General Information & Reviews

Reviews

• monica56 26 Jul 2014
  Holidays we still talk about

  Two years ago I traveled to Crete with my two sons. We arrived by flight from Italy and took the bus to our apartment which was pretty close to the airport actually. The hotel was built right on the edge of a rock with a splendid view of the sea and the beautiful surrounding. The whole staff there at Georgia's was absolutely helpful and we felt at home from the first day we arrived. We rented a car and started our tour in the beaches of Chania.
  
  We loved walking the historical old town, no wonder that it is considered the most beautiful town of Crete. Very medieval character plus very hospitable people. One of the streets of the town will lead you directly to the port of Chania, another beautiful place where you can sit and enjoy the charming view. Just outside Chania is a lovely village called Therissos where we had some divine meals. The view is just breathtaking as it is built on the foot of the White Mountains.
  
  You will enjoy an unforgettable trip into the enchanting nature and the picturesque atmosphere. Even though we could enjoy the inviting large pool of the hotel, in Crete you will find some impressive and beautiful beaches that are worth visiting. Elafonisi is the most exotic beach and it is highly recommended. Falassarna was also nice and very clean water. My sons loved these vacations, they still talk about them two years later.
  
• lemire 30 Nov 2009
  Cheap and quiet

  On our second visit to Chania, we decided to move a bit outside the town. We stayed in Loutro Chania, for a week, in a clean and quite cheap, studio next to the sea with a great view to the sea from our balcony! The family owning the rooms was too friendly, always with a smile on their face and ready to help you. They also owned a Greek taverna, on the first floor of the studios, called Ilios.
  
  It was a family running business, with all the family working there and cooking amazingly delicious dishes. Octopus, squids, traditional Cretan salads, feta and stuffed home made vine leaves! Hope I will eat again your delicacies, Stella! Note that Loutro is a quiet place with no cars allowed. The beach in Loutro is beautiful, with crystalline blue water. However, there are two more beaches that you can easily walk to and two that are accusable by the daily boats from Loutro.
  
  These boats can take you to these beaches around 11:00 and they are coming back to get you sometime around the afternoon, I think that was between 17:00 or 18:00. You can also visit Gavdos from there, the most southern tip of Europe. In Loutro you can rend a small boat for your own area exploration or canoes! We chose the canoes!
  
• olga30 11 Jun 2009
  Love the wild landscape

  I have been to Crete many times before, it is just too big to see it all in one or two visits! My favourite area was Chania. Every time we go we stay in Maleme in the same hotel, we are very pleased with Takis and Maria. Chania doesn't look like an island but like a mainland mostly. You are in the beach now and after half an hour drive you may be lost in mountains. I like the wildness of this area, I think it matches with the wild nature of its residents. The typical Cretan man always has a moustache, speaks loud and heavy (not a word of English and even if he speaks English you will not understand him!) and seats all day in the kafenio (coffee shop) to play cards and do his chaplet. The Cretans can play their chaplets from one morning till the other morning, they can do only that and nothing else!
  
  Chania has nice beaches all over its coasts, but I think the best thing to do is discover the villages in the centre of the prefecture. Rent a car for a couple of days and go from one coast to the other. Sfakia on the southern is very beautiful and picturesque but the road is awful. Be careful when you drive because all roads in Crete are not good.
  
• bethth 20 May 2009
  Enjoy spring nature

  My husband is a herbalist and needed some plants for his paper on Cretan plantation. So, we went to Chania last month (April is always the best spring month, when nature blossoms) and travelled valleys and mountains to collect these plants, and many others that we found on our way. We rented a car from the airport of Chania and started our tour in the steep gorges and lush valleys.
  
  The roads in Chania are awful, they get so windy sometimes that you get sickness and Greeks drive like crazy. Twice we almost got involved in serious accidents. The Greeks don't pay attention to the signs and some drivers are really rude and aggressive.
  
  As for the nature of Chania, it was perfect in spring. We hiked all long the Gorge of Samaria (we were lucky enough as it opened in May 1st, three days before we go back home), Ftelolakkos, Petra Seli and the area around Paleochora. If these plants John picked up are not enough, I will be glad to come back! Crete was amazing and I want to see the eastern side, too.
  
