When you board a ship at Piraeus you probably expect that it docks at the port of Hania. Where you actually get off, though, is the port of Souda about seven kilometres away. To get to Hania simply follow the signs (Gr/E) and you will soon be at the heart of the town.

The road you are on as you come from Souda (or Iraklio) at some point intersects with Hatzimichali Giannari street in front of the town market (you will also see the street lights). Here you turn left and drive for a couple of blocks, and at the third intersection you turn right. You are now on Halidon street, which takes you straight to the Venetian harbour at the heart of the town (see city map). Halidon street can be recognised by the Gr/E signs pointing you to EOT / GNTO (the Greek National Tourist Organisation) and to the Museum.

If you are coming from Kasteli Kissamou, you will enter the town from the west, driving on Kissamou street which then becomes Kidonias. Right after Square 1866 you will see Gr/E signs directing you to the Old Town, the Museum and the City Hall. Here you must turn left in order to get to the beginning of Halidon street which, in turn, takes you to the Venetian harbour (see city map).

The boat arrives at Hania - or rather, Souda - at 6:00 a.m. This gives you the chance to see the old town and its Venetian harbour at the best possible moment, when the sun rises over the hill, dyeing the proud mansions and the tranquil sea with a deep red colour.
Until about 10:00 or 11:00 a.m., the time that tourists begin to wake, the town has an enchanting, serene feeling about it. This is your best chance to get a taste of the daily life of the locals. For the best taste - metaphorically as well as literally - go to the Town Market.

It is a closed cross-shaped gallery that houses over 70 food stores, among them many with fresh fruit produced locally. You will also find meat, dairy products, bread, legumes, and anything else you need. The Town Market was built in the beginning of the century, following the demolition of the main rampart at the south of the city wall and the filling of the moat before it with rubble. Behind it is a park with benches and some coffee shops favoured by the locals. After you are through with the market, you could come here and take a rest.

If you continue your walk to the east, you will find yourself in Splatzia. This was the Turkish quarter of the town and it still has many old homes. Its alleys have been turned into pedestrian zones, so you can take a good long stroll. Here you will also see a couple of Venetian churches, the one dedicated to St. Rokkos and the other to St. Nicholas. The latter was converted to a mosque, but from that mosque only the minaret survives - and not for long! It has a quite dangerous inclination, and it is bound to come down with the first strong earthquake, possibly on the head of an unsuspecting passer-by...

By eleven o’ clock the cafeterias in Santrivani Square and all around the Venetian harbour are full of tourists who have just woken up and are having their breakfast. The harbour cafeterias are the best place to enjoy a good breakfast and to watch some action. Their prices, though, are quite high. If you are looking for something tasty and inexpensive, try Iordanis’ cream-filled pastries (boughàtsa).

They are always fresh - if you are lucky you’ll buy them right out of the oven - and you can find them in any of Jordan’s three bougatsa shops from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. As for sandwiches, the best place to go is the Cafe Chiao, opposite the Archaeological Museum on Halidon street. They have great baguettes with fresh vegetables, and their outdoor tables will certainly invite you to watch the crowds while sipping a fresh juice or coffee.

By noon, the market looks very lively, especially on Halidon street and in the area around the Metropolis Square . Try walking on Skrindlof street; it is very colourful and it has many small, inexpensive shops selling quality leather goods that are produced locally. Most merchants and small-time manufacturers in this area sell some very good things, but the “modern” and “tourist-catering” image which they try to project may end up working against them. Ignore the fancy display of goods and the tourist signs and look carefully on their shelves for the truly good folk art they produce. One of the interesting places is the knife shop of Apostolos Pahtikos on 14 Sifaka street.

Between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. most tourists are at the beach, while many of the locals enjoy a good nap. The humming in the streets subsides for a few hours and everything seems peaceful. If you don’t take a nap yourself or go to the beach, you can spend these hours visiting the town’s museums; they are less crowded at this time and they also protect you from the scorching heat outside.

