Having spent quite some time in Heraklion and Rethymnon on previous trips, during our 2021 trip to Crete we decided to spend a whole day in Chania to explore the city a bit more than we did on previous occasions.
Minoan ruins in Chania
Chania is a beautiful city, and was the island’s capital until 1971, after which point the capital became Heraklion.
Due to the history of the island, as you walk around Chania you can see a real mix of architecture, ranging from Venetian streets, Turkish mosques, Greek churches and Minoan ruins. You can also see some of the bastion on the Western side of the city, alongside some of the moat-overall making for an incredible combination of architecture.
The city itself is very busy, with many winding streets full of shops and restaurants, and a bustling harbour. the harbour is lined with many restaurants, making for a perfect location to grab lunch or dinner, or even a coffee or a few drinks, relax and watch the world go by
You can also find the lighthouse of Chania here, and the Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque or Yalı Mosque, the Maritime Museum of Crete and much more.
When visiting Chania, we would suggest spending some time just wandering around and exploring the various alleys in the old city and taking in the mix of architecutre, history and culture. Also take some time to go shopping- either in the Municipal Market of Chania or the small shops dotted around.
The harbour
Cobbled streets of Chania
On our day trip to Chania, we parked on the east side of the town- in East Most Theatre parking- which is a free car park, and then walked to the Municipal Market of Chania. We tend to prefer walking as much as possible on holiday, so were happy to spend the day walking around the city, but there are other car parks available should you wish to walk less.
Inside the Municipal market of Chania
Municipal Market of Chania
Built at the start of the 20th century, the building is in the shape of a cross and is very grand. We found the market to be incredible and is certainly worth visiting- either to window shop, grab a quick bite or to buy some souvenirs to bring back from your trip.
There were many stalls there selling both tourist souvenirs but also fresh produce, baked goods, olives, oils, various dishes, spices, and with some stalls catering to locals too.
Unfortunately the market closed from January 2022 for two years for renovation- but once it reopens, would definitely recommend a visit here. In the meantime, there are many other shops and farmers markets to discover in the city.
The Municipal market of Chania building
Left: stall selling spices, soaps and other gifts
Above: stall selling fresh cheeses and olive oil
Lunch at Moutoupáki
For lunch, whilst exploring the cobbled alleys of the city, we stumbled across Moutoupáki, a small Greek restaurant almost on the edge of the old town. We sat outside and were able to enjoy a variety of dishes, including snails and fresh octopus. Whilst the restaurant was busy, it is slightly tucked away from the main road so is rather secluded and a great place to sit and enjoy lunch or dinner.
Lunch at Moutoupaki
Maritime Museum of Crete
By the western side of the harbour, at the entrance of the port of Chania, you can find the Fortress “FIRKA” (meaning barrack in Ottoman Turkish), which was constructed by the Venetians to protect the harbour. Part of the fortress today houses the Maritime Museum of Crete, and behind the museum you can find a small compound and seaward fortifications.
The museum was decent in size, with around 13 or so exhibition rooms to visit. We spent a good couple of hours walking around and exploring the different exhibitions, including model ships, maritime maps and displays of sea creatures amongst other things.
The museum is open Monday- Saturday, and tickets were around 4 euros per adult- well worth the price for the interesting exhibitions. To find out more about visiting and the history of the museum, see here.
Above and left: exhibitions at the Maritime museum of Crete
Entrance to the Maritime Museum of Crete
Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Collection of Chania
Located round the corner from the Maritime Museum of Crete, the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Collection of Chania is a very small yet beautiful collection of finds from excavations by the Byzantine Antiquities, and also donations. There are various items on display- elements from everyday life, such as pottery, lamps, burial customs, coins, mosaics.
The building itself is also beautiful- since 1977, the collection has been hosted in the Venetian Chapel of San Salvatore, which dates back to the 15th century. The collection can be visited most days and is open until mid-afternoon, and the tickets were around 2 euros per person. To find out more about visiting, click here.
Above and left: displays at the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Collection of Chania
Below: The Venetian Chapel of San Salvatore hosting the collection
Achilleas Fish Restaurant
After spending the whole day in Chania, we walked around the seafront to Achilleas Fish Restaurant for dinner. This place was recommended to us by our airbnb host, and it certainly did not disappoint.
Predominantly having a seafood menu, the restaurant offered a good selection of dishes. Our favourite dishes were squid in black squid ink and grilled local oyster (pleurotus) mushrooms- which were just delicious!
Dishes at Achilleas fish restaurant in Chania
As you can see from this post, there is a lot to see and do in Chania- from shopping to eating. If you want to find out what else we would recommend you do near Chania or in Crete more broadly, check out our numerous other blog posts here.
Chania harbour by night
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