Overview

The charming, historic harbour was built by the Venetians and dates from 1300s. Many of the historic buildings along the waterfront are brightly coloured and would have originally been warehouses and have now been converted into restaurants, bars and hotels. The numerous restaurants serve local Cretan, Greek and international food and are open throughout the day and evening.

Transport & Parking

The harbour is quite large and about a mile long. Most of the waterfront and the surrounding streets are pedestrianised. There are buses in Chania but they do not go directly to the harbour area. The streets down from the town centre to the harbour front involve a slope, the steepness of which depends on which roads you go down. I found Halidon, one of the main streets, wasn't too steep. At the eastern end of the harbour it is possible for cars or taxis to reach the harbour to drop off passengers. I also saw a car park at the eastern end of the harbour but I don't have any details of how that operates. I stayed at the Porto Veneziano Hotel (see separate review) which is on the waterfront. I took a taxi to and from the airport and from there it was a flat walkway round the harbour.

Access

The walkway round the harbour is pedestrianised. The area round the waterfront is level. The path is wide and step free apart from the short bit of path near the lighthouse, where there are stairs. The walkway is mainly made up of large, flat cobble stops and in a few places tarmacked. The harbour is beautiful, atmospheric and there is lots to see. Starting from the west side of the harbour there is the Firkas Fortress, in which is housed the Maritime Museum Of Crete (see separate review). The harbour then has a horseshoe bend and following the path round you walk by many restaurants and a few shops, which tend to be step free. On the east side there are no benches to sit on. Continuing walking round you will arrive at the entrance to a small square with a fountain, on your right. I think it's called El Venizelou Square. Just before you reach the square the benches starts. From here on in there's lots of benches next to the waterfront right along the east side of the harbour. Continue on and you arrive at a former mosque. It was bombed during World War II and its minaret was damaged. Nowadays they sometimes hold exhibitions in the building. The harbour curves slight and then there is the former Grand Arsenal which is now the Centre of Mediterranean Architecture. Continuing along there are some former ship yard buildings, which have now been turned into restaurants and bars, as well as some modern buildings. As you walk along look out for a couple of shops which are housed in boats, when I visited in March there was one selling a range of souvenirs and the other was selling natural sponges. Continuing along you will arrive at the path leading to the lighthouse, which is a major landmark. This is the only part of the walkway which is not step free as it involves climbing some old worn steps which don't have a hand rail. The lighthouse is closed to the public.

Toilets

On Zampeliou, the street running parallel to the harbour I found a free public step free, accessible toilet with a single grab rail. If you exit the harbour at El Venizelou Square and turn into the side street next to Star Bucks, and then at the first left side turn you will find the public toilets on the corner. The toilets were clean. Since returning I saw on tripadvisor that someone had posted a photo of the front of another block of public toilets which are near to the Giali Tzamissi mosque and they have an accessible ramp and accessible toilet sign, however I didn't use these during my visit. There is also an accessible toilet in the Arachnology Museum (see separate review) but there is an admission charge.

Staff

When using the waterfront restaurants I found staff were very friendly and helpful.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

The harbour is very attractive and photogenic. I visited in March, when it wasn't too busy as the main tourist season had not started. However it is a very popular place for locals and visitors alike and I can imagine it can get very busy at peak times. I was pleasantly surprised how accessible the area was.

Photos