Chania Villages
Apart from the picturesque Town of Chania, this prefecture of Crete has many beautiful mountainous villages and seaside settlements. Kissamos, Paleochora, and Sfakia are the most famous. They have all managed to escape mass tourism and keep their authenticity. Many hotels are located around these beaches.
Many hotels and accommodation are located around these villages.
After you have seen the best Chania villages, you can also find information about the best beaches.
✔ DISCOVER THE MOST AMAZING VILLAGES WITH US!
Want to discover the most beautiful villages of Chania with ease and totally carefree? View our organized tours & activities or book a car rental at the best prices!
Guide to 36 villages
Discover our guide to 36 Chania villages. They are all presented with a detailed description, photos and their location on a map of Chania. For the most popular ones, we also provide information about sightseeing in the area, a selection of hotels and reviews.
Town
Location: On the northern side of Crete
Description: Chania Town is the capital of the prefecture and one of the most beautiful towns in Crete. Its architecture has Venetian and Ottoman elements, while its most picturesque spot is the old port with the lighthouse.
Sfakia
Location: 72 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: Chora Sfakion, or just Sfakia, is a historical place for Crete, as many fighters of the Cretan Revolution came from there. The wild landscape and the calm beaches offer a great place for holidays.
Paleochora
Location: 80 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: Paleochora is the most popular resort on the southern side of Chania Crete. It has developed tourism without losing its traditional character.
Kissamos
Location: 41 km west of Chania Town
Description: Kissamos is the second-largest town in the prefecture of Chania. Located in the western side of Crete, Kissamos is a nice excursion base for the beautiful beaches and mountainous villages in the area.
Frangokastello
Location: 80 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: Frangokastello is a lovely tourist resort on the southern side of Crete. It is mostly famous for the fortress that stands right on the beach.
Kolimbari Village
Location: 24 km west of Chania Town
Description: Kolimbari is a lovely seaside village on the way from Chania to Kissamos. Over the years, it has developed as a relaxing tourist destination.
Kalyves Village
Location: 20 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: Kalyves is gradually evolving into a family tourist resort. It is surrounded by green fields and has a lovely organized beach.
Platanias Village
Location: 11 km west of Chania Town
Description: Platanias is a picturesque tourist village offering many tourist activities, even a golfland. It gets very popular in summer.
Halepa (in town)
Location: 4 km east of Chania's Town center
Description: Halepa is a suburb of Chania's town and one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in this region, full of impressive mansions and neoclassical houses.
Anopolis
Location: 84 km south of Chania Town
Description: Anopolis is a traditional mountainous village located in southern Crete, in the area of Sfakia. The nearby bridge of Aradena, the second highest in Europe, is a popular bungee jumping site. A Graviera Festival is also held there in mid-August.
Akrotiri
Location: 10 km northeast of Chania Town
Description: Akrotiri is not actually a village but a peninsula that lies east of Chania Town. This is a region with beautiful, sandy beaches and it gets pretty crowded in summer. Here, you will find a number of imposing medieval monasteries, as well as impressive caves.
Alikianos
Location: 12 km from Chania Town
Description: Standing on the foothills of the White Mountains, Alikianos is surrounded by fragrant orange orchards, olive groves and lush vegetation. Local sights include the ruins of a 13th-century Venetian mansion, as well as a historic stone bridge spanning the river Keritis.
Deres
Location: 25 km south of Chania Town
Description: Deres is a tiny village in the inland of Chania, on the way to Sougia. Surrounded by lush vegetation and rugged mountains, this village boasts great natural beauty, as well as an equestrian center. Several traditional panigiria are held here between July and early September.
Elos
Location: 60 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: Elos is a small traditional village on the way to the Monastery of Chrissoskalitissa and Elafonisi. It is surrounded by lush vegetation, and a Chestnut Festival with traditional music and dancing is held there every year in late October.
Epanochori
Location: 45 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: The small mountain village of Epanochori is surrounded by lush vegetation and offers stunning views of the White Mountains and the Libyan Sea.
