Chania: Experience Greece, Cretan-Style

Chania’s fabled past blends Venetian charm with Greek culture. A picturesque harbour features charming views and a seductive aura. Pristine nearby beaches amplify Crete’s stunning northwest coast, while rich immersive experiences beckon in the countryside. Time-honoured hospitality reigns, making this Greek island paradise a multigenerational gem.

In town, Chania’s picturesque, labyrinthine streets reveal sights and aromas that satiate the senses. The city is built on the ruins of ancient Kydonia, a Minoan-era city-state that dates back to 3600 BC. Over millennia, several civilizations have called it home, including the Romans, Ottomans, and Venetians. Visitors can explore its museums, galleries, and cathedrals that capture the centuries-old soul of the region and walk along Stivania (Leather Lane), which is lined with shops selling leather goods and is named after cobblers who made the iconic Stivania Cretan boots. Another option is to stroll the picturesque, 14th-century seaside Venetian-built harbour and admire the 19th-century stone-masonry lighthouse up close. Adorning the port, the symbol of the city was built on the site of the original Venetian lighthouse and is listed as an official archaeological site of Greece.

Gastronomy starts at the municipal market, where a feast of colour and flavour awaits. Restaurants blend modern and traditional dishes, including stifado, a meat-based stew with onions and red wine seasoned with rosemary and cinnamon. Seafood saganaki is prepared by simmering the catch of the day with tomatoes, spicy peppers, ouzo, and feta. The dakos salad consists of soaked barley rusk topped with chopped tomatoes and mizithra cheese seasoned with herbs. For dessert, there is bougatsa, custard-filled phyllo pastry topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon; zoumero, a syrupy chocolate cake; and xerotigana, deep-fried dough strips drizzled with honey and topped with walnuts.

Crete is blessed with beautiful beaches that are easily accessible. A must is picture-perfect Balos, one of the most mesmerizing beach lagoons in the country, with warm, shallow teal water. Nearby Gramvousa Island has a medieval castle and the remains of a shipwrecked boat near the beach to explore. Along the foothills of the White Mountains, the 200-acre Botanical Park and Gardens of Crete are an explosion of colour, fragrance, and education. Several walking trails offer lessons in global flora and highlight the importance of ecological balance and environmental sustainability. The area’s distinctive microclimate nurtures thousands of plants, animals, and herbs, offering visitors an aromatic escape into a serene Mediterranean oasis, along with stunning views of the Cretan landscape.

Hands-on experiences showcase the beauty, flavours, and history of the island. Cretan olive oil, honey, and wine are famous the world over. Tasting tours offer the opportunity to meet the makers, learn more about the ingredients, nuanced flavours, traditions, and Cretan culture through its cuisine. Family-run operations are more than eager to offer generous samples to make the journey more memorable and delicious. Flakatoras Ceramics and Tetraktis Ceramics offer workshops in the ancient Cretan art of pottery making suited for all ages. Participants make their souvenir while learning timeless techniques from masters who continue this millennia-old tradition.

There’s Greek hospitality. Then there’s Cretan hospitality, an art and a masterpiece all in one. Few accommodations can match it like the Cretan Dream Resort & Spa, owned and operated by Petros Kardiakakis. Ideal for intergenerational travellers, this mecca of Mediterranean hotel luxury and relaxation is mere minutes from the city, yet far enough to experience iconic Cretan serenity, including ocean-view balconies, an infinity pool, and the Blue Flag-designated Stalos Beach.

The infinity pool at the Cretan Dream Resort & Spa.

The hotel’s four restaurants and lounges serve fun cocktails and authentically Cretan farm-to-plate culinary experiences, including Cretan-focused cooking classes and local wine tasting experiences with the on-site sommelier. Chef Petros Losif uses fruits and vegetables grown on site, local meats and cheeses, honey from the resort’s apiary, and olive oil from the 3,000-year-old olive trees on the property.

Lush, landscaped gardens are complemented with 105 guest rooms designed with comfort and sophistication in mind. The resort’s water is purified using reverse osmosis, making it clean and safe to drink. Marble bathrooms, private pools, and sunset-loving ocean-view balconies offer an unrivalled, year-round, sanctuary-like experience. After a day in the infinity pool, heading to the beach and getting pampered silly at the luxury spa, a sanctuary of restorative signature treatments and massages, promises to maximize the zen.

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