Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. - Dalai Lama
Going on adventures to new corners of the world and discovering unexpected destinations has always been a passion of mine. Although I haven't had many opportunities in the past years following Covid, last summer's destination chose me.
I had long been searching for a wellness retreat, yet was always met with resistance. Dates did not match, budgets were not met, connections were tricky; I eventually gave up on the idea. Until this summer. Having searched on www.bookretreats.com for several months, I found a week long yoga retreat in July, in Greece (where my Sinopharm vaccine was accepted), was within budget and had a seamless flight journey - it had to be a sign!
Crete has two airports and I chose Chania, the capital city, as it was only located 40 minutes away from my yoga retreat centre in Douliana; whereas Heraklion would have been almost 2 hours away. The city is very small but is filled with history and a mixture of cultures.
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STAY
I searched for ages to find the best hotel on Booking.com and it always comes down to budget, location and comfort level. For this trip I opted for a central hotel which was cheap but comfortable as I only stayed in Chania for 1 night but needed a good night's sleep. That was Elia Bettolo hotel located 10 seconds walk from the Old Town market.
The hotel chain has other locations scattered throughout Chania, some located nearer to the famous lighthouse while others are hidden in the winding passageways. I would recommend this chain as it is excellent value for money, clean and the staff are extremely friendly, they are Greeks after all!
EXPERIENCE
First of all - Crete as a whole island is huge and there is SO much to explore depending on the interests. I mainly visited Chania, Douliana (the yoga retreat location) and Falasarna beach as the retreat had a tight daily itinerary. Chania's history is quite lengthy and impressive, having served as the base of several civilisations including the Ancient Minoans, Venetians, Ottomans, Byzantines and today, people from all over the world - all shaping history in the past, present and for the future. These are the top places I visited during the short weekend.
Old Venetian Harbour | of all the harbour towns I've visited, this one (so far) was the most enchanting. Built in the 14th century by the Venetians, it was used to control the Sea of Crete.
It is dotted with a plethora of cafes and tavernas selling local delicacies and features a beautiful mix of Ottoman, Venetian and Cretan architecture. On a summery mid-July day, the influx of tourists clashing with locals luring them to buy products forms a beautiful chaos - almost recreating what a chaotic port this must have been throughout the 14th century.
There are several cool things to explore at the port, so let's start with the jewel - Chania Lighthouse. Located at the very tip of the Old Sea Wall - it is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world, built by the Venetians in the 1864.
You can walk to the lighthouse across the Old Sea Wall or simply admire it from a cafe across the sea. A couple of other cool things to explore at the harbour include:
Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque - built in 1645 by the Ottomans on a pre-existing Christian temple after the conquest of Chania
Venetia Shipyards & Grand Arsenal - an impressive structure serving as the last of the 17 shipyards and is an exhibition space today
Nautical Museum - housed in the Firka Fortress, features a collection of nautical vessels, documents and precious ancient antiques
Old Town | most of Chania is part of the pedestrianised Old Town and resembles something like a classic movie scene. The contrast of architecture, colours and sensations all blending together to tell a beautiful story, reminding me of those scenes from Sicily in The Godfather. It is filled with shops, hotels, cafes, churches, fountains, squares and the list goes on; dazzled by winding passageways and hidden mazes, which made me wonder how was all of this built centuries ago?
Old Town Market | a must visit and is embedded centrally in the Old Town so you cannot miss it. Sure, there are modern shops and clothing brands, but the market features amazing hand crafted cotton, wood and leather products - SO needed for the harsh summer sun. The best part is that there are fresh juice stands everywhere serving tasty pomegranate or citrus beverages to help boost some energy.
One of my favourite things to explore in Chania was the souvenir shops. Sure you have the standard "checklist" types; but as you wander deeper, you find beautiful artisan products and shop owners with beautiful stories. During one of my strolls I wandered into a shop selling handmade decorations and one in particular - a key hanger, caught my attention. The shop is called Ikarus Chania and the lovely shop owner told me how 40 years ago she left Switzerland, settled on this island never looked back. Another souvenir shop was built on top of ruins which just added more magic to the experience.
As I've matured in my travels, my souvenir shopping now means taking a piece of the destination back home, savouring it for as long as possible and sparking conversations with my friends and family. There are hardly any magnets on my fridge, but my pantry is filled with cooking herbs, spices, honeys, treats and drinks; while my house resembles a beautifully crafted museum with decorations from around the world - reminding me everyday of the footprints I left behind in those beautiful destinations.
It is impossible to visit the entire island in just one weekend, so below are some beautiful experiences for the list, next time!
Balos Beach
Elafonissi Beach
Mystical city of Knossos
Hiking the Samaria Gorge
Day trips to Heraklion and Rethymno
Cretan cooking class
Wine and olive oil tastings
Falasarna Beach | voted best beach in Crete and is in the top 10 of European beaches, the 400km stretch features crystal clear water and fine sand. We took a day trip from Douliana (about 2 hours by car) to get there and enjoyed a blissful few hours. For lunch, we hiked to the top of the hill where we enjoyed traditional Cretan specialities, complete with a Raki send off by the owner.
Stepping outside to admire the views, I was left breathless as the sun's rays blending into the azure water, set against the limitless horizon looked like something out of Greek mythology and I felt for a few moments what must have inspired all those poets and philosophers to write their legacies.
Douliana | this is the tiniest town I have ever been to, in my life probably - but I wanted to mention it in here because it is a little piece of serenity. The town is located about 30 minutes away from Chania to the East coast of the island and has a population of about 50 people in the summer (maybe 20 in the winter).
It is covered in beautiful villas and town houses all offering accommodation, which made me think this is one of the most visited areas during the summer for larger groups as every home had a beautiful garden and swimming pool. Apart from a tavern and mini shop, hiking trails and a trek to the beach - there is nothing else to do, making it an incredible place to fully relax and be immersed with nature.
The girls and I enjoyed several pool days to beat the hot summer heat, read our books, listened to music and soothed our souls. The Cretan locals were easy going too - as expected from an island lifestyle. Cretan women however seem to take that chilled island lifestyle to another level wearing virtually no makeup and going full "au naturelle" (armpits included).
TASTE
The city is bursting with with cafes, bars, tavernas and restaurants, but I highly recommend heading down to the harbour for the best Cretan food, stunning vistas of the sunset and splashes of the cool Mediterranean sea. Cretans are extremely friendly and every dining experience ends with a complimentary treat - in my case, ice cream and raki!
GETTING AROUND
Chania is easily navigated on foot and is probably the easiest and most recommended mode of transport. Taxis are expensive and as I heard from fellow yogis the buses work well as an alternative. I booked a private car to take me from Douliana to Chania Airport which cost around EUR 70 for a 30 minute journey, but there was no other option as Douliana is the tiniest village I have ever been too and there are no taxi's!
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Until next time, Yiassou!
xo,
Marina
Disclaimer: All views are my own and all photographs are © My Sweet Escapes, unless otherwise stated. Prices reflect the exchange rate at the time of publishing this post.
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