• irini27 21 Apr 2009
  Watch out when driving

  Chania is the best area in Crete for me. Excellent beaches, nice mountainsides in the centre and wonderful hospitality (altough we had a bad experience in our hotel, someone stole our IPod and digital camera while we were sleaping, so always always lock your door!). Distances are very long and roads not good. Pay extra attention on the road because the Greeks drive like crazy, very fast and dangerous. No control at all by the police. No respect for drive rules.
  
  Our favourite activity in Chania was swimming. Sfakia has a nice beach, but very difficult to find. The best beaches are close to Chania town (Golden beach, Georgioupoli, Maleme) but they get very busy. The area of Chania doesn't have much archaeological sites, except for the Castle of Souda and Fragokastelo. The nautical museum is also of some interest.
• elena34rt8 18 Mar 2009
  Hike along Samaria Gorge

  To go to Chania, we took the overnight ferry from Athens. If you don't have a cabin, board early to find a comfortable place to spend the night. Don't expect to sleep on the deck, it is too noisy even after midnight. Anyway, the trip was a bit tiring but Chania was a wonderful place. The villages, the beaches, the people, the food, everything...As I like trekking, I mostly enjoyed Samaria Gorge. After a few hours of walking among strong rocks, there was a beach at the end of the route to enjoy some relaxing moments under the sun. I felt really releaved when I got into the water, as I almost get burned from so much hiking. A very big hat is required and much sun lotion before you go to Samaria.
• rachelbnb 24 Jun 2008
  Tasteful and healthy

  The first time I visited Crete was three years ago and since then we go there every summer. Except for the great scenery, I also find good people and nice food there. This summer, our hotel owner in Maleme was a woman and she was cooking deliciously. Mrs Ntina was kind enough to give me some cooking advices and Cretan recipes. Now, back home, I have already prepared Dakos, onion pies and spinach pie with feta cheese. I found some good feta cheese in the local market, even here in Chicago. I believe that these dishes are not only tasteful but also healthy for the children. I have heard many scientists saying so, because most of these dishes are based on vegetables and natural products.
• ped543 15 May 2008
  Spooky Frangokastelo

  We went to Chania by flight from Barcelona, there are some good and direct flights, since the Athens Airport is not convenient. However, when you arrive, pay attention to the taxi fares, they charged us three times more. Otherwise, our holiday was fine. Wonderful beaches, great food, nice people and lots of bars. We stayed in Elafonissos and rented a car to explore the rest of Crete. I liked better the fort of Frangokastelo and enjoyed the myth about it, about the ghosts that come off the sea once a year.
• derek 09 May 2008
  Chania

  Chania is divided into two parts - the New Town with its shops and offices, the renowned indoor market and the bus station - and the Old Town, built around the Venetian harbour with numerous picturesque narrow streets and architecture showing the influence of decades of foreign domination.
  
  
  Originally know as Kydonia with some evidence remaining from Minoan times, it was occupied by the Romans through early Christian and Byzantine times. The Venetians had the most lasting and appealing influence on its architecture. After a great struggle the town fell to the Turks who left their mark by converting churches to mosques and one imposing dome still adorns the harbour front.
  
  
  
• zoekour 16 Apr 2008
  Excellent beaches and Cretan food

  If there is something I could mention about Chania, that is the beautiful beaches and the many places to visit. The beaches of Elafonissi, Balos, Falassarna and Paleochora were the best. Elafonissi is the place to be!
  As for the villages, Therissos, Kastelli and again Paleochora...What I only found annoying about Chania was the traffic. It would be great if the local authorities could decrease it and make more parking places.
  Despite this, I loved it anyway. Almost anywhere I had dinner, the food was excellent, Cretan cuisine is delicious! Try a dinner at Therissos!
• christina_b 04 Mar 2008
  I will go again next year

  We go to Chania almost every summer and stay for at least 2 weeks. We take the plane from London, land to Athens and then take another plane to Chania airport, because I don't like to travel by ship, I find it too tiring. I believe Crete is the ideal place to lose all your stresses and forget your problems. I love to swim in Elafonisi and drive along the steep roads of Western Crete, which should, by the way, be better signed. Everyone who goes to Chania area should take a journey to the inland part of the island, enjoy the hills and discover the Cretan traditions. The Cretan people are welcoming and love to engage in conversations. I will definitely go to Crete again next year.
• akr 19 Nov 2007
  The villages gave us the good old Greece back

