Visiting Crete!

Hi guys! Happy sunny Sunday!

This is a follow up blog post to my recent one all on Chania and our visit to Kiani Beach Resort.

I wanted to write this post for anyone that is interested in visiting Crete and I want to share all the stunning tourist sights that we did and didn't get to visit. More on Chania city and what you can get up to while there.

So grab a cup of tea and enjoy this post and make Crete a destination on your travel list.

Chania City;

Chania old town is absolutely gorgeous with lots of history, beautiful little streets full of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, art stores & lots of perfect spots for great food, drinks and people watching. During a busy summer season, it's buzzing with people with a great atmosphere & so many Instagramable corners.

The Old Venetian Harbour is definitely a spot to visit with a mix of Cretan and Venetian elements, old architecture, a beautiful lighthouse that you can walk up to from the waterfront of the port, from there you can enjoy a panoramic view of the whole harbour, Chania old town with the back round of the ocean.

Shopping;

If you love a spot of shopping while on holidays, then you will not be disappointed with what Chania has to offer. You have so much choice for men, women and kids. Lots of well known brand stores and some little boutiques with lots of fab stuff. Depending on what you are looking for, there is a bit of everything for everyone.

List of stores that we went to were: Zara, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Bershka, Tommy Hilfiger & Superdry.

Sights;

While we were there, we got to visit two of the most beautiful places. One was Elafonisi Beach which is known for its pink & white sand and turquoise water, honestly, it's a place everyone needs to visit.

Elafonisi Beach lies in the southwestern side of Crete and about 75km from Chania. We went from Kiani Beach Resort by car and it took us about 1 hour and 45 mins. It's so worth travelling to the beach itself as it's busy buzzing with people enjoying the picturesque views, shallow water perfect if you have kids with you and it's a location that I cannot wait to go back to.

Another place we got to visit was Kournas Lake and it now holds a very special place in our hearts as that's where we got engaged. Apart from that, it's a lake like no other surrounded by beautiful mountains, trees and all the green area around it. Its 47km from Chania and only about 25min drive from Kiani Beach Resort. There is lots of sunbeds and areas for spending your day at the shores of the lake, you can rent pedal boats and just take in the beauty that is Kournas Lake.

Another few places we wanted to visit but didn't get the chance and are now on our list for the next time we visit Crete;

Balos Beach is famous for its turquise waters, the wild natural beauty and beautiful exotic scenery. Balos is the most photographed beach in Crete and is at the top of the list for tourists visiting Crete.

Knossos is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site in Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city.

Samaria Gorge is in Samaria National Park in western Crete. It's a must visit place when in Crete and there are certain epic hikes throughout the world and the hike through samaria Gorge National Park is one of them. At 16km, Samaria Gorge is one of the longest gorges in Europe, it provides stunning views throughout your whole trip there.

Santorini is a well known Greek Island for its beauty and picturesque views and if you are in Crete you can take a day trip to visit this island.

There are so many more places I could include in this post but I narrowed them down to these as they are the ones that looked amazing to us. Crete has so much to offer, so many different activities to do and beautiful places to see. It was our first time in Crete and we already can't wait to go back there again.

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Love E x