Best Places to Eat Best Places to Stay Road Distances (Km)

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Hania

Includes  Why Go? Hania ...... 56 The west of Crete stands apart in so many ways. A land Akrotiri Peninsula. . . . 69 of giant mountains, grandiose legends and memorials to Imbros Gorge ...... 75 great battles past, it is presided over by the romantic port Hora Sfakion ...... 77 city of Hania (Χανιά), once Venice’s jewel of a capital and now filled with arty hotels, interesting shops and some of Loutro ...... 79 Greece’s best eateries. The region also boasts the grand- Sougia ...... 81 est gorge in Europe, west coast beaches that are among Paleohora ...... 83 the most beautiful in the world, Europe’s southernmost Elafonisi ...... 88 possession (tranquil Gavdos, a remote island nearer to Af- Gavdos Island ...... 89 rica than Greece), and mountain villages hardly affected by modernity. The steep mountains that ripple across the Samaria Gorge . . . . . 94 west and into the southern sea guarantee that the region Falasarna ...... 97 generally remains untouched by the excesses of tourism. Gramvousa From the olive oil to moustachioed elders, if you want to Peninsula ...... 98 see beautiful and traditional Crete, Hania and the west is definitely the place.

Best Places to Eat Road Distances (km) ¨¨To Maridaki (p65) Hora Sfakion 107 ¨¨Taverna Tamam (p65) Kissamos 59 106 ¨¨Thalassino Ageri (p66) ¨¨Methexis (p86) Paleohora 56 137 44 ¨¨To Skolio (p87) Hania 38 73 38 72

Best Places to Stay ¨ ¨Serenissima (p64) Omalos Hora Sfakion Kissamos Paleohor a ¨¨Milia (p97) ¨¨Casa Delfino (p64) ¨¨Elia Suites (p63) ¨¨Elafonisi Resort (p88) Hania Highlights 55 Episkopi

Kournas Bay Almyros RETHYMNO Georgioupoli s Cape Drapano Lake . Kournas ) Frangokastello Askyfou Vamo Almyrida Imbros Gorge Komitades Apokoronas s Piraeu Vryses . Imbros ) Swim magical teal lagoons lagoons teal magical Swim Get (really) away from it all from away (really) Get

i Gavdos Akrotiri Souda Bay Anopolis Peninsula Hora Sfakion on the barely populated island populated on the barely (p89 of Gavdos 8 7 ), on the western western on the (p99), at Balos Gramvousa remote of edge . Peninsula southern hamlet of Loutro of hamlet southern (p79

Aptera ka Or f Souda Stavros Le Aradhena (2453m) Pahnes Sfakia Bay of HANIA Loutro Kalathas Hania Theriso . Sea of Crete Sea of Gavdopoula Perivolia . Fournes Agia ) Zourva Libyan Sea Roumeli National Park Samaria Gorge Lakki Gorge Platanias Samaria ) to the southern the southern (p94) to Gulf of Hania Omalos Gorge Go by boat to escape escape to boat Go by Ride the waves at Crete’s at Crete’s waves Ride the Samaria Samaria grand Hike Agia Irini Moni Sougia 0 km miles Gorge many its or trek sea, neighbouring gorges 5 6 4 the masses in the sparkling in the sparkling the masses most entertaining beach, beach, entertaining most (p97 Falasarna Voukolies Prases Kolymbari a Diktynn Moni Gonias Rodovani Lissos Zimbragos Kandanos . Cape Spatha Cape )

Rodopou Peninsula Paleohora Mouri Voulgaro Temenia Koutsomatados Strovies . (748m Onyhas 01 06 Malia ) Azogires Kissamos (Kastelli) ) Kythira, Antikythira, Gythio & Piraeus Bay of Kissamos Cape Polyrrinia . Trahili Sirikari Vlatos Geroskinos (762m Koundoura Voutas Cape Vouxa Soak up Hania’s splendid up Hania’s Soak on the Luxuriate Enjoy live Cretan music in Cretan live Enjoy Peninsula Gramvousa Innahorion Elafonisi Moni Hrysoskalitissas its natural habitat in laid-back in laid-back habitat natural its (p83 Paleohora 3 2 of sands pink-cream fine (p88) in the remote Elafonisi southwest Hania Highlights 1 Venetian harbour (p56) Venetian Balos Platanos Day-trip boat Day-trip Sfinari Kambos (summer only) (summer Falasarna