  Crete is a lovely Island, however it is too comersialized now. Chania was overcrowded and we could not find the good Greek athmosphere there. We hired a car and travelled around for the next 10 days and we found smaller areas/villages which gave us the good old Greece back.
  Food was good in the smaller villages. In Chania it was double prize and way too expensive and if you found cheaper food it was bad quality.
• singapore 09 Jul 2007
  Samaria Gorge is gorgeous

  Samaria Gorge is gorgeous. Especially after a few hours of trekking, there was a beach for us to cool down and have a dip in the water. What I didn't enjoy from the whole experience was the transport to go back to Hania after the hike at the gorge. We had to take a ferry, which is expensive (7.50 Euros), then took a bus back.
• Laura_Gr 26 Feb 2007
  Wonderful old town with lots of culture

  Nationality: British
  Age: 25
  Countries visited: 5-10
  The Trip: I arrived on the island by Plane with Monarch. The trip was very good with no delays
  Reasons for going to Chania: Discovered on the Internet
  Idea about Chania before going: Lovely people, gorgeous scenery, beautiful beaches, nice food and a wonderful old town with lots of culture
  -Island/Area: 10/10
  -Landscapes: 10/10
  -Tree Covered: 7/10
  -Beaches and Waters: 10/10
  -Cleanliness: 9/10
  -Main Town beauty: 11/10
  -Food/Restaurants: 9/10
  -Nightlife: 9/10
  -Local People: 10/10
  -Lifestyle: 10/10
  -Activities: 10/10
  -Excursions & Sightseeing: 10/10
  -Prices: 9/10
  -Authenticity: 9/10
  -Peace and quiet: 9/10
  -Weather: 10/10
  Opinion about the accommodations:
  -General, for Accommodations: 10/10
  -Location (surroundings): 9/10
  -Access (distance from town, beach): 10/10
  -Facilities (air-condition, telephone, TV): 10/10
  -Comfort: 10/10
  -Service: 11/10
  -Cleanliness/hygiene: 10/10
  -Price: 10/10
  All round good value for a small hotel, lovely location just outside Iraklio and lovely village
  Negative opinion about the island: Everything was Perfect!!!!!
  Recommendations for future visitors: Take long walks in order to be able to see all of the sites in Chania.
  Rating of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries
  9/10
• kzar99 23 Jan 2007
  Chania has many wonderful surprises

  Nationality: British
  Age: 56
  Countries visited: 10-15
  The Trip: I arrived on the island by Plane with My Travel. The trip was good with no delays
  Reasons for going to Chania: Proposed by travel agency Holiday Hypermarket and saw information on the internet
  Idea before arriving: I knew about the historical buildings and monuments and the fantastic beaches in Chania.
  -Island/Area: 9/10
  -Landscapes: 9/10
  -Tree Covered: 8/10
  -Beaches and Waters: 9/10
  -Cleanliness: 9/10
  -Villages beauty: 8/10
  -Main Town beauty: 8/10
  -Food/Restaurants: 9/10
  -Nightlife: 8/10 Chania nightlife is Surpirsingly good for all ages
  -Local People: 10/10
  -Lifestyle: 10/10
  -Activities: Eating at nice restaurants, swimming, relaxing
  -Excursions & Sightseeing: 9/10 Lots of beaches and medieval ruins to see
  -Prices: 9/10 less expensive than some other places in Greece
  -Authenticity: 10/10
  -Peace and quiet: 10/10
  -Weather: 10/10 Fantastic!!!!!!!! sunshine the whole time
  Negative opinion about the island: Street cleanliness in the villages could be better.
  Recommendations for future visitors to Chania: Go on the trip to Chania it was well worth the money
  Rating of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries
  8/10
• dutsfc 07 Nov 2006
  Dicovered the friendliness of Greece

  Nationality: English
  Age: 52
  Countries visited: >5-10
  The trip: I arrived on the island by plane with XL Airways. The trip was very good with no delays
  Reasons for going to Chania: Found the Friendliness of Greece ourselves through frequent visits
  Idea of the island/area before arriving: There isn't one bad island in Greece, as long as you know where to go, on that Island
  More: If you visit Crete, don’t miss Chania
  Best Beaches: Agia Marina
  Anything negative about the island or needs improvement: In the area of Yermaniko Polis, there should be some speed restrictions/devices to eliminate the excessive noise made by motorists/Motor Cyclists revving up unnecessarily on the straight road about 2K outside of town
  
  Recommendations: Please visit chania Harbor and if your looking for well positioned friendly apartments go to Lefka
  Rate of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries: 9/10.
  
