Crete - what to do from Chania (Souda)

[bennybear]

Bus service is very good, but it is a very large island. There are also companies that offer day trips. Depends also if you are flying in, you could go into Chania and out of Heraklion for example. So suggest you look at what you want to see most. Knossos is a major site near Heraklion, but Heraklion is one of my least favourite cities. You could spend around a week in Chania area and then a second week around Aghios Nikolas. It is a pretty town and nearby Elounda a nice resort area. Nearby Spinalonga is a very interesting island that was a leper colony, you might want to read the book the island by Victoria Hislop.

Happy to help.

[seveneleven]

In March we cruise on Viking small ship to Crete. It says Heraklion on itinerary. Is that another port on Crete?

We also dock in Limassol, Cyprus Rhodes and Mykenos. Would appreciate any feedback from your experience in these cities.

Edited November 7, 2016 by seveneleven

[bennybear]

Heraklion is on Crete, near to Knossos which is well worth visiting. Haven't been to Cyprus, but Rhodes is great. Visit Lindos, then the main town where there is a wonderful Templar castle. Have a local lunch with an excellent creamy feta cheese. Mykonos is very touristy but a cute town to wander. You can also visit the beach or the sacred island of Delos if the sea permits. It can be very windy there, depending on time of year, usually late summer. Once we couldn't even stop.

Have fun!

Edited November 7, 2016 by bennybear

[seveneleven]

Thank you for you suggestions. Hope you do not mind I tagging onto your roll call.

[Jwugg]

Heraklio is the same as Iraklio, you'll also see it written Iraklion/ Heraklion.

 

It is the capital of Crete, a busy city, a working place rather than a tourist town, but it has some old historic parts & good shopping etc. The most obvious way to spend a day here is to go to Knossos, the most famous ancient Minoan site, which is only a short way out of the city, followed by lunch in a Cretan taverna (Cretan food is fantastic), then a tour of the superb new Archeological museum, in the city centre. There will be plenty of trips from the ship doing this or you can DIY easily by bus or taxi.

 

If you can get to Knossos fairly early in the morning it is worth it, before the hordes arrive it still has an atmosphere.

[CRUISEBOY305]

Just to give another idea for something to do on Crete when in port in Chania...

 

We did the Chania Food Tour through Athens walking tours: http://www.athenswalkingtours.gr/chania-food-tour

 

We and our teens enjoyed it a great deal. I wrote a review on Tripadvisor:

Our family (teen kids) chose to do the Chania Food Tour while visiting Crete from a cruise ship. We had limited time in port (3 p.m. sail away) but this tour fit our timing just great. We had visited Chania before (another cruise) so wanted to do something a bit different. Maria and her colleague George gave us a wonderful experience on our three hour tour with another family. Like the earlier reviewer, we visited multiple shops in Chania and especially enjoyed the bakery (those tomato/cheese pies were to die for!!), the olive oil shop and the cheese shop. Maria and George taught us a great deal about the history of Chania and its food and also about how Chanians currently live. We never felt pressured to buy anything on the tour although we chose to purchase some spices and olive oil. I might also add that I thought the tour was a good value for the money we paid as Maria buys many items for your to taste.

 

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in delving more deeply into Cretan history and culture. I would, however, make two recommendations. Be sure you understand where you are meeting your tour. We were given a location but neither our cab driver or the locals we asked knew where it was (even though it is a prominent church!). So there were moments of panic that we would miss the tour. And if you have never been to Chania before, be sure that you plan to visit the Venetian harbor (which is picturesque) either before or after your tour as you skirt it on this tour but never actually see it.

 

Visited June 2014

 

 

oh I definitely want to do this.

 

I looked on their website. It says the meeting point would be at the Mitropoli orthodox church. Do you recall how far away that is from where the cruise ships docks? Walking distance?

 

Thanks :D

[lovestx]

oh I definitely want to do this.

 

I looked on their website. It says the meeting point would be at the Mitropoli orthodox church. Do you recall how far away that is from where the cruise ships docks? Walking distance?

 

Thanks :D

 

Cruiseboy,

 

When the ship docks at Souda (some go to Heraklion), there is a free shuttle bus from the port to the center of Chania which takes about 20 minutes. We had a hard time finding the meeting point so be sure you print out a map before you go.

[CRUISEBOY305]

Cruiseboy,

 

 

 

When the ship docks at Souda (some go to Heraklion), there is a free shuttle bus from the port to the center of Chania which takes about 20 minutes. We had a hard time finding the meeting point so be sure you print out a map before you go.

 

 

Thank you. Excellent idea.

 

We are in Souda

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Jwugg]

This church is much more commonly known as the Cathedral. It is on Halidon St, the main pedestrian road down to the old Venetian harbour. If you are dropped off at the covered market (this is where many coaches stop), you would walk 2 minutes up away from the market, with it on your right, then turn right onto Halidon (if you take a taxi from Souda port they can drop you off here) & the cathedral is unmissable after 100m!

Do ensure you leave enough time to explore the harbour & the little ancient alleyways around here. Chania has the most exquisite old town.

[leongcpa]

On our one day cruise stop in Souda, we took the public bus shuttle from the port to the front of the indoor market in Chania. We rushed to the KTEL bus station a few blocks away, and caught the first KTEL bus to Rethymno, and squeezed in a couple hours at the beachside town. Rethymno is a quaint beachside resort town. We caught the KTEL bus back to Chania, then had another couple hours in Chania's old town. We liked both towns, but we felt they were both a little more "industrial", when compared to Santorini, Hydra, and Mykonos.....

Edited December 6, 2016 by leongcpa