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Crete Island - the largest in Greece - separates the Aegean from the Libyan Sea and marks the boundary between Europe and Africa. Towering mountains rise in its centre - the White Mountains, Psiloritis and Dikti. Its plateaus are splitted by deep gorges and end up in fertile valleys. The scenery is constantly changing. In one place harsh and barren, in another forested and mild. Its villages are smothered in greenery. Olive trees, orange groves, vineyards, early vegetable market gardens exist everywhere. Old stone farmhouses, monasteries and villages perched on mountain ridges, castles and chapels forgotten on steep slopes constitute an exciting landscape. Shores lined with forbidding rocks, often inaccessible, but also lots of endless sandy or pebbly beaches are available to the public. Crete is notorious for the variety of its vegetation and the wildlife in its chestnut, oak and cypress forests. Not to mention its palm forests (at Vai and Preveli) and its cedar forests (at Gavdos and Hrissi). Medicinal herbs and fragrant shrubs - laudanum, dittany, marjoram and thyme - grow in rocky areas and the mountain tops are home of the "Kri - Kri" or Cretan goat. The main cities-ports on Crete - Chania, Rethimno, Iraklio, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia - are located on the north side, which is more benign topographically. Ierapetra is the only port on the south coast, on the shores of the Libyan Sea, facing Africa.
Chania is a city of unique beauty, filled with an abundance of fragrant flowers, and boasting a rich cultural heritage. Ancient and modern monuments, the Venician Harbor and the Old Town, vivid neighbourhoods, a traditional lifestyle and the friendly inhabitants warmly invite you on a step by step journey to become acquainted with the city, promising you unforgettable moments.
Though Chania is a modern city, its old historical centre is a labyrinth of old Venetian houses that you can wander around with only an occasional reminder of the twentieth century. The commercial port is actually located in Souda Bay and there are buses and taxis available to take you from Souda to Chania centre (Market Square). There is a great variety of good hotels and resorts, both at the city’s center and at the outskirts, with various prices depending on the class and on the location. The ones with a view to the Old Venetian port and to the famous lighthouse are probably where you want to stay, even if the nightlife below can get a little noisy. If you prefer a quieter place you may inquire your travel agent.
Sightseeing in Chania offers to the visitor numerous choices of long or short distance tours, until the sun goes down and the cafes, taverns and bars light on the sky over the Old Venetian port, and nightlife begins… The visitor has only to make his choice.The most crowded and well organized beaches are on the west, while there are also a great number of other ones of exceptional beauty to the east, towards Rethimno and to the south, by the Libyan See. The use of a car is highly recommended for exploring the island and making your trips more comfortable and enjoyable.
Another option as a port of arrival is the city of Rethimno which is a mixture of modern tourist resorts and a traditional inner harbor with aged buildings. Most of the tourist activity and nightlife is located at the road behind the beach. However, some of the finest beaches on the island are at a short distance away to the west, where development is not as advanced as it is towards Iraklion.
The historic monastery of Arkadi at Rethymno, is a 5th century holy site, which became the symbol of Cretan resistance on November 9th 1866 when hundreds of refugees and revolutionaries chose death over surrender to the Turks and blew themselves to pieces with the gunpowder that was being stored there by the Cretan Revolutionaries. Later the monastery was rebuilt.
More information can be found at: www.west-crete.com
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