center of Chania, while the name of the small town actually means Mouries and comes from the well-known tree (berry tree) that abounds in the area.
The small town is the birthplace of Eleftherios Venizelos and you can visit the family home, where he spent his holidays when he was a young man while today it operates as a museum.
Hora Sfakion
The white houses, the blue sea and the wild natural landscape of Sfakia, characterize Chora of Sfakia, the harbor of the area.
The taverns and shops serve the countless visitors, while the beaches around the settlement are easily reached even on foot.
With the boats from Chora, you will see the surrounding beaches, such as Glyka Nera and Illinga, while with the boat you can visit Loutro, Agia Roumeli, Sougia or Gavdos.
Kantanos
The historic Kantanos is one of the villages that experienced the Nazi atrocities to the bone. The Kantanos Monument, the plaques standing in the center of the village, remind everyone that the Nazis exterminated the inhabitants to avenge them for their resistance to the conquerors. The village is built in a green basin, surrounded by ancient olive groves, with beautiful Byzantine churches, while the famous canyon of Kantanos, with its stone-made road, is suitable for hiking and cycling.
Paleochora
The most popular resort on the southwest coast of Chania is Paleochora, the seaside town with the long sandy beach, Pahia Ammos. There you can find small hotels, apartments and rooms to let, as well as two organized camping sites. It is an ideal choice for many kinds of activities, while from its harbor you can take the boat for all the beautiful places in southern Chania, Gavdos, Sougia, Agia Roumeli, Loutro and Sfakia.
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Sougia
Sougia of Chania is the small seaside village on the southern coast of the province, built at the exit of Agia Irini gorge. The long beach of Sougia with fine pebbles is the big “advantage” of the village, while there are many small hotels, rooms to let, tavernas with good local food and cafes by the sea. In Sougia you will also see the museum with the documents of the Second World War, Saint Panteleimon with the marvelous mosaics and the Byzantine chapel of Agia Irini.
