Amaryllis Apartment, Travel Guide, Chania

Chania is the capital city of the prefecture of Chania. This beautiful city, located on the north shore of Crete, is an ideal base for exploring the whole island. The prefecture of Chania covers the west part of the island and its important towns: Kastelli, Paleochora, Kandanos and Chora Sfakion.

Chania is about 1 hour (59 km) long from Rethymnon and 2 hours (137 km) long from Heraklion. It is easily accessible from Athens by three regular flights a day

(45 minutes) during winter and four during summer. The International Airport is located 11 km outside the city on Akrotiri. There are also two daily boats from Piraeus (Athens) to Souda.

The prefecture of Chania offers tourism services and activities of all kinds covering all demands. The city of Chania preserves all the features of the Venetian rule times. The White Mountains (Lefka Ori), rising behind the city and diving south in the Libyan Sea in the area of Sfakia, consist of numerous gorges for nature-lovers and enthousiastic mountaineers. The sandy beaches and the deep clear waters in them (Elafonissi, Falassarna, Paleochora, Georgioupoli, etc) are ideal for swimming. The minoan, roman and byzantine archaeologocial sites are tempting for those interested in cultural and historical explorations - please click here for maps.

Geography: The county of Chania covers the western part of Crete and has an area of 2.376 sqkm and with a population of 140,000 residents (1991 inventory). The county is divided into 5 provinces with the capital the city of Chania (52.000 population). Since 1999 the county is divided into 23 counties and 2 provinces. The north area of the county with very welcome seas ends up to 3 peninsulas. Concerning the south side of the island towards the Libyan sea it presents the biggest amount of sunlight in Europe. North, west and south the county is surrounded by sea.

Why to visit Chania: Chania is regarded as a very picturesque small city of Greece, with a lot of life during the summer months, friendly people, blue sea and sky, and sandy beaches. The famous old town with its small streets and the Venetian buildings, the picturesque Venetian harbour with the Lighthouse and the Firkas castle create a majestic, romantic atmosphere which can be rarely found in Europe.

Chania is an ideal destination to combine the romantic atmosphere of the Venetian Town with the touristic facilities that have been created during the last years; the well-organised sandy beaches west and east of the city, the numerous cafes, restaurants and tavernas along the old harbour and the seaside villages, the endless waterfront to the west and the east of the city, the beach-bars on the sandy beaches, the seaside clubs and bars outside the city.

Chania is also an ideal location to explore the rest of Crete since the distances are not really a big deal; you can find some of the most unique sights and natural beaches of Crete in less than 60 minutes distance in south and west Crete, the most famous archaeological sites of Knossos and Phaestos dating thousands of years ago in the nearby districts of Heraklion and Rethymnon, the remaining of the Turkish and the Venetian castles dispersed in many remote villages of the island, the existing Venetian Monasteries and Churches. Here you can also try to pass the longest gorge of Europe - Samaria Gorge1 17 km length - and visit some of the purest, traditional villages of Crete.

Arviot

"The hosts and his wife were very friendly and helpful. They let us borrow sunbeds and other beach gear. They made sure that we could always ask them questions and that we could call them if we had any concerns regarding the accommodation. Emmanuel and Yannis were also very helpful and booked taxis for us between the airport and the accommodation. They also had a lot of information about different places to visit around Crete and other fun things to do during the visit. We are very happy with our stay and would recommend this to other tourists!"

Matilda

Sweden
"We liked our stay at this apartment, checkin and checkout was good and fast, owners are very good and helpful. Apartment is very clear, has all needed for stay and very silent street. It is near good beach (5 minutes walking) and near old city. We definitely can suggest staying here."

Ольга

Ukraine
"Wir hatten eine super schöne Zeit! Die Vermieter waren super hilfsbereit und zuvorkommend. Man hat leckeres Obst vorbeigebracht bekommen und tolle Tipps zum Erkunden. Die Atmosphäre war sehr herzlich & die Wohnung super schön, perfekt ausgestattet - würden jederzeit wiederkommen!"

Isa

Germany

"Emmanuel et Yannis sont très réactifs et les informations sont toujours très claires et détaillées. Le propriétaire et sa femme sont adorables, souriants, accueillant, je me suis vraiment sentie chez moi. Le gros plus : le jardin très agréable ! l'appartement est également parfait pour une location longue ou courte. vraiment, je recommande ! Merci pour ce super séjour. Emma"

Emma

France
"We went with three people and we loved every minute of our stay! Our hosts were really welcoming, gave us many tips and recommendations and were always available when we needed help. The location was perfect. We were able to reach the Old Town in 10-15 Minutes and the Beach in 5 Minutes walking, but it was still a quieter residential area. The Airbnb had everything we needed and we particularly enjoyed the outdoor area."

Nikola

Germany
"Perfect location 5 minutes from the beach ! with supermarkets nearby. 10 minutes walk to Chania old town. The place is super clean with coffee, sugar, olive oil provided. We also had watermelon and the most delicious oranges we've had in out lives in our fridge left for us to eat. There is a shower in the garden which we loved as well. The owners were beyond kind !!! It was such a pleasure to meet you. World would be a better place if more people were like you hosts are very helpful too and very responsive. For the whole time we used a local restaurant by Nea Chora beach called KAIKI ! the food was heavenly good. We also recommend people book a daily trip in the town centre to Elafonisi beach or to Balos lagoon ! The place was perfect and we will definitely return!!! :) Thank you for everything"

Ela

United Kingdom

"Extremely responsive hosts, helped us to organise transport from the airport straight to the airbnb and we were greeted by the front door on arrival. We felt very welcomed by the kind owner. Location is great, very close to the beach and some restaurants/bars, and a short walk from Chania old town. Apartment is very well stocked and was super clean. Thank you so much for the stay! Would recommend!"

Lewis

United Kingdom
"We had an absolutely fantastic stay at this charming apartment in Chania and couldn't have asked for a better experience. It was exactly as described but still exceeded our expectations. Our hosts were exceptionally hospitable. They warmly welcomed us, were always available and made sure we had everything we needed."

Azra

Austria