Gavalochori
Location: 26 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: Gavalochori is a lovely village in the area of Apokoronas. Built in a location of great natural beauty, it has been declared a listed historical settlement, on account of its folk architecture, which has remained largely unaffected by modern additions
Kalami
Location: 10 km east of Chania Town
Description: Kalami is a lovely village in close distance to Chania Town and Souda. On a hill next to the village, there is the strong Fortress of Izzedin.
Kandanos
Location: 60 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: Built on the fringes of the White Mountains, Kandanos is a lovely village in southern Chania, on the way to Paleochora. Surrounded by lush vegetation, it is considered to be an open-air museum of Byzantine iconography, on account of its many medieval churches.
Kefali
Location: 60 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: A small village in the mountains, Kefali is surrounded by lush greenery and offers a true view of the Cretan landscape.
Kournas
Location: 42 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: The quaint village of Kournas is built at an altitude of 250 meters. It has traditional houses, medieval chapels and nice trails passing through the verdant countryside.
Mournies
Location: 4 km south of Chania
Description: The mountainous village of Mournies is the homeland of Eleftherios Venizelos, an influential politician who became prime minister of the Greek State. The surrounding area has many olive groves and monasteries.
Town
Location: On the northern side of Crete
Description: Chania Town is the capital of the prefecture and one of the most beautiful towns in Crete. Its architecture has Venetian and Ottoman elements, while its most picturesque spot is the old port with the lighthouse.
Sfakia
Location: 72 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: Chora Sfakion, or just Sfakia, is a historical place for Crete, as many fighters of the Cretan Revolution came from there. The wild landscape and the calm beaches offer a great place for holidays.
Paleochora
Location: 80 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: Paleochora is the most popular resort on the southern side of Chania Crete. It has developed tourism without losing its traditional character.
Kissamos
Location: 41 km west of Chania Town
Description: Kissamos is the second-largest town in the prefecture of Chania. Located in the western side of Crete, Kissamos is a nice excursion base for the beautiful beaches and mountainous villages in the area.
Frangokastello
Location: 80 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: Frangokastello is a lovely tourist resort on the southern side of Crete. It is mostly famous for the fortress that stands right on the beach.
Kolimbari Village
Location: 24 km west of Chania Town
Description: Kolimbari is a lovely seaside village on the way from Chania to Kissamos. Over the years, it has developed as a relaxing tourist destination.
Kalyves Village
Location: 20 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: Kalyves is gradually evolving into a family tourist resort. It is surrounded by green fields and has a lovely organized beach.
Platanias Village
Location: 11 km west of Chania Town
Description: Platanias is a picturesque tourist village offering many tourist activities, even a golfland. It gets very popular in summer.
Halepa (in town)
Location: 4 km east of Chania's Town center
Description: Halepa is a suburb of Chania's town and one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in this region, full of impressive mansions and neoclassical houses.
Anopolis
Location: 84 km south of Chania Town
Description: Anopolis is a traditional mountainous village located in southern Crete, in the area of Sfakia. The nearby bridge of Aradena, the second highest in Europe, is a popular bungee jumping site. A Graviera Festival is also held there in mid-August.
Akrotiri
Location: 10 km northeast of Chania Town
Description: Akrotiri is not actually a village but a peninsula that lies east of Chania Town. This is a region with beautiful, sandy beaches and it gets pretty crowded in summer. Here, you will find a number of imposing medieval monasteries, as well as impressive caves.
Alikianos
Location: 12 km from Chania Town
Description: Standing on the foothills of the White Mountains, Alikianos is surrounded by fragrant orange orchards, olive groves and lush vegetation. Local sights include the ruins of a 13th-century Venetian mansion, as well as a historic stone bridge spanning the river Keritis.
Deres
Location: 25 km south of Chania Town
Description: Deres is a tiny village in the inland of Chania, on the way to Sougia. Surrounded by lush vegetation and rugged mountains, this village boasts great natural beauty, as well as an equestrian center. Several traditional panigiria are held here between July and early September.
Elos
Location: 60 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: Elos is a small traditional village on the way to the Monastery of Chrissoskalitissa and Elafonisi. It is surrounded by lush vegetation, and a Chestnut Festival with traditional music and dancing is held there every year in late October.