The Archaeological Museum of Hania is closed on Monday and open Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The building where it’s housed is a sight in itself! It is an old Franciscan monastery, possibly built in the beginning of the 16th century, but it is the most important religious edifice to this day. In the course of the last few centuries this monastery had a history that was anything but dull! In 1645, the Turks converted it to a mosque (one can still see the foundations of the minaret and the beautiful Turkish fountain in the inner courtyard). In 1913 the Greeks converted it to a theatre and a movie house! In 1941 the Germans converted it to an ordnance depot (which they fortunately spared when they left the town). Then the building was left to its fate until 1968, when it was finally turned into a museum after undergoing extensive maintenance work. The museum houses a rich collection of archaeological findings from the area, dating from the Neolithic age to the Roman times. The most impressive exhibits are the Roman mosaic floors of the 3rd century AD, some classical statues, samples of Minoan pottery, and clay tablets with writing in Linear A and Linear B. Inside the museum you will find some very informative material including photographs of exhibits.

Just opposite the archaeological museum is a “live museum” where a rare, age-old tradition is practised. It is

the church-bell foundry of the Papadakis family, housed - for a short while yet - in a building that once was a Turkish Bath.

The Maritime Museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. It is a small but interesting museum at the Venetian harbour and it has a rich collection of exhibits. You will see miniatures of warships, old navigation instruments, old pictures, an interesting representation of the Venetian town, and a sizeable collection of sea shells.

Behind the Koundourioti Coast (Aktì Koundouriòti) is the heart of the old town. It is here that people come in the early evening, when they want to take a walk or eat something after a day at the beach. Zambeliou, Theotokopoulou, Angelou and Kondylaki are the nicest streets in the area, lined with old houses that have been turned into hotels, bars and restaurants. Of these, the Renier Mansion on Moschon street is the most interesting example. It was built in the early 15th century to house a Venetian family and today its surviving inner courtyard has been turned into a restaurant (SULTANA’S), where you can enjoy a delicious meal. Also surviving is the door with the Latin inscription and the Renier coat of arms as well as the family chapel which is dedicated to St. Nicholas.

A little later in the evening people begin to gather around the paved Koundourioti Coast and the Tombazi Coast (Aktì Tombàzi). As they stroll along the waterfront, they meet each other and exchange ideas for the night, then groups are formed and the evening plans are fixed. The action continues until the early morning hours, concentrated mainly around the western part of Koundourioti Coast with its many bars and discos and around Enosseos Coast at the eastern side of the harbour.

The town’s beaches are all to the west. Most of them are sandy and clean, but of course you must not expect to find any isolated spots. They are literally covered with deck chairs and umbrellas and surrounded by countless hotels and restaurants and many businesses involving sea sports. If you are not bothered by crowds and development, you can enjoy a cool and clean sea and try your hand at canoeing, skiing or surfing.

The municipal beach of Hania is about a ten-minute walk to the west of the town (just take the street that starts behind the Maritime Museum). It has showers, cafeterias and restaurants, and of course it is the first beach to be filled with people. No time is too early to find it packed.

A little further lies the beach of Aghii Apostoli, which is also sandy and nice. However, it, too, is full of people, and you may feel as crowded as if you’d taken the bus during rush hour!

Your best choice is Chrissi Akti (Golden Coast), located 3.2 miles to the right of Square 1866, right after the EKO gas station. It is a beautiful sandy beach and large enough to accommodate the crowds.
The sea in the Hania area hides some impressive reefs with very interesting marine life. If you would like to explore it together with the most experienced guides in Hania, contact Blue Adventures Diving and ask for Spyros Papakastrissios.

Contrary to what you will see in most maps and guides, the EOT (GNTO) information centre is not at the old Turkish Baths of the Venetian harbour. Since 1992, it is on Kriari street, next to Square 1866.

Here you can be advised on where to stay and what to see and you can pick up information on the schedules of boats, planes and buses.

If you are more interested in the town of Hania, though, we suggest you contact the Town Information Centre . Irini Michailakaki, who is there to help you, is also a member of the Hania Mountain Climbing Club (EOS Hanion), and she can provide you with info on hiking and mountain climbing expeditions as well.

EOS Hanion is a very active club with 500 members and three refuges at the most beautiful sites of the White Mountain range. The members are very knowledgeable on the Cretan peaks and gorges and they can give you all the information you need. Offices are open from 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and anyone who is a member of the international mountain-climbing family is very welcome. If you wish to participate in one of the club’s organised expeditions ask for the schedule they publish every three months and let them know in advance. Information on the European Walk Path can be obtained from Stavros Badogiannis, who helped to mark it and knows it like his backyard.