Private, fixed-price transfers from Chania Airport to the town and the resorts of western Crete — plus what to see and how to get around once you arrive.
Chania is the gateway to western Crete. Its airport lies on the Akrotiri peninsula near Souda Bay, about 14 km from the city, so every transfer begins by leaving the peninsula. From there the north coast runs in two directions: west past Chania town through Agia Marina and Platanias towards Kolymbari and Kissamos, and east through Kalyves and Almyrida to Georgioupolis and on to Rethymno. To the south, roads cross the island to Sfakia and Paleochora. With hotels spread that widely, the airport transfer is the one part of the trip worth settling before you fly.
Chania itself deserves more than a glimpse on the way to the beach. The old town grew up around the Venetian harbour, where a lighthouse still marks the entrance and the Ottoman-era Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque stands by the water. On the Akrotiri peninsula, the monastery of Agia Triada is visible from planes arriving at the airport. Further afield, the 16 km Samaria Gorge runs down to the shores of the Libyan Sea, the lagoon of Balos lies off the Gramvousa peninsula in the north-west, and the island of Elafonisi, close to the south-western corner of Crete, is known for its pink sand beaches.
Old town, Chania
The old town of Chania sits next to the old harbour, the core around which the whole city grew. At the harbour entrance stands the lighthouse, a stone tower rising 26 metres above the bay. Egyptian troops rebuilt it in 1864 on the site of the Venetian original, of which only the base remains, and it has been a listed archaeological site since 1962. Behind the waterfront, the narrow alleys of the Topanas district are lined with old buildings restored as hotels, restaurants, shops and bars.
Omalos plateau, south-west Crete
A national park since 1962 and a biosphere reserve, the Samaria Gorge is a major attraction of the island. It is 16 km long, starting at 1,250 m at its northern entrance and ending at the shores of the Libyan Sea in Agia Roumeli. At the Gates, the walls close in to a width of only four metres and rise almost 300 metres. The walk takes five to seven hours and can be strenuous at the peak of summer; visits are allowed from 1 May to 31 October.
Gramvousa peninsula, north-west Crete
Balos is a lagoon between the island of Gramvousa and the coast of Crete, off the Gramvousa peninsula, which forms the western part of Kissamos Bay. Through the lagoon runs Cape Tigani, Greek for “frying pan”. On Imeri Gramvousa stand the remains of a Venetian fort built between 1579 and 1584. Cretan insurgents captured it in 1825 and, besieged there for more than two years, turned to piracy to survive. North of Balos lie the ruins of the small Roman city of Agnion, with a temple to Apollo.
South-western corner of Crete
Elafonisi — “Deer Island” — lies close to the south-western corner of Crete, and when the weather is fine you can walk across to it through the shallow water. The island is a protected nature reserve, known for its pink sand beaches, coloured by deposits of pigmented microorganisms that live alongside the native seaweed. A plaque at its highest point remembers Easter Sunday 1824, when Ottoman soldiers killed several hundred Greeks sheltering on the island, and a wooden cross marks the wreck of the steamer Imperatrix in 1907.
About 70 km east of Chania
Rethymno’s old town was almost entirely built by the Republic of Venice and is one of the best-preserved old towns in Crete, with 16th-century buildings, arched doorways, stone staircases and a small Venetian harbour. On the hill above it stands the Fortezza, the city’s citadel, designed by the military engineer Sforza Pallavicini and built between 1573 and 1580; 107,142 Cretans and 40,205 animals took part in the work. Its walls run for 1,307 m, and inside stands the Mosque of Sultan Ibrahim, once the Cathedral of St Nicolas.
Prices start from the lowest published fare for this airport and depend on the destination and vehicle class. Cancel up to 24 hours before pickup for a 90% refund.
Photo credits C messier (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jebulon (CC0) · Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada (CC BY 2.0) · dronepicr (CC BY 2.0) · C messier (CC BY-SA 4.0) · C messier (CC BY-SA 4.0)