Epanochori
Location: 45 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: The small mountain village of Epanochori is surrounded by lush vegetation and offers stunning views of the White Mountains and the Libyan Sea.
Gavalochori
Location: 26 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: Gavalochori is a lovely village in the area of Apokoronas. Built in a location of great natural beauty, it has been declared a listed historical settlement, on account of its folk architecture, which has remained largely unaffected by modern additions
Kalami
Location: 10 km east of Chania Town
Description: Kalami is a lovely village in close distance to Chania Town and Souda. On a hill next to the village, there is the strong Fortress of Izzedin.
Kandanos
Location: 60 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: Built on the fringes of the White Mountains, Kandanos is a lovely village in southern Chania, on the way to Paleochora. Surrounded by lush vegetation, it is considered to be an open-air museum of Byzantine iconography, on account of its many medieval churches.
Kefali
Location: 60 km southwest of Chania Town
Description: A small village in the mountains, Kefali is surrounded by lush greenery and offers a true view of the Cretan landscape.
Kournas
Location: 42 km southeast of Chania Town
Description: The quaint village of Kournas is built at an altitude of 250 meters. It has traditional houses, medieval chapels and nice trails passing through the verdant countryside.
Mournies
Location: 4 km south of Chania
Description: The mountainous village of Mournies is the homeland of Eleftherios Venizelos, an influential politician who became prime minister of the Greek State. The surrounding area has many olive groves and monasteries.
Papadiana
Location: 60 km south of Chania Town
Description: A small village in the mountains, Papadiana is located in the southern side of Crete, on the way to Paleochora.
Ravdouha
Location: 30 km west of Chania Town
Description: Ravdouha is a small mountainous village close to the tourist and seaside Kolimbari.
Rodopos
Location: 30 km west of Chania Town
Description: Rodopos is a small mountainous village north of Kolimbari, a lovely tourist resort in western Chania.
Rodovani
Location: 60 km south of Chania Town
Description: Rodovani is a mountainous village with traditional architecture, surrounded by wild scenery. It is located on the southern side of Chania.
Souda
Location: 4 km east of Chania Town
Description: Souda has a lovely beach and an impressive fortress at the entrance of its port. It is located very close to the Town.
Spilia
Location: 30 km west of Chania Town
Description: Spilia is a small village in close distance to Kolimbari, west of Chania Town. It depicts an authentic Cretan style and it is surrounded by wild nature.
Stylos
Location: 18 km south east of Chania Town
Description: A lovely village surrounded by lush greenery, Stylos gives a clear view of rural life in Crete. It has stone houses, an ample square, plane trees and running water.
Topolia
Location: 48 km south west of Chania Town
Description: A lovely village in the inland of Crete, Topolia is surrounded by wild nature and some greenery.
Vamos
Location: 26 km south east of Chania Town
Description: Although Vamos is so close to Chania Town and some popular villages in the region, it has not been affected by tourism and keeps its authentic Cretan character.
Voukolies
Location: 27 km south west of Chania Town
Description: Voukolies is a lovely village built on the west banks of Tavronitis River. Every week, a bazaar takes place in the main square selling local products.
Vryses
Location: 30 km south east of Chania Town
Description: A lovely village with plane trees and running water, Vryses is a nice place to visit east of Chania Town.
Loutro
Location: 70 km south of Chania Town
Description: Loutro is an authentic seaside village close to Sfakia. It can be reached only on foot or by boat from Agia Roumeli, Sougia, Sfakia, and a few other locations.
Prases
Location: 30 km south of Chania Town
Description: A small village surrounded by amazing greenery, Prases is located on the southern side of Chania, on the way to Sougia.
Therissos
Location: 16 km south of Chania Town
Description: Therissos is a picturesque village built on the slopes of a mountain range. This is the homeland of many Cretan fighters in the 19th century.
Nerokouros
Location: 5 km south of Chania Town
Description: The small village of Neokouros is located in close distance to Chania Town. It has very few inhabitants and its location is convenient for excursions in the region.