La Canea

Chania is a small town located on the eastern part of the north coast of the island of Crete, at the foot of the Akrotiri peninsula and at the eastern end of the gulf named after the town. A Roman colony at one time, it then passed into the hands of the Venetians, the Turks and finally gained independence along with the rest of Greece. It was the capital of Crete until the early 1970s.

There is a lot of Venice in Chania, starting with the city walls with ramparts built in defense of the city (some ramparts have survived to the present day), and continuing with the architecture, the houses in the old city, and the Venetian ports, no longer in operation but a site of tourist importance today.

Otherwise, those who have visited it say that Chania is perhaps one of the most beautiful cities in all of Crete. Picturesque, it keeps its traditional atmosphere intact, and wandering through its alleys one can find remnants of the “real” Crete. It is not a place for mass tourism, in short, and this concept is, so to speak, reiterated by the fact that Chania lacks an organized marina with plenty of berths available.

On the subject of ports, Chania basically uses two ports: one at the old town and one on the other side of the Akrotiri promontory, the port of Suda. Suda Bay, narrow long and well sheltered, however, is home to a Greek naval base and a NATO base, berths are very few, and it is perhaps not the best place to bet on. Finally, at the centor of the cape is the international airport of Chania.

Also on the headland is an air base of some international importance, used by the Greek Air Force, the US Navy and the Raf; for all these reasons, access to Suda Bay requires caution: contact the coast guard on VHF channel 9 and verify that access is actually possible at that precise moment.

Returning to Chania, the town port is located right at the foot of the town, facing north. Certainly not in a very sheltered position, yet it offers good shelter from the meltemi, especially when it blows from the northeast. The main problem with this port is that Berths for Visitors are really small: 15, 20 if you squeeze in. The rest of the ports are occupied by local boats.

You enter the ports by passing between the fortress (on the starboard side) and the long breakwater with a small lighthouse at the end; turn left and there is the pier for passing boats immediately on the right, just past the entrance. The merit is to be in front of the old heart from the city: the atmosphere is really very nice.
Along this pier there can fit about fifteen boats, moored fore or aft; there are mooring lines, but not for everyone: late arrivals will have to drop their anchor, bearing in mind that the bottom is soft mud and rocks, not very good holding.

At the dock you will find water and electricity at a modest price; there is also free wi-fi, while there is no fuel station but you can have it delivered to the dock by a mini tanker truck. There are restrooms with showers near the port offices.
As for other services, you will find the basic ones in town (supermarkets, stores, even) as well as a nautical store and small repair services usable by asking at the ports.

As mentioned before, east of the Akrotiri peninsula is the commercial port of Chania, the port of Suda. There are very few ports, in contrast, the port is sheltered from the meltemi and generally from all winds. For information, contact the Coast Guard when you are in the area.