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Day trips from western Crete, with honest drive times.
In short. From a base in western Crete the essentials are: Chania old town and its Venetian harbour (about 30 minutes from the Apokoronas hills), the Samaria gorge (around 1 h 15 to the Omalos trailhead), Lake Kournas for freshwater swimming (about 25 minutes), the mountain villages of Apokoronas and the Vamos area (5 to 20 minutes), Rethymno old town (about 40 minutes), and the western lagoons of Balos and Elafonissi as full-day trips (about 2 hours each).
Chania old town
The single best thing in western Crete, and about half an hour from the Apokoronas villages. A Venetian harbour with a lighthouse at the end of the mole, layers of Venetian and Ottoman building behind it, and a warren of lanes that reward getting lost. For most visitors, Chania, Crete is the old town, and it is where the list of things to do in Chania begins.
Aquarelle by Danny
Things to do in Chania old town
- Walk the Venetian harbour out along the mole to the lighthouse, ideally as the light drops.
- The covered market for cheese, honey and raki.
- The leather lane at Skrydlof.
- The Nautical Museum in the Firka fortress at the harbour mouth.
- The Splantzia quarter east of the harbour, where the tavernas are better value than the ones on the waterfront.
Visiting Chania, Crete: parking and timing
Go in the evening. Park outside the old town, because the lanes are pedestrian and parking near the harbour is a lottery, then walk in. In July and August the stone streets hold the heat late, so an early morning at the market and an evening by the harbour beats the middle of the day. From the Apokoronas hills it is about 30 minutes by car, which makes Chania an easy evening out rather than a base you have to sleep in.Samaria Gorge
~1 h 15 to Omalos
The famous one: 16 km downhill through the White Mountains, ending at Agia Roumeli on the south coast, from where a boat and a bus bring you back. A full and genuinely demanding day — start early, take more water than you think, and check it is open.
Imbros Gorge
~1 hour
Samaria’s much shorter cousin at about 8 km, less crowded and far more manageable with children or in heat. Ends near Komitades on the south coast.
Village walking
From the doorstep
Apokoronas is laced with old paths between villages, through olive terraces and dry stone walls. Cooler and greener than the coast, and you can do it before breakfast.
A wonderful network of paths and trails unfolds just beyond the gates of the Bleverde estate.
Visit our Hikers page for more information.
Lake Kournas and the coast
Lake Kournas
About 25 minutes away, Kournas Lake is Crete’s only natural freshwater lake: a green bowl under the mountains with pedal boats, shallow swimming at the edges and tavernas along one shore. An easy, cool half-day when the sea is windy.Boat trips
Boats run from Kissamos to the Balos lagoon, from Paleochora and Sougia along the south coast, and from Chania harbour for shorter cruises. The south-coast boats are the useful ones, because several beaches out there have no road at all.Beaches
The beaches deserve their own page, with drive times and which suits what.
Villages, food and the ordinary things
The best days in Crete are often the unplanned ones. Vamos, five minutes from us, is a well-restored village with good tavernas and a strong co-operative tradition. Gavalochori has Venetian wells, a folklore museum and kopaneli lace-making still taught locally. The villages up towards the White Mountains — Kefalas, Douliana, Xirosterni — are a morning’s slow drive with a lunch in the middle.
What to eat in Crete
Eat late, eat inland, and order what the taverna suggests rather than what the menu photographs. Look for:- Dakos, barley rusk with tomato and cheese
- Antikristo lamb, slow-roasted by the fire in the mountain villages
- Wild greens, whatever is in season
- Local cheeses from the Chania market
- Raki, usually poured unasked at the end of a meal
What to take home
Olive oil and honey are the two worth carrying, and better bought at a village co-operative than at the airport. Kopaneli lace from Gavalochori and leather from Chania’s Skrydlof lane make better presents than anything at the harbour front.Things to do in Crete with children
Lake Kournas, the shallow Almyrida beach, a boat trip and the Imbros gorge all work with children. Our family villas in Crete page covers a family week in more detail.| Trip | From Apokoronas | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Vamos and the nearby villages | ~5 min | A morning |
| Almyrida / Kalyves beaches | ~10 min | An afternoon |
| Lake Kournas | ~25 min | Half a day |
| Chania old town | ~30 min | An evening, or a full day with the market |
| Seitan Limania | ~40 min | Half a day |
| Rethymno old town | ~40 min | Half a day to a day |
| Frangokastello / south coast | ~1 hour | A full day |
| Imbros Gorge | ~1 hour | A full day |
| Samaria Gorge | ~1 h 15 to trailhead | A long full day |
| Balos / Elafonissi | ~2 hours | A long full day |
| Knossos and Heraklion | ~2 hours | A long full day |
Drive times are approximate, from the Apokoronas villages inland of the Almyrida bay. Mountain and south-coast roads take longer than the distance suggests.
What are the best things to do in Chania?
Walk the Venetian harbour and old town in the evening, visit the covered market, explore the Splantzia quarter, and use the town as a jumping-off point for the Samaria gorge and the western beaches. Chania is about 30 minutes from our villas in Apokoronas.
What are the top things to do in Crete?
In the west: Chania old town, the Samaria or Imbros gorge, the Balos and Elafonissi lagoons, Lake Kournas, and slow village days in Apokoronas. In the centre, Knossos and Heraklion’s Archaeological Museum. See our best beaches in Crete guide for the beach days.
Is the Samaria Gorge worth it?
Yes, if you are a reasonably fit walker with a full day. It is 16 km downhill on rough ground and ends with a boat and a bus. Imbros is the shorter alternative at about 8 km. Samaria is usually closed in winter, so check our best time to visit Crete guide.
How many days do you need in western Crete?
Five to seven. That covers Chania, a gorge, two or three beaches, Lake Kournas and a couple of village days without spending the week in the car. Our villa rates are quoted by the week; see the weekly rates.
Can you visit Knossos from Chania?
You can, but at about two hours each way it makes for a long day. If Minoan archaeology is a priority, consider a night near Heraklion instead.
What is there to do in Crete when it rains?
Chania’s museums and covered market, the Gavalochori folklore museum, Rethymno’s fortress and old town, and a long lunch. Rain is mostly a November-to-March matter.
What should we eat in Crete?
Dakos, wild greens, slow-cooked goat, antikristo lamb in the mountain villages, local cheeses from the Chania market, and whatever the taverna recommends. Raki usually arrives at the end whether you order it or not. The tavernas in Gavalochori are a ten-minute walk from the estate.
Where should we stay for the best things to do in Chania?
Somewhere between Chania and Rethymno puts the whole west in reach. Our two villas above Gavalochori, Villa Elia and Villa Levanda, are 30 minutes from Chania old town and 10 from the beach. Check the availability.
A base for all of it
Two villas with private saltwater pools above Gavalochori — half an hour from Chania, ten minutes from the beach.
See the villas
Where to stay in Crete