Souda (Chania)

Souda Bay is the port for Chania, a city on the northwest coast of Crete. The port is about 7km from Chania's old town, and buses or taxis make the trip in about 15 minutes. Chania's Venetian Harbour is the centrepiece, with a lighthouse at the harbour entrance and waterfront restaurants lining the quay. The old town has narrow lanes with Venetian and Ottoman architecture: carved doorways, wooden balconies, and small shops. The covered market (Agora), a cross-shaped building from 1913, sells local produce, cheese, herbs, and Cretan knives. The Maritime Museum of Crete is in the Firka Fortress at the harbour entrance. Beaches west of Chania (Balos Lagoon, Elafonissi) are stunning but require about 90 minutes of driving each. Cretan food is excellent: dakos (barley rusk with tomato and cheese), lamb, and local olive oil. Raki is offered for free at the end of meals. The euro is the currency.