Πατήστε εδώ για να δείτε όλες τις αναχωρήσεις για την πόλη (Χανιά)

Εισαγωγή

Steeped in Homeric history and culture, scented by wild fennel and basil, Greece's largest island now hosts a quarter of all visitors to Greece. The north is overdeveloped, but it's still possible to find some peace by visiting the west and south coasts or the ruggedly mountainous interior.

The relatively small island of Crete has given the world some pretty big potatoes, not least of which is a traditional costume of baggy pants tucked into high boots which the New Romantic movement foisted on an unsuspecting public back in the 1980s.

Other accomplishments include Europe's first advanced civilisation; the mythical Minotaur and its labyrinth; King Minos himself (the semi-fictitious sacrificer of maidens and youths); the palace of Knossos; El Greco; an enduring linguistic mix-up between Cretans and cretins; and the ultimate definition of 'family vendetta'.

Hania is Hollywood Moussaka. Apart from being the largest city in Western Crete, it's swamped with beautiful Venetian and Turkish buildings and this, along with its harbourside setting, white onion-domed churches, and winding paved laneways make it ideal camera-bait. Any location scout or photographer searching for Greek appeal ends up, sooner or late, at Hania town square looking through a viewfinder. Add to its photogenic and esoteric appeal a number of colourful markets and a wonderful eating culture and you'll see why most visitors to Crete put the city on their itinerary.

There are a number of museums worth visiting, including the Archeological, Naval and Folklore museums. The Public Market, a turn-of-the-century building housing grocery stores, butchers' shops, a fish market and vegetable shops, and the Public Gardens next door are also worth a look but Hania's biggest drawcard is it natural assets and architecture. Check out the Venetian quarter of town and the massive fortifications and lighthouse, also built by the Venetians, for an exercise in historical charm.

From Plateia 1866, the main city square, it's a short walk northward to the Venetian Port, and a promenade that follows the semicircular curve of the harbour itself. As the road bends round to the fortress on the headland, the main hotel area is on the left, as you face the harbour. The headland separates the Venetian Port from the crowded town beach in the quarter called the Nea Hora. Zambeliou, down near the harbour, was once Hania's main thouroughfare, but is now a winding street lined with craft shops, hotels and tavernas. Many of the Venetian townhouses along the magnificent harbour have been restored and converted into domatia (cheap accommodation), restaurants, cafes and shops.

You can fly to Hania from mainland Athens on any number of domestic flights, take a ferry from Piraeus or bus it from Iraklio. It's about two and a half hours by bus, with a service leaving every 30 minutes from the capital.

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