Where to Stay in Chania: Old Town, Nea Chora, Platanias and More

Chania is a compact town with a Venetian harbour, and the area you choose decides how your trip feels: harbour evenings on foot, a beach morning and a short stroll into town, or a resort stay with the town as a day out. This guide compares the main bases and says who each suits.

The area details come from three recent guides (Deep Arrival, Tara O'Reilly and Olympic Holidays), all checked on 13 November 2026. They do not always agree, so where they differ this guide gives a range. We do not list individual hotels here.

The short answer

• First visit, no car: the Old Town, or Nea Chora if you want a beach too.
• Families who want shallow water: Agioi Apostoloi, or Agia Marina and Platanias west of town.
• Quiet and residential: Halepa or Tabakaria.
• Nightlife and resort facilities: Platanias.

Chania areas compared

Area	Best for	Beach	Getting to the Old Town
Old Town	First visit, harbour evenings, no car	None	You are in it
Nea Chora	Beach plus an easy walk to town	Sandy city beach	About 10 minutes on foot
Koum Kapi	A local seafront feel	Small beach	About 5 to 10 minutes on foot
Halepa	Quiet nights and older villas	None	15 to 35 minutes on foot, depending on the guide and route
Tabakaria	Couples who want calm	Rocky swimming from steps	About 20 minutes along the coast
Agioi Apostoloi	Families, calm shallow coves	Small sandy coves	City bus or car
Agia Marina and Platanias	Resort beach stays	Long sandy beaches	About 11 km to the Old Town (Platanias); bus or car

Old Town and the Venetian harbour

This is the historic core: narrow lanes, the harbour, restaurants and museums, with the lighthouse and the Splantzia quarter close by. It suits first-time visitors, couples and anyone who wants to walk everywhere. The trade-offs are crowds in high season, noise for street-facing rooms, higher food and drink prices and hard parking. One guide warns that car access and luggage drop-off are not guaranteed, so ask your hotel how to reach it with bags.

Nea Chora and Koum Kapi

Nea Chora is the waterfront district just west of the Old Town walls, with a sandy beach, a fishing harbour and seafood tavernas. One guide calls it the best base without a car because the beach is on the doorstep and the Old Town is about 10 minutes away on foot. Koum Kapi, on the other side of the harbour area, is more local and residential, with seafront cafés and bars and a small beach. It is close to the Old Town but can be loud at weekends.

Halepa and Tabakaria

Halepa is a quiet residential district of 19th-century villas east of the centre. It suits visitors who want calm nights and more space, but there are few restaurants or bars, some slopes, and a longer walk into town. Walking times in the guides range from 15 to 35 minutes, so check the route for your hotel. Tabakaria is a peaceful old tannery quarter on the coast, about 20 minutes on foot from the Old Town, with sunset dining. It has no real beach: you swim from rocks by stone steps.

Agioi Apostoloi

West of the centre, Agioi Apostoloi blends into neighbouring Daratsos. It is a relaxed family base with small sandy coves and calm, shallow water, though evening choices are limited. A city bus runs into town, and a car helps. Check the current timetable before relying on the bus.

Agia Marina and Platanias

This is the resort strip west of Chania. Agia Marina is the more family-oriented and calmer of the two, with a long, shallow beach and Theodorou island offshore. Platanias is livelier, with beach bars, shops, water sports and nightlife, and it is a useful starting point for day trips west. Both are built up, can be crowded in peak season and sit on a busy main road. Plan on a car, bus or organised trip for evenings in Chania town.

Further out: Kalyves and Georgioupolis

East of Chania, Kalyves and Georgioupolis are calmer options with long beaches. Georgioupolis sits on the border with Rethymno, which makes day trips to Rethymno easier. They suit visitors who want quiet and have a car.

Do you need a car?

Not if you stay in the Old Town, Nea Chora or Koum Kapi, where restaurants, the harbour and buses are within reach on foot. In the resort areas and the quieter districts a car or regular bus makes life easier, and it is almost essential for day trips. Our guides to car rental in Crete and driving in Crete cover what to check.

Getting from the airport

Chania airport is about 15 km east of the city, roughly 20 to 25 minutes by bus or taxi according to one guide. A public bus serves the airport, and KTEL publishes the timetable, so check it for your date. If you land at Heraklion instead, Chania is about 140 km away, around 2 to 2.5 hours by express bus. For a fixed-price pickup to your hotel, this private transfer covers Chania's airports and port, and the towns and resorts in the west. If you book through the link, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

See Crete's airports for how Heraklion and Chania compare.

Day trips from Chania

Elafonissi is about 76 km from Chania, roughly 90 minutes each way according to one guide, and Balos is around 43 km, though the last stretch is an unpaved road. In July and August these beaches fill up, so plan when to visit Crete before you choose your base, and see Crete in October if you are travelling late in the season.

How to choose

Pick the Old Town if you want atmosphere and will walk everywhere, Nea Chora if you want a beach as well, and Halepa or Tabakaria for quiet. Choose Agioi Apostoloi, Agia Marina or Platanias if the beach matters more than the town. If you cannot decide, Nea Chora is the most balanced base for a first visit without a car.

Plan the rest of your Crete trip

• Where to stay in Crete
• Crete airports: Heraklion or Chania?
• Car rental in Crete
• How many days do you need in Crete?
• Private transfers in Greece
• Crete travel guide