Hania or Chania ☼

Anoula’s travel notebook.

Hania, also known as La Canea, is a charming romantic city with 55000 inhabitants. The second city of Crete has nothing to compare with Heraklion and in the evening you can have a quiet romantic walk in the ancient district or in the harbor.

Hania was the official capital of Crete for a long time before it lost the title in 1971. Far from the excited Heraklion and even if there are also many tourists, Hania develops its own quiet Cretan rhythm of life.

Do not forget to walk in the ancient district picturesque streets which you can find all around the harbor. Don’t be afraid to lose yourself in the narrow streets’ labyrinth of the following ancient districts : Kastelli, Chiones and Splantzia. In these districts, situated in the East of the harbor, you will find some of the most beautiful Venetian and Otoman architectures of the Island of Crete. You should also see the covered market where you can smell delightful odours of spices, meat and fish. Well, are you there ? Take a jump now! Escape yourself from the main tourist alley to discover the real market!  The unavoidable leather street: it will take time to find the real craftsman lost in the middle of all the imported leather products, but once it will be done, you will do good bargains!

Hania can be the starting point :

• to walk into the gorges of Samaria
• to do historical walks on the Akrotiri Peninsula

To conclude : anywhere you choose to go, I advise you to have a break in the romantic city of Chania.