• iana 10 Aug 2006
  Crete is the most beautiful spot in Europe

  Nationality: Romanian
  
  Date on the island: July 27 2006
  
  Countries visited: >15-30
  
  The trip: I took Aegean Airlines to get to Crete.
  
  Reasons for going to Crete: I discovered Greece on the internet.
  
  I fell in love with Crete the moment I descended on one of its 2 airports, several years ago. At that time it was Chania. Crete is the most beautiful spot in the whole of Europe. Probably if I say ?in the whole world? I would be somewhat exaggerating since I have not traveled worldwide as I had wished. There are places in the world which you like at first site or you don?t. When you come to say ?I will maybe like it as soon as I get used to it? then it?s definitely not love at first site or perfect chemistry. Call it as you wish! I am the type of person who likes changing places and see a different spot every year. It is part of my way of living and being. But each time vacation is coming closer and I have to make up my mind, my hearts says Crete, Crete, Crete?.and I end up by booking my 2 week summer holiday in Crete.
  
  In the past years I explored the Northern coast which I find it so diverse and rewarding. Starting with Chania ? a rather busy area ? and ending with the more cosmopolitan Elounda, the entire coast is magic.
  Crete, compared to other Greek islands, is very calm and quiet and gives you the feeling of wellbeing and peace which we all long for in the deepest of our heart and souls.
  
  This year I have decided to explore the Southern coast, and I went to Plakias. What an inspiration! The place is magic and offers me exactly what I want for a perfect holiday. We stayed in Myrthios, a gem of a village, clean and civilized and so ?normal? from the point of view of the life pace. I kind of new that the area is very windy but I had hoped the Meltemi would not blow exactly during the 2 weeks we were there. But?.it did!! And what a wind! In spite of this (believe me I hate the strong winds no matter their being hot or cold) I was so happy all the time and pleased with what this place has offered me. I will definitely go back next year and I am looking forward to it! The Southern coast offers you an array of beautiful places with history and nature in one package and what is fantastic about it is the lack of those ?mass tourists? swarming all over and whom I must admit, I hate! There are even places where you can go by foot only! And I hope they stay as such. The Cretans, obviously have a strong sense of beauty which prevents them from spoiling their surroundings. The beaches are great and clean and only around Plakias there are 4 or 5 splendid ones, such as: Damnoni, Amoudi, Amoudaki, Skinaria, Souda, etc.
  
  The ?hosts? (the Cretans) are so nice and discreet! They really know their business and I believe it is also deeply rooted in their ancient culture to feel exactly what their ?guests? need during the best time of the year: THE VACATION. Wonderful people! And I could go on like this on many pages but the bottom line is: choose Crete (or other island in Greece) to spend the best holiday in your life!
• p-h-f 06 Jul 2005
  A paradise called Crete Island

  Crete is a real paradise!
  We flew there directly from UK, arriving at the airport of Heraklion, capital of the island. We knew from some friends that the city wasn?t very interesting to see in comparison to other places of Crete; so we visited the fantastic Archaeological Museum and went to the nearby town of Malia were we saw the superb Minoan mansion which has survived from the Minoan city which used to stand there, as well as the splendid Minoan Palace of Knossos which is the third largest of Greece.
  We had the chance to have a month off and to rent a car, so we could easily go and visit other places of the island.
  I particularly like the town of Rethymno with its beautiful Renaissance buildings and its mosques; in the prefecture of Rethymno we went to the lovely and authentic village of Anogia (perched in the mountains) and the one of Spili; we also bathed at the wonderful (but crowded) beach Preveli and at various other beaches. In the prefecture of Chania we walked in the streets of the lovely town, we went to the famous castle called Frangokastello and tasted the clear waters of many wonderful beaches among which the one of the islet of Elafonisso.
  In the prefecture of Lassithi, we went to the lovely capital called Agios Nikolaos, discovered the authentic village of Tzermiado which is located on the beautiful Lassithi Plateau and admired the astonishing beaches of Sissi, Pahia Amos and of the Chrissi Islet (took the small boat from Ierapetra).
  
  As you can see, Crete is full of beautiful places, authentic villages, wonderful beaches, interesting monuments and unique archaeological sites. That is why you will be obliged to rent a car (or take yours with you).
  This island will amaze you and making you want to come back.
  And try the local cuisine, it?s just perfect.