Chania Gavalochori

More about Gavalochori

There is the Gavalochori Folklore Museum, housed in a Venetian stone-arched building. Its exhibits include folk costumes, old coins, weaponry, antique furniture and other items of daily use. In Gavalochori, visitors can also see a restored 17th-century oil mill or drop by the women’s association, where they can acquaint themselves with the local traditional lace-making technique. Known as kopaneli, this art is still carried on by some of the village women and will provide you with some of the best souvenirs you could possibly bring back home with you.

Various hiking paths start at Gavalochori, allowing you to explore the verdant countryside and its hidden gems. Around 1 kilometer from the village, you can find a series of 24 Venetian wells, which used to play an important role in the community’s daily life and were still in use a few decades ago. There, you will also see two impressive plane trees, whose branches intertwine in a unique embrace. The Roman cemetery is not far from the wells.

Today, most of the inhabitants are engaged in agriculture and produce olive oil, figs, almonds and honey. Music events are regularly held in the two traditional coffee houses, while a rock music concert is organized every year around the end of August or the beginning of September. Popular tourist resorts of Chania, such as Almyrida, Georgioupoli and Kalyves are located nearby.