Villages & Towns

Voukolies

Platanias, Chania · Free

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Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

Weekly market by the Tavronitis river.

Voukolies is a village on the Tavronitis river, west of Chania. A weekly bazaar takes place in the main square.

Voukolies is a large village with an important Saturday morning market, where farmers from the surrounding villages sell fruit, vegetables, cheese and other goods. The municipal unit stretches from Tavronitis on the coast up to the foothills of the White Mountains. The village has kept its traditional character and is a good place to see local life.

The Platanias area stretches along the coast west of Chania, with a string of lively resorts such as Agia Marina, Platanias and Maleme, and long sandy beaches facing the island of Thodorou. Inland, the land rises quickly into green valleys, orange groves and mountain villages where life is slow. This area saw fierce fighting in the Battle of Crete in May 1941, remembered at the Maleme cemetery and in many village memorials. It's a convenient base, with Chania only a short drive away.

Around Platanias

Nearest town: Kissamos, about 17 km by road
Nearest airport: Chania airport (CHQ), about 42 km by road

The west of Crete is the island at its most dramatic. Chania has the most beautiful Venetian old town on Crete, wrapped around a harbour with a lighthouse and a domed mosque. In the evening the narrow lanes of Splantzia and the old Jewish quarter fill up with tavernas and small bars. More about Chania