Chania Old Venetian Harbour

About

Crete’s most atmospheric waterfront: lighthouse, mosque and Venetian arsenals.

The old Venetian harbour is the heart of Chania and one of the most photographed places in Crete. A row of colourful houses curves around the water, and at the end of a long breakwater stands the Venetian lighthouse, rebuilt by the Egyptians in the 19th century. On the waterfront you'll see the domed Küçük Hasan mosque, the oldest Ottoman building on the island, and to the east the huge vaulted Venetian shipyards.

Behind the harbour lies the old town, a maze of narrow lanes full of small shops, workshops, restaurants and boutique hotels. Walk through the old Jewish quarter around the Etz Hayyim synagogue, the leather street (Skrydlof), and the Splantzia square with its plane tree.

The harbour is lovely at any time, but it is most magical early in the morning, when it is quiet, and in the evening when the lights reflect in the water. Walk out to the lighthouse at sunset, then have dinner in one of the side streets, where the food is usually better and cheaper than right on the waterfront.

Anreise

Pedestrian area in Chania old town. Park outside the walls (e.g. near the municipal market) and walk in.

On the map

35.51700, 24.01800 · See on map

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