Things To Do in Nea Kydonia

This festival in Anogia, a mountain village about an hour’s drive away, sees a real mix of cultural events take place in a wooded area next to the stone chapel. During the week you might hear a new musical composition, get a recital of Homer, see a film screening or be entertained with Greek dancing. Small kiosks are on hand selling local cheese, honey and raki.

Most of the shopping action takes place in Chania. On the narrow Anghelou Street, you’ll find glazed ceramics and wooden trinkets, while the independent art shops here sell prints of 16^th- and 17^th-century Cretan religious art. Along nearby Zambeliou Street you can watch a traditional weaver at work, and buy the decorative Persian-style rugs on the spot.

Kalamaki Beach has sand so soft that loggerhead turtles come here to nest. They don’t mind sharing with you, though, so you’ll still find sunloungers and umbrellas to hire as well as beach tavernas for lazy lunches. And there are watersports to enjoy out on the sea, so choose between jet-skis, canoes or kayaks, unless of course you prefer windsurfing or snorkelling.

Maria’s is a quaint little restaurant in the centre of Stalos, off to the west of Nea Kydonia. The owner who gives the restaurant its name was Crete’s first female restaurateur back in 1985. She runs an unfussy place serving up traditional moussaka alongside local specialities like grilled octopus. You can round off the meal with a glass of rakomelo, raki mixed with honey.

Less than half-an-hour’s drive away are the Roman ruins at the hilltop town of Aptera. You’re free to wander around the site, where the vaulted Roman cisterns are a highlight, as are the last remains of a 1^st-century temple. And the views are pretty spectacular up here, too. On your way back down, do pop into the village for lunch at one of the little tavernas.

Evenings along Nea Kydonia’s coast are quiet and cosy, though glasses of raki are still served late into the night at the waterside tavernas. Chania’s harbour is really the night-time hub round these parts. The elegant café-bars and live rock clubs get busy around 9pm, then after midnight the waterfront clubs spin modern pop and techno to a young local crowd.

There are 44 steps to climb to get up to this bar but it’s worth it for the harbour views. Inside, the fresh-fruit daiquiris and pina coladas are bestsellers, while the Cretan lager Charma is popular, too. The décor is cosy and intimate, with leather booths and low-lighting. There are a few tables and chairs set outside on the roof terrace, while inside a selection of chilled-out lounge music plays on